OXNARD : Mobile-Home Park Rent Limits OKd

The Oxnard City Council voted Tuesday to limit rent increases in the city’s 21 mobile-home parks to $79 when a coach changes hands, citing a recent U. S. Supreme Court ruling that approved such rent caps.

In its action, the council amended a settlement reached in November with owners of mobile-home parks. The council’s amendment restricts owners to a 25% rent hike when new tenants acquire a mobile home, as long as the increase does not exceed $79.

Under terms of the November settlement, park owners were not limited in the amount they could raise rents to new tenants.

The settlement was signed after months of negotiations between the city and owners of mobile-home parks, who contended that a Santa Barbara court decision forbids cities from limiting rent increases during vacancies.

But the settlement, negotiated afterpark owners filed six lawsuits against Oxnard, also allowed the city to amend the agreement if the Supreme Court decided to permit vacancy controls.

The new rent cap limits the allowable increase to $75, with adjustments for inflation, which works out to be $79.

At Tuesday’s hearing, some mobile-home park tenants criticized the proposed cap, saying the city should limit increases to the $50 that Ventura County supervisors approved last week.

Others said park owners had already found a way to circumvent any limit by requiring prospective tenants to sign five-year leases, which under state law exempt the owners from vacancy controls.