Half Moon Bay’s long‑running fight over rent control is heading into extra innings, after the City Council on Tuesday hit pause on a final decision about the future of its rent‑stabilization and rental‑registration programs. Instead of voting, councilmembers told staff to come back with clearer enforcement options and harder numbers on how many units are truly affected. Tenants and landlords remain firmly in opposite corners, with renters calling the caps a lifeline against big hikes and small property owners blasting what they see as costly red tape.
Options on the table
Staff laid out three main paths for the council. One would rewrite the local ordinance it mirror state law, allowing the city to enforce the state rent cap itself. Another would scrap the rent‑control ordinance while keeping the rental registry and boosting rental assistance and legal services. The most sweeping option would eliminate both rent control and the registry entirely. City Manager Matthew Chidester told the council that folding the state standard into city code would shift enforcement from tenant lawsuits to local action. Mayor Debbie Ruddock said she needs more details on how that enforcement would actually work and how many units would fall under the rules. Vice Mayor Deborah Penrose pushed to keep protections for lower‑income residents, while Councilmember Paul Nagengast warned the program can feel heavy for a city this small, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
State law and what it would mean
California’s Tenant Protection Act, known as AB 1482, generally caps annual rent increases at 5 percent plus the regional change in the Consumer Price Index, with a hard ceiling of 10 percent in any 12‑month period. Under state law, tenants usually have to enforce those limits themselves through civil actions. If Half Moon Bay were to write the state formula directly into its local code, the city could take on enforcement duties and potentially move faster when increases exceed the legal limit, according to California Legislative Information.
How many units and what’s at stake
Program data shared at the meeting showed 586 units registered as of Jan. 1, 2026, already topping early estimates, and 377 rent‑controlled units identified in May 2025. The local ordinance applies to multiunit buildings constructed before Feb. 1, 1995, and the city’s rent‑stabilization FAQ lists a $286 per‑unit fee that helps fund the program. Those figures fueled tense public commentary, with tenants discussing tight household budgets and landlords warning that the fees and paperwork add up, according to the City of Half Moon Bay.
Next steps and the politics
Councilmembers directed staff to return with a deeper dive on enforcement options, data‑security protections for the registry, unit‑level impacts, and possible partnerships with nonprofits for rental assistance and legal aid. Patric Bo Jonsson argued the city should spell out those supportive services before making a final call on rent control. Others said any rewrite of the ordinance must come with a clear, realistic enforcement plan. The council is expected to revisit the issue once staff deliver the requested analysis and a proposed timeline for next steps.
