Referendum of Ordinance Repealing Rent Related Ordinances

On July 3, 2025, proponents of a referendum of the ordinance adopted by the City Council on June 3, 2025, to repeal four rent-related ordinances (Rent Stabilization, Tenant Protection and Just Cause Eviction, Tenant Anti-Harassment, and Rental Registration) submitted petitions to the City Clerk seeking to have the repeal of the ordinances presented to the voters of Salinas.

Based on the City Clerk's review, the referendum petition was accepted for filing because it was determined to have been signed by no less than 10% of the voters of Salinas. As is required by the California Elections Code, the City submitted the petitions to the Monterey County Registrar of Voters who must now review the petitions to determine whether they contain a sufficient number of valid signatures in order for the referendum to be placed on the ballot. 

As a result of the petition having been accepted for filing by the City Clerk, the effective date of the ordinance adopted by the City Council on June 3, 2025, is suspended, and the four rent-related ordinances are once again effective while the Monterey County Registrar of Voters conducts their verification of the signatures. The Registrar of Voters has thirty (30) calendar days excluding weekends and holidays to complete the verification of signatures.

As the four rent-related ordinances are again effective, landlords and tenants of rental units should be aware they are once again subject to those ordinances and must comply with the requirements and restrictions of those ordinances.