The Pasadena Rental Board (PRHB) this week hosted its first in-person workshop entirely in Spanish on tenant rights in the city of Pasadena, where they addressed topics such as allowable rent increases, just cause for evictions, relocation guidelines and tenant purchase agreements.
Yaneli Soriano Santiago, PRHB member representing District 5, explained that it is important for the Spanish-speaking community and other minorities to request that resources be accessible in their language.
“It is very important that they be able to have the information in their first language and it should be a right to have that access,” said Santiago. “We have these workshops so they can come ask their questions and learn more about their rights.”
Soriano Santiago added that they recently organized a virtual workshop also in Spanish, but recognizes the importance of having in-person events because some people who do not know how to use technology or do not have access to it.
The Pasadena Rental Housing Board was established as part of the voter-initiated adoption of a City Charter Amendment (Measure H), which was approved by city voters in the November 2022 General Municipal Election.
Measure H is known as the Pasadena Fair and Equal Housing Charter Amendment.
The purpose of Measure H is to promote neighborhood and community stability, livable housing, and affordability for renters in Pasadena by regulating excessive rent increases and arbitrary evictions to the maximum extent permitted by California law.
It also guarantees landlords a fair return on their investment and ensures fair protections for tenants, homeowners and businesses.
With Measure H, rent increases in Pasadena are now limited to 2-3%; Before the measure, a tenant could receive a 60-day eviction notice without reason, but now just cause is needed, such as not paying rent.
The workshop was led by Javier Beltrán, deputy director of the housing rights center (HRC), and he mentioned that as a tenant you must be prepared to continually defend yourself.
“It’s never easy to assert your rights as a tenant or even as a human being in general, so it’s going to be a fight,” Beltrán said. “However, there is the rental board as a resource that is now taking on complaints and issues that arise from leasing.”
He added that for renters in other cities outside of Pasadena if you need help, you can try to contact your city, since each city council has specific programs, you can also contact an agency or non-profit organization that supports these issues.
Beltran says currently the issues the community is asking for help with the most are rent increases, notices to change the terms of a person’s lease to add more fees, increasing the security deposit, and harassment from landlords as they come new owners to buy properties and they want people to leave so they can increase the rent.
Leticia Santos Álvarez has been a tenant in the Pasadena Gardens building for more than 20 years and has recently had problems with her new owner.
“They sold the building and the new owner doesn’t want any more tenants. In fact, he told us that he has a way to evict us if we do not want to accept what the law asks him to do,” Álvarez explained. “But according to the forms we have seen, he is not even covering what the law requires.”
The woman added that she attended the workshop because she says that perhaps if she raises her voice, other people may be encouraged to do the same and fight for their rights.
She is also grateful that the workshop was in Spanish because, although she understands a little English, there are legal terms that she prefers to learn in Spanish first.
“I hope we can do more of this so people really know they have resources and aren’t just trying to figure out what the paperwork means in English, that’s the goal,” PRHB President Ryan Bell explained.
Bell believes that for a long time landlords have had no regulation and just do what they want and no one has paid that much attention to them.
The executive believes that most of the homeowners he has encountered so far, although Measure H may not be their favorite law, want to understand and do the right thing.