Santa Monica rewrites rent ballot measure after legal warning
By The BriefBrief
Santa Monica City Council removed contested rent-control language, narrowing a November ballot measure to single-family homes and owner move-in rules.
WHO:Santa Monica City Council and the Rent Control Board; city attorneys; Council Members Lana Negrete and Barry Snell; Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick
WHAT:Council pulled back contested rent-control ballot language and directed staff to draft a narrower measure extending just-cause protections to single-family homes and condominiums and aligning owner move-in rules with existing law.
WHEN:Jul 29, 2026 at 6:00 AM ET
WHERE:Santa Monica, CA
WHY:City attorneys warned the disputed language was untested in court and would likely invite a lawsuit, prompting the council to narrow the measure to reduce legal risk.
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