Redwood City voters will decide in November whether the city adopts rent control for the first time. Measure E, which reached the ballot through a citizen petition, is the only local measure on Redwood City's ballot.
What it would do
For apartments built before Feb. 1, 1995, annual rent increases would be capped at 60% of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower. The Mercury News put the inflation-based figure at around 2.28% for San Mateo County. Allowed increases would be calculated from rents as of October 2025, and the rules would take effect in December if approved.
Eviction protections would reach most rental housing in the city, including single-family homes, accessory dwelling units and affordable housing. The measure adds just-cause eviction rules, anti-harassment provisions and stronger rights to return after renovations. For no-fault evictions, relocation payments would rise to four times the federal fair market rent or $12,000, whichever is greater, with an extra $6,000 for households that include a senior, a disabled person or someone terminally ill, according to the Redwood City Pulse. Landlords could petition the city for larger increases to secure a fair return, and the program would be funded by a fee on landlords.
Today, Redwood City follows the 2020 state cap of 5% plus inflation, up to 10%, and a local Tenant Protection Ordinance in effect since January that requires one-year leases and relocation help for no-fault evictions.
Who's for and against
More than 7,000 residents signed the petition. Backers include Faith in Action Bay Area, Affordable Redwood City, the Sequoia District Teachers Association and AFSCME Local 829. They argue predictable increases and higher relocation aid will keep people housed. Affordable Redwood City had raised $92,453, the Mercury News reported, with $50,000 from Faith in Action Bay Area.
The City Council voted 6-0 in July to oppose the measure, and Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos and Councilmember Isabella Chu signed the ballot argument against it. They cite a city-commissioned analysis estimating the program could cost up to $11 million a year and need up to 18 new staff, and warn it could slow affordable housing. Landlords, the California Apartment Association and the San Mateo County Association of Realtors also oppose it.