Special Note: The MarinResidents.org is looking to create or work with an existing Larkspur organizing committee to oppose the extra rent control initiative put forth on the Nov ballot by the DSA. Please email michael@marinresidents.org if you want to participate. Thank you.
The Larkspur community has multiple, large apartment complexes, most notably the Skylark. The community also has numerous single family and some duplex rental spaces available. Community wide rent control measures only came to be considered after the Skylark apartment complex came under new ownership before 2023. Because of the changing situation at the complex, in 2022, the Council started looking at ways to address rental concerns City wide. Though there has been minimal complaints with other rental situations, the Council conducted staff reports and listening sessions to hear from renters, mom & pop housing providers and apartment owners.
History
In Mid 2023, the Larkspur City Council voted and imposed a ‘mild’ form of extra rent control on the residents of the City. Within 30 days of passing, there was a push to get signatures on a referendum to stop the implementation of the extra rent control ordinances. That referendum was put on the March 2024 primary election ballot, where it was not successful. The version of ‘mild’ extra rent control became in effect.
the DSA (democratic socialists of america)
In May of 2024, the DSA collected enough signatures to put extra rent control on the ballot. The proposed extra rent control ordinances were written by members of the Berkeley Rent Board and pushed as part of the DSA’s effort to impose extra rent control throughout Marin. Please download the proposed ordinances here. In addition, the DSA has proposed the ‘just cause’ portion of the ordinance to be adopted by San Anselmo as their own ‘just cause’ ordinance.
Far from any effort at disguising these proposed ordinances as ‘fair and balanced’, these ordinances would be even more extreme than the ordinances in Fairfax.
The DSA is saying the quiet part out loud – they believe that the best way to solve the affordable housing issue, is to eliminate the property rights of the owner, and to severely curtail the rental income potential on that property. Numerous studies conclude however, that rent control, especially in small, local markets, leads to owners, fearing liability, taking their units off of the market, and potential investors and developers, bypassing that area for other economically justifiable areas. This leads to fewer rental options and higher initial prices for rentals, and lack of future investment into apartments. The housing providers that still operate in the area, lose more and more money each year to the point where they can not invest in adequate upkeep of their property.
We feel this is a misguided attack on mom & pop housing providers who care for the City and its renters.
The MarinResidents.org will support the residents of Larkspur with the fight against the DSA and their campaign to remove rentals from the City of Larkspur.
See what the MarinIJ has to say about efforts around the county to counter the push for extra rent control.
May 8, 2024 article re San Anselmo and Dick Spotswood’s Opinion
Emails
We strongly suggest that you email the Larkspur city government to have your comments included into the next Town Council agenda regarding rent control.
City Clerk : cityclerk@cityoflarkspur.org
Scott Candell: scandell@cityoflarkspur.org
Kevin Carroll: kcarroll@cityoflarkspur.org
Kevin Haroff: kharoff@cityoflarkspur.org
Catherine Way: cway@cityoflarkspur.org