PETITIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL RENT ADJUSTMENT—PROCEDURES.

Pasadena City Charter, art. XVIII, § 1814

in effect

Section 1814. - PETITIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL RENT ADJUSTMENT—PROCEDURES. The Rental Board shall promulgate regulations regarding procedures for Petitions filed under this Article. Petitions shall be governed by such regulations and by the provisions of this section. (a) Hearing Officer. A Hearing Officer appointed by the Rental Board shall conduct a hearing to act upon the Petition, and shall have the power to administer oaths and affirmations, and to render a final decision on the merits of the Petition, subject to the provisions of this Article. (b) Notice. The Rental Board shall notify the Landlord, if the Petition was filed by the Tenant, or the Tenant, if the Petition was filed by the Landlord, of the receipt of such a Petition and provide a copy thereof. (c) Time of Hearing. Each party to a Petition shall receive sufficient advance notice of the bases, theories, and relevant documents to be presented by the other party(ies), and of the time, date, and place of any hearing regarding the Petition. Extra diligent effort will be made to prioritize and schedule hearings to accommodate the work schedules and other obligations of each Party, including but not limited to, scheduling on evenings and weekends. (d) Developing the Record. The Hearing Officer may require either party to a Petition to provide any books, records, and papers deemed pertinent. If the Hearing Officer finds good cause to believe that a building or other inspection would assist in resolving the issues raised by the Petition, the Hearing Officer may conduct an inspection and/or request the City to conduct an inspection. The Tenant may request the Hearing Officer to order such an inspection prior to the date of the hearing. All documents required under this subsection shall be made available to the parties involved prior to the hearing. The parties to the hearing may be present during the inspection. (e) Open Hearings. All hearings conducted pursuant to this section shall be open to the public unless prohibited by state or federal law. (f) Right of Assistance. All parties to a hearing conducted pursuant to this section may have assistance in presenting evidence and developing their position from attorneys, legal workers, Recognized Tenant Organization representatives, or any other persons designated by said parties. (g) Hearing Record. The Rental Board shall make available for inspection and copying any official record that shall constitute the exclusive record for decision on the issues at the hearing. The record of the hearing, or any part of one, shall be obtainable for the reasonable cost of copying. All hearings shall be audio or video recorded, as ordered by the Hearing Officer, and any party to the Petition may receive a copy of the recording upon payment of a reasonable cost. (h) Quantum of Proof and Notice of Decision. No Petition for Individual Rent Adjustment, whether upward or downward, shall be granted unless supported by the preponderance of the evidence submitted prior to and at the hearing. All parties to a hearing shall be sent a notice of the decision and a copy of the findings of fact and law upon which said decision is based. At the same time, parties to the proceeding shall also be notified of their right to appeal to the Rental Board and/or to judicial review. (i) Consolidation. Whether submitted by a Landlord or Tenant(s), all Petitions pertaining to Covered Rental Units at the same Property may be consolidated for hearing upon a showing of good cause. (j) Appeal. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Hearing Officer may appeal to the full Rental Board for review. On appeal, the Rental Board shall affirm, reverse, or modify the decision of the Hearing Officer. The decision on appeal shall be based on the hearing record, and the Rental Board may hear and/or find facts in addition to those presented to the Hearing Officer. (k) Finality of Decision. The decision of the Hearing Officer shall be the final decision of the Rental Board, unless an aggrieved party has timely sought an appeal to the Rental Board. The decision of the Rental Board on appeal shall be final unless an aggrieved party has timely sought judicial review pursuant to law. (l) Time for Decision. A final decision on any Petition shall be made within a reasonable time. Decisions decreasing Rent shall remain in effect until the Landlord has corrected the defect warranting the decrease. The Rental Board shall, by regulation, establish procedures for making prompt compliance determinations. (m) Fair Return Guaranteed. No provision of this Article shall be applied so as to prohibit the Rental Board from granting an Individual Rent Adjustment that is demonstrated by the Landlord to be necessary to provide the Landlord with a Fair Return. (Sec. 1814 added by vote of the people 11-8-2022.)

Source: City of Pasadena, California, Municipal Code and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/pasadena/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH_ARTXVIIIPAFAEQHOCHAM_S1814PEINREADROFetched: 11/8/2026