The Jurupa Valley City Council last week voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance that put a ceiling on how much mobile home park owners could raise rent annually.
Previously, mobile home park renters could face annual increases based on the consumer price index—the region's rate of inflation. Now, annual increases in mobile home parks are capped at 2% of the rent itself.
The rule, which goes into effect at the end of the month, also sets the ceiling for extra charges such as parking, pet and guest fees to a 1% increase per year.
“A cap of 2% or less, that could mean being able to pay for your prescriptions or being able to go get your groceries,” said Maribel Nunez, the executive director for Inland Equity Community Land Trust, which advocates for renters.
Jurupa Valley City Manager Rod Butler said the new ordinance protects people from unreasonable rent increases and helps to maintain manufactured homes as an affordable housing option.
“We want to make sure that our residents who live in these communities are treated fairly by the park owners,” Butler wrote in a statement to KVCR.
Park owners can still apply for hardship increases that exceed the 2% rent limit, if they believe they are not making a fair return. In order to be allowed to exceed the rent limits, a park owner must provide revenue statements to prove that they are not receiving a steady enough income to maintain operating costs.
The city’s Housing and Homelessness Committee met last week to discuss possible changes to their rent stabilization rules, after approving a rent increase for mobile home parks by nearly 3 percent in 2027.