Rent Control Seminars and Newsletters

UPCOMING SEMINAR:   2023 Seminario Para Inquilinos (Tenant Seminar in Spanish)
On Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, the Rent Control Agency will present a seminar for tenants in Spanish at Virginia Avenue Park's Thelma Terry Building, Workshop Room #3. This seminar is designed for tenants to learn what services are available through the Rent Control office such as how rent and amenities are determined, eviction protections, and what remedies are available for issues related to excess rent, amenities, and maintenance. Registration is not required for this in-person event, and it will be recorded and made available for viewing on the City’s YouTube channel after the event. A seminar for tenants in English is planned for Spring 2024.

UPCOMING SEMINAR:    2023 Landlord/Tenant Forum
On Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, from 9:30 to 11:00 am, the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office, the Rent Control Agency, and the Code Enforcement Division will host the annual Landlord/Tenant Forum at Virginia Avenue Park’s Thelma Terry Building, Workshop Room #3. This year’s event will be held in person but will be recorded and made available for viewing on the City’s YouTube channel after the event. This event is open to Santa Monica residential landlords, tenants, property managers, and service providers. 

Topics will include: 
  • Information for new Santa Monica property owners
  • Source of income anti-discrimination laws
  • Rules for repayment of outstanding COVID-19 rental debt 
  • New mold and excessive moisture requirements from the new property maintenance code 
  • Updates of Rent Control’s CIVICS portal  
  • ADU regulations and tenant rights
  • A Q&A will follow the topic presentation.
       Registration is required. Click here to register now.


The Rent Control Agency hosts several seminars throughout the year. If you missed a seminar, you may find a PowerPoint presentation or a full-length video of it below. Please note that laws and regulations may change over time, and some information presented may become out of date. If you have questions about a particular subject, please contact Rent Control directly and ask to speak to an information coordinator.


To open or save a PowerPoint presentation, click on the link below and follow the prompts. To advance the slides, you can click anywhere on the slide. To open a video presentation, just click on the link. You can expand the video itself, hover over it, and click the expand tool in the lower right corner.
2023 General Adjustment Notice Tutorial
Owning Rent-Controlled Property in Santa Monica (2023) (1 hr 58 min)
Owning Rent-Controlled Property Seminar (2023) PowerPoint Presentation
Tenants' Introduction to Rent Control (2023) Full Length Video 
Tenants' Introduction to Rent Control (2023) PowerPoint Presentation
Landlord-Tenant Forum (2022) Full-length Video (1 hour 59 min)
Maintenance of Residential Rental Property (2021) Full-length Video (1 hr 40 min)
Maintenance of Residential Rental Property (2021) Slides

Newsletters
Rent Control News is published by the Rent Control Board twice a year in the spring and fall. The newsletter is written entirely by Rent Control staff and focuses on issues relevant to the Santa Monica rent-control community. The Summer 2023 GA Rent Control Newsletter was mailed to every rent-controlled residential unit in Santa Monica, while a separate mailing with unit-specific MAR information and a form for noticing tenants of the 2023 GA was sent to property owners. 
Fall 2023 Rent Control Newsletter (English) (Spanish) (Farsi) (Amharic)
Summer 2023 GA Rent Control Newsletter (English) (Spanish) (Farsi) (Amharic)
Spring 2023 Rent Control Newsletter
Spring 2022 Rent Control Newsletter
Fall 2021 Rent Control Newsletter