Mountain View holds workshop explaining mandatory rent-stabilization registration, fees and reporting

Unidentified Speaker (city staff presenter) led a Mountain View workshop on the city’s rent-stabilization registration and fee program, explaining who must register, how to use the online portal and the consequences of noncompliance.

The session focused on the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA), the voter-approved local measure that limits rent increases, provides eviction protections for covered units and seeks to ensure a fair rate of return for property investors. The presenter said the CSFRA generally covers buildings with three or more units and distinguishes fully covered units (built before 1995) from partially covered units (built 1995–2017). Mobile-home park spaces and mobile homes are handled under a separate mobile-home rent-stabilization program (MHRSO).

City staff emphasized that “property registration is mandatory for all covered properties,” and that registration and payment are separate yearly obligations. For fiscal year 2025–26 the city budget set a $130-per-unit fee under CSFRA and a $142-per-space fee under MHRSO. Both registration and fee payments are due January 31 each year; late payments incur compounded penalties.

The presenter outlined compliance consequences for failing to register or pay: owners substantially out of compliance cannot lawfully raise rent or file a petition to increase rent, the city will post noncompliant properties in a public searchable database, and the city issues escalation letters (first to owners, then a second copy to tenants). Late-fee calculations explained in the workshop: unpaid fees carry a late fee of 4% per unit per month; nonregistration carries a $25 per unit per month late charge; both can apply concurrently.

Workshop staff ran a live tutorial of the registration portal (listed in the session as mvrent.mountainview.gov) and the step-by-step user guide on the City of Mountain View rent-stabilization website. Attendees were shown how to create an account, verify via the vendor email (from 3DI Systems/cap support at 3disystems.com), add a property by APN/PIN, populate owner and manager contacts (mailing address is used for invoices), add unit-level details, and either add units one-by-one or upload a formatted spreadsheet for bulk updates.

The presenter gave required reporting timelines for specific events: termination notices must be submitted to the city within three days of serving the tenant; termination-notice follow-up documents such as summons or unlawful-detainer filings and any moves resulting from those notices must be reported within seven days; banked rent-increase notices must be submitted within seven days of serving the tenant; tenant buyout agreements must be filed within 15 days of execution and must include supporting proof as required by staff review.

Staff also demonstrated the review-and-payment flow: once registration is submitted, the portal calculates the total owing and moves the property to a "payment pending" state; owners can pay by card (or select multiple properties via a shopping-cart view) and download a receipt. When payment posts, the property profile shows a green "payment received" status and a zero balance for the year.

Resources noted during the workshop include weekly housing-help clinics for landlords and property managers (Thursdays, 1–3 p.m.), an in-person office at 298 Escuela Avenue (next to the senior center), the Mountain View mediation program for landlord–tenant and neighbor disputes, and referrals to the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the Superior Court self-help center for legal assistance.

The presenter reminded attendees that city staff cannot provide legal advice, and staff will email the slide deck and a copy of the recording, plus a survey for feedback. Attendees were invited to contact the housing office for help with registration or technical issues.

Next steps: property owners who have not yet registered should create a portal account, confirm APN/PIN values from their invoice, submit any applicable exemption requests before finalizing registration, and complete payment by the January 31 deadline to avoid late fees.