§ 25.01.010. Purpose and intent.

(a)

There is presently within the County of San Luis Obispo a shortage of spaces for the location of existing mobilehomes. Because of this shortage, there is a very low vacancy rate and rents have been for several years, and are presently, rising rapidly and causing concern among a substantial number of San Luis Obispo County residents.

(b)

Mobilehome tenants, forced by the lack of suitable alternative housing, have had to pay the rent increases and thereby suffer a further reduction in their standard of living.

(c)

Because of the high cost and impracticability of moving mobilehomes, the potential for damage resulting therefrom, the requirements relating to the installation of mobilehomes, including permits, building requirements, landscaping and site preparation, the lack of alternative homesites for mobilehome residents and the substantial investment of mobilehome owners in such homes, it is necessary to protect the owners and occupiers of mobilehomes from unreasonable rent increases, while at the same time recognizing the need of park owners to receive a suitable profit on their property with rental income sufficient to cover increases in the costs of repair, insurance, maintenance, utilities, employee services, additional amenities, and other costs of operation, and to receive a fair return on their property.

(d)

It has been found that the present low vacancy rate and frequent rent increases are particularly hard upon and unfair to residents of mobilehome parks within the county. Large numbers of these residents are senior citizens and others on fixed incomes who installed their mobilehomes in the county when inflationary rent increases could not reasonably have been foreseen.

(e)

However, it is recognized that a rent stabilization ordinance must be fair and equitable for all parties and must provide appropriate incentives to mobilehome park operators to continue their parks' profitably, as well as to attract additional investors for new parks.

(Ord. 2342 § 4 (Exh. A) (part), 1988)