Mountain View - Legislative Update

First, the Rental Housing Committee voted on November 20, 2025 to adopt regulations to expand tenant protections against harassment and retaliation. At a study session in March 2025, the Rental Housing Committee reviewed federal, state and comparable local laws on retaliation. The committee reportedly expressed unanimous support for creating a policy that would define harassment and retaliation, as well as lay out noticing requirements, penalties and remedies. Although state law (California Civil Code § 1942.5) already prohibits a landlord from retaliating against a tenant for exercising their rights, the regulation states examples of "protected activities" and lists several pages of examples of what would be considered "harassment." The regulations also establish a rebuttable presumption that a landlord action is retaliation if it occurs within 180 days of a tenant's protected activity, shifting the burden of proof to the landlord to prove that their action was valid and not connected to a tenant's assertion of their rights. The tenant would also be able to assert a landlord's violation of this regulation as an affirmative defense in an unlawful detainer action by a landlord. 

Second, the Mountain View City Council approved amendments to the Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRAO) on December 9, 2025. The TRAO was first passed in 2010 with the purpose of mitigating impacts experienced by moderate- to very low-income tenants of rental housing who are displaced from their residences due to demolition, remodel, or conversion of their residence. A central change to the ordinance extends the standard temporary relocation period from 90 to 120 days, with up to 60 additional days available when justified. This would provide a total of up to 180 days for temporary displacement before an income-eligible tenant can choose whether to remain in a temporary situation or opt for permanent relocation benefits instead. This change was incorporated in part due to the recognition that construction delays caused by utilities, engineering requirements or unforeseen structural issues often make the previous 90-day limit unworkable.

The council also adopted caps on reimbursable moving costs based on the size of the tenant's unit: $1,670 for studios and one-bedroom units, $2,250 for two-bedroom units, and $2,880 for three-bedroom units and larger. The caps are subject to annual review based on the Consumer Price Index. Previous versions did not have this cap, but it was incorporated as it was understood that landlords need clarity and certainty about their exposure for moving expenses. 

The amended TRAO provisions also provide a "first right of return" to displaced tenants if a rental unit is returned to the market by a landlord, or successor landlord. The landlord must notify the tenant and the city at least 60 days in advance of returning the unit to the market and tenants may elect to return at the same rental rate as was in place at the time of termination with an increase as allowed by annual general adjustments.