Mobile home park residents in Encinitas facing double-digit rent hikes secured unanimous City Council support to consider an emergency short-term rent freeze ordinance. The decision came on Wednesday after residents packed the municipal chambers wearing white “SOS” shirts to protest sweeping cost increases.
Riviera Residents Face Seventeen Percent Hike
The push for municipal intervention follows notifications sent to homeowners at the Riviera Mobile Home Park on Vulcan Avenue. Residents learned their land-lease fees would jump by up to 17 percent starting in November. While homeowners own the physical structures they live in, they must lease the underlying dirt from corporate operators, leaving them vulnerable to steep monthly increases. Cynthia Uribe, a resident living in the park for six years, told the council that increases historically hovered around three percent annually before new ownership took over.
The sudden surge prompted residents to organize and bring their grievances to local elected officials. Council members agreed to place an emergency short-term rent cap proposal on the agenda for their upcoming October 28 meeting. Bruce Ehlers stated his inclination toward establishing a municipal ordinance, directing staff to investigate how Encinitas might implement such a measure retroactively. Ehlers also requested an accounting of all mobile home parks in the city, their ownership structures, and their respective land zoning designations.
Management Reverses Course Amid Public Pressure
Hours before the Wednesday council meeting, Laguna Asset Management delivered a letter to Riviera residents indicating a shift in plans. The firm, which oversees mobile home communities across California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Colorado, lowered the planned November increase to four percent. Ralph Beatty, a coproprietor at Laguna Asset Management, addressed the council directly to explain the about-face. “Es evidente que no lo gestionamos de la manera adecuada… (y) hemos dado marcha atrás,” Beatty stated, adding that the company had miscalculated the impact.
April Franklin urged city officials to reject non-binding memorandums of understanding, arguing that similar agreements in other municipalities failed to stop property owners from imposing double-digit spikes. Council members weighed these voluntary pacts against mandatory caps. Councilman Jim O’Hara asked for detailed information regarding memorandums of understanding as an alternative approach, while Councilman Marco San Antonio emphasized the need to protect business owners’ rights alongside resident stability.
Industry Opposition to Municipal Ordinances
Park owners and industry representatives warned that a blanket municipal rent control ordinance would create an adversarial environment. Julie Pauli, speaking for the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, cautioned that pursuing an ordinance would initiate a lengthy and contentious process. Pauli encouraged the council to pursue voluntary collaborations first.
Other operators pointed to different management models already functioning within the city. Ken Johnston, whose family owns Green Valley Mobile Estates, noted that rent adjustments in his senior community link directly to federal consumer price index variations, preventing erratic spikes.
| Park Name | Location | Reported Proposed Increase | Management / Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riviera Mobile Home Park | Vulcan Avenue | Up to 17% (later adjusted to 4%) | Laguna Asset Management |
| Green Valley Mobile Estates | Encinitas | Tied to Consumer Price Index | Johnston Family |
The City Council’s scheduled October 28 review will determine whether temporary emergency protections take effect while municipal staff draft a permanent regulatory framework.
