Santa Barbara Residents Wary of Petition Against Rent Stabilization

A referendum drive aimed at overturning Santa Barbara's newly adopted rent stabilization ordinance is drawing sharp resistance from residents and tenant advocates, who say paid signature gatherers deployed across the city have used vague, misleading — and in some cases allegedly coercive — tactics to collect names, the Santa Barbara Independent reported.

The petition, funded largely by rental property owners, must be filed with the city clerk by the end of a 30-day window. Residents who signed the petition but want to remove their names have until November 9 to request withdrawal, tenant advocates said.

A Second Referendum, a Different Reception

Clipboard-carrying circulators have become a familiar presence outside Santa Barbara grocery stores, shopping centers, and public spaces since September, when a separate petition to reopen State Street quickly gathered more than the roughly 5,400 signatures needed to qualify for a ballot referendum — reaching its goal in a little over three weeks.

The effort to repeal the citywide rent cap has had a rougher ride. The ordinance, adopted by the Santa Barbara City Council in October after a series of narrow 4-3 votes and a long, polarizing planning process, capped rents citywide and prompted a swift response from landlords and real estate interests.

A coalition of property owners, backed by the Santa Barbara Rental Property Association, formed the Help Save Santa Barbara Housing Committee (HSSBHC) to fund the referendum. The committee raised more than $113,000, including over $18,400 from donors associated with Robert Kooyman, president of Meridian Property Group, according to the Independent's review of the group's finances.

In a statement on the committee's website, organizers framed the referendum as "not just a fight about rent control," but about "fairness, property rights and whether major decisions affecting Santa Barbara's future should be made by City Hall alone or by the voters."

Residents Report Misleading Pitches

What has alarmed tenants and housing advocates is less the policy argument than the on-the-ground salesmanship. Firsthand accounts and video recordings reviewed by the Independent show paid circulators making inaccurate claims to prospective signers. One gatherer outside a downtown grocery store told a reporter that signing would "lower the rents." Another told a resident to sign in order to "keep rent control going" — the opposite of the petition's effect, which is to send the ordinance to voters for potential repeal.

Residents noted that many circulators drove in from out of town and could not answer detailed questions about the ordinance. When pressed, one simply read from a flyer in his hand, explaining that as he understood it, the petition was to "get rent control on the ballot."

The circulators generally declined to speak on the record, though one man confirmed he was being paid $9 per signature. Community members described a range of encounters: some gatherers appeared open to hearing tenants' concerns — one interaction reportedly ended with a circulator packing up and expressing empathy for renters — while others were aggressive. In one instance, a signature gatherer called police on a community member who was urging people not to sign.

Complaints Mount Near Polling Places

The Santa Barbara Tenants Union has led the counter-effort, papering the city with flyers and using social media to warn about what the group calls misinformation from the circulators. Advocates say some gatherers have stationed themselves outside ballot boxes and polling places, pressuring voters to sign. On Election Day, one was positioned near the Westside Neighborhood Center polling location.

More serious allegations have surfaced. At the October "No Kings Rally," a signature gatherer reportedly told attendees they needed to sign in order to participate. Outside the County Elections Office, another petitioner allegedly told a community member to sign or risk being placed back on probation. Similar complaints about pressure and deception have appeared on Reddit and NextDoor.

The confusion has cut both ways. While canvassing, Tenants Union volunteers found residents who enthusiastically signed the petition believing they were supporting the rent cap.

"They are sure they were supporting the tenant protections by signing, then are frustrated to hear about what the signature gathering effort would do, and are grateful when we handed them information about how to rescind their vote," SBTU co-founder Stanley Tzankov told the Independent. "They were supportive of rent stabilization and enthusiastic supporters, yet totally misled."

What Happens Next

If the petition gathers enough valid signatures and passes verification, the City Council would face a choice: repeal the ordinance outright or place the question before voters on a future ballot. That outcome could also complicate the city's temporary rent freeze, which was tied to the ordinance's rollout.

For now, tenant advocates are urging any resident who signed the petition in error — or under pressure — to contact the city clerk and withdraw their name before the petition is filed. The final day before the 30-day deadline is November 9.

The episode underscores the stakes of Santa Barbara's broader housing fight. With rents among the highest on the Central Coast and the City Council divided 4-3 on rent stabilization, the referendum battle is likely to move from grocery store sidewalks to the ballot box — where voters, not planners, would render the final verdict on the city's rent cap.