Fairfax made history by becoming the first town in Marin to pass rent control. Now landlords and Big Real Estate want to turn back the clock.

On November 2nd, 2022, the Fairfax Town Council voted 5-0 to establish rent stabilization and 4-1 to strengthen just cause eviction protections.

The new ordinances cap annual rent increases at 75% of CPI or 5%, whichever is lower, providing real housing stability for thousands of Fairfax renters for the first time in their lives. The new laws also provide robust local protections against arbitrary evictions and support for tenants who are displaced due to no fault of their own.

This came after a full year of tireless grassroots organizing. We had countless conversations with working-class renters and homeowners in Fairfax, tabling outside supermarkets, knocking apartment doors, and making phone calls. We collected over 700 signatures from Fairfax residents in support of rent control and just cause eviction protections, about 9% of the town's population. For eight months, these supporters showed up to eight different town council meetings urging them to pass these policies.

Fairfax rent control is now under threat.

Local landlords have partnered with wealthy real estate interests to launch a ballot initiative aimed at overturning both rent stabilization and just cause eviction protections. If passed, this measure would lead to more of our neighbors getting forced out of the community, while stripping away housing security from thousands of Fairfax renters. We can’t let that happen.

UPDATE: Fairfax’s rent stabilization and just cause eviction ordinances will be on the November 2024 ballot. We will fight this brazen attempt to eliminate housing security for the thousands of working people and seniors who rent their homes in Fairfax.

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NOTE: Fairfax’s rent stabilization and just cause eviction laws are in effect right now. While the ordinances are not yet fully implemented, they are the current law of the land. It is illegal to raise rents more than 2.52% this year and it is illegal to evict a tenant without a just cause. If you receive an unlawful rent increase or eviction notice, please contact Legal Aid of Marin: (415) 492-0230

Click here for more information about Fairfax’s rent stabilization and just cause eviction policies.