Vacaville, CA Rental Property Rules: Rent Increase Notice (2026)

Vacaville Municipal Code Chapter 2.36, Mobile Home Rent Arbitration, applies to any mobile home park with ten or more spaces (Section 2.36.020) and covers rent increases proposed on or after July 1, 1987 (Section 2.36.030). Before raising space rent, the owner must deliver written notice to each tenant at least 90 days ahead of the effective date, and the notice must state the dollar amount of the proposed increase, the tenant's current rent, and whether the owner considers the increase exempt from review (Section 2.36.040).

The same notice, plus a list of which spaces are affected, goes to the city manager on the same day. Certain increases are automatically exempt: those tied to no more than 75 percent of the Bay Area CPI over the prior 12 months, in-place sale turnover increases capped at 10 percent above comparable space rents, and increases under a lease signed by owners of more than half the park's spaces (Section 2.36.030). For a non-exempt increase, tenants representing more than 50 percent of the affected spaces can force a rent review by filing a petition with the city manager within 30 days of the notice (Section 2.36.060).

Filing requires a cash deposit set by city council resolution, matched by the park owner; if the owner does not post the matching deposit within 10 working days of the city manager's notice, the disputed portion of the increase is disallowed outright (Section 2.36.080). Once a timely petition is filed, the portion of the increase above the CPI-exempt amount is frozen and cannot take effect until an independent arbitrator, selected by the city manager from nominees submitted by both sides, rules on it (Sections 2.36.090, 2.36.100).

The arbitrator weighs capital improvement and replacement costs, amortized over 60 and 36 months respectively, against tenant protection from arbitrary increases (Section 2.36.130), and must issue written findings within 15 working days of the hearing (Section 2.36.120).