Mountain View, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing body
- Mountain View Rental Housing Committee
- Who must pay
- All Landlords of covered rental units
- Frequency
- Annual
- Fee amount
- Set/adjusted by the Committee, not fixed in code
- Nonpayment consequence
- Affirmative defense against eviction for tenant
Summary
Every landlord of a rental unit covered by Mountain View's Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act must pay an annual Rental Housing Fee to fund the city's Rental Housing Committee. The fee amount, set by the Committee, differs for fully covered units versus Partially Exempt units.
(j)Financing. The Committee shall finance its reasonable and necessary expenses, including without limitation engaging any staff as necessary to ensure implementation of this Article, by charging Landlords an annual Rental Housing Fee as set forth herein, in amounts deemed reasonable by the Committee in accordance with applicable law. ... (1)Rental Housing Fee. All Landlords shall pay a Rental Housing Fee on an annual basis. The first Committee convened after the effective date of this Article shall determine the amount of the Rental Housing Fee. The amount of the Rental Housing Fee may differ between Rental Units subject to the entirety of this Article and those that are Partially Exempt. The Committee may adjust the amount of the Rental Housing Fee at its discretion to ensure full funding of its reasonable and necessary expenses, in accordance with all applicable law.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Mountain View's rent-stabilization charter amendment (Charter Article XVII, the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act) does not run on a voluntary basis: Section 1709(j) makes the five-member Rental Housing Committee self-funding by charging landlords directly. ' The ordinance builds in a two-tier structure: units subject to the entirety of the Article (full rent-cap and just-cause protections) can be charged a different fee than units that are only 'Partially Exempt,' meaning they carry just-cause eviction protection but not rent stabilization. During the initial rollout, the city itself advanced the funds needed to stand up the program, with a right to seek reimbursement from the Committee once fee collections caught up.
Nonpayment is not a paperwork technicality: Section 1714(d) lists 'failure to pay the Rental Housing Fee' as one of the specific Landlord violations that gives a tenant a complete affirmative defense in an unlawful detainer action, alongside overcharging rent or skipping required notices. The Committee, not the City Council or City Attorney's office, administers this fee and answers to the City Council only through periodic reporting, since Section 1709(k) makes the Committee's day-to-day operation independent of the Council, City Manager and City Attorney except when the Committee itself requests assistance.
Violations & Fines
Failure to pay the annual Rental Housing Fee is an enumerated Landlord violation under Section 1714(d) of the Act, giving the tenant a complete affirmative defense against an unlawful detainer (eviction) action regardless of the underlying reason claimed for recovering possession. The Committee or City Attorney can also pursue civil enforcement directly against a noncompliant landlord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Mountain View landlord have to pay the Rental Housing Fee?
What happens if a landlord skips the Rental Housing Fee?
Who sets the amount of the fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle rental registration.