Letter to the Editor: Resident Responds to the Recent Letter Claiming Rent Stabilization is a Scam

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Letter to the Editor:

MBB 2024
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Chamber

I am a Burbank resident who cares deeply about keeping our neighbors housed and our community intact. I want to respond to the recent letter claiming rent stabilization is a scam driven by outsiders.

The truth is simple: Burbank voters were not rejecting rent protections, they were misled. During Measure RC, hundreds of thousands of dollars were poured into anti-renter campaigns from out-of-town interests like Airbnb and the National Association of Realtors. Over $600,000 locally and $150 million statewide were spent in 2024 alone. These were corporate lobbying groups protecting profit. Even today, Councilmember Chris Rizzotti still associates with the National Association of Realtors — the same group that printed and distributed proven lies about his colleagues during the election. If he truly stood for local residents, he would denounce their involvement. He has not.

Here is a helpful reminder: when someone loudly opposes rent stabilization, take 30 seconds and look them up. See how many rental properties they own. The last Letter to the Editor against rent control was written by someone who owns seven apartment units and eight houses. That is not someone fighting for working families. That is someone protecting income. Burbank is a community, not an ATM. Meanwhile, ordinary residents are struggling. Rent has risen far faster than wages, especially as entertainment industry work has declined.

A rent registry is equally essential. It is basic transparency. Landlords who operate fairly have nothing to fear. The only people fighting it are those who do not want the public to see the ways they take advantage of tenants. Despite what is claimed, “mom-and-pop” landlords represent only 4% of rent-stabilized units in Burbank. Most housing is controlled by larger operators who absolutely can afford basic regulation.

Burbank is a majority-renter city. This is not a fringe issue. It is about seniors on fixed incomes, young families, lifelong residents, and working-class film crew members who want to stay in the city they helped build.

Rent stabilization is not an attack. It is protection. And any leader who claims to love Burbank should protect its people first.

Kyle Anderson
Burbank Resident

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    2 COMMENTS

    1. The only scam here is those still pushing for Rent Control and a Rent Registry. After a year of multiple workshops, tons of advertising about Rental assistance and help only 52 cases were referred for help. That is 52 out of 26,000 units in Burbank. There is not a big problem that needs to be regulated in Burbank. 99.9999% of Housing Providers and Renters are perfectly happy with how things are going right now. Why punish the 99.9999% of the Renters and Housing providers because of .00000000001 of a problem. Rent Stabilization and Rent Registry is a huge waste of time and money to the City, Renters and Housing Providers. The only ones pushing for this are those that wish to make it harder for housing providers to build more units or control the city. The voters of Burbank voted twice. Move on and let the much larger group of Renters and Housing providers that are content and happy as it is stay that way.

    2. That landlord letter was filled to the brim with someone who clearly doesn’t care for Burbank or its citizens. Burbank for the people, not the rich!

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