Santa Monica City Councilmember Lana Negrete has taken aim at Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR), raising questions about the group’s leadership, endorsement process, and its stance toward independent voices in city politics. In an open letter, Negrete described her background as a lifelong Santa Monica resident, renter, and dues-paying SMRR member. She voiced disappointment with the group’s recent actions and public statements. Negrete’s family has supported SMRR for years, and she continues to back rent control and tenant protections, pointing to her own experience as a renter in a regulated unit.
Santa Monica’s rent-control system covers units with certificates of occupancy issued before April 10, 1979, and is overseen by an elected Rent Control Board. The system sets a maximum allowable rent and includes an annual general-adjustment process. For the current period, the annual rent increase cap stands at 2.6%, with a maximum increase of $70 per month for rent-controlled units, as detailed in a city-by-city rent-control comparison (Laws Decoded). This structure places Santa Monica among California cities with local rent stabilization rules that predate the statewide Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.
Negrete’s letter points out that, despite her support for tenant protections, SMRR has labeled her a threat to renters in two election cycles, giving her a failing grade and circulating messages that question her integrity. She argued that her independent policy approach should not be mistaken for opposition to renter protections and called for SMRR leadership to be more inclusive and representative.
Scrutiny of Leadership and Endorsement Standards
Negrete’s concerns focus on the makeup and representativeness of SMRR’s leadership. She questioned how many decision-makers in the group are renters themselves and whether the leadership reflects the diversity of working-class, immigrant, and younger communities it claims to serve. Negrete argued that diversity should go beyond those who already agree with established positions and said progressive values should be shown through actions, not just endorsements.
The letter also addressed a policy dispute involving the Santa Monica Rent Control Board and City Council. In July 2026, provisions were advanced that raised legal questions about tenancy succession and possible conflicts with California’s Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. These provisions dealt with when a family or household member could take over a rent-controlled tenancy after the original tenant left. Legal concerns led to joint meetings of the City Council and Rent Control Board on July 27 and 28, after which the disputed measures were withdrawn. Negrete noted that SMRR-endorsed officials helped advance these proposals and questioned why they did not face similar scrutiny. The episode underscored the legal limits on local rent-control rules when regulating post-tenancy occupancy and vacancy control, since Costa-Hawkins preserves certain landlord rights regarding vacancy and succession (Santa Monica Daily Press).
Political Contributions and Calls for Transparency
Negrete responded to SMRR’s criticism of her campaign’s independent expenditures and contributions from landlords and aviation interests by calling for transparency in all political spending. She argued that scrutiny should apply to all candidates and organizations, including SMRR and its endorsed officials. Negrete clarified that independent committees supporting her do not control her votes or positions and reaffirmed her responsibility to Santa Monica residents, not to any political action committee donors.
In closing, Negrete described her personal and professional commitment to the community, referencing her experiences as a mother, small business owner, and cancer survivor. She expressed concern that political advertising from SMRR reduces her lived experience to a political grade and urged the organization to open its leadership to broader participation. Negrete called on Santa Monicans to review public records and council voting histories themselves, emphasizing that voters’ decisions should not be dictated by endorsements or political organizations.
