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

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