How to Pay the Rent Control Registration Fee

Online payment is the fastest and easiest way to pay your fees, and it can cost less than the price of a stamp. You may pay either by an electronic transfer from your checking account or by any major credit card. There is a $0.50 convenience fee for the service to pay by electronic check or a 3.25 percent convenience fee to pay by credit card ($3.95 minimum). This convenience fee is paid to a third-party vendor, and no portion is retained by the City of Santa Monica.

1. Pay online using Rent Control's CIVICS portal

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   Whether you already have an account or just want to make a one-time payment, all online payments can be made using Rent Control’s CIVICS portal. Click here to open CIVICS in a new window.
   

2. Login to your CIVICS account or choose One Time Payment

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   • If you have a CIVICS account, enter your username and password to login. You will see the total amount due and individual invoice(s) on your dashboard identified as Annual Billing (ANBILL202#-#####) or Billing Adjustment ( BADJ202#-#####).

   
   

   • If you do not have a CIVICS account, click One Time Payment at the top of the page. You may make a payment for only one invoice at a time using this option, but you may repeat the process to make more than a single one-time payment. Go to Step 4 below.

3. Next step for CIVICS account holders

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   • You can pay the total amount due by clicking the blue Make Payment button in the MY FEES box. 
   • If you have multiple invoices to pay and want to pay one or more separately, click the blue Pay Balance link to the right of the ANBILL(s) you want to pay. Only the selected invoices will be added to your cart. Click Make Payment and on the next screen, select your payment method - either by credit/debit card or by eCheck (an electronic transfer from your bank account). Next, click the blue Continue button, and on the next screen, click OK to be redirected to our secure payment processing page hosted by Invoice Cloud. 

   • Go to Step 5 below.

4. Next step for One Time Payment

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   Enter the ID Number (invoice number) from your bill and then click the search icon (magnifying glass). The invoice number may be found in the upper right corner of your bill. Once the search finds your bill, click the blue Checkout button and on the next screen click OK to be redirected to our secure payment processing page hosted by Invoice Cloud. If you cannot find or do not have the invoice number, please contact us at the email address or phone number shown above on the right, and staff can provide the number to you.
   

5. Choose your method of payment and enter payment information

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   The Available Payment Method will reflect the choice you just made, and the service fee for the method you chose will be displayed in the Payment Summary box on the right. The only option is to pay the full invoice amount shown. Click the green Continue to Payment Information button to enter your bank or credit card information.

   For eCheck payments, you will need your bank's routing number and your account number. For payments by credit card, you'll need the card number and related information.

   When you’ve entered payment information, click the green Continue to Review Payment button at the bottom of the page.

6. Review payment details

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   If the amount shown in the Payment Summary is correct, check the box to agree with Invoice Cloud’s terms and conditions, then click the green Process Payment box to complete your payment. Please note that the Invoice # displayed in the Payment Summary is a transaction number and will not match the ANBILL number on your invoice. You may be required to verify that you are not a robot by completing a reCAPTCHA test.

7. Receipts, Confirmation, and Additional Payments

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   From the thank you screen, you may choose to print a receipt and/or follow links to return to CIVICS to check your account or make additional outstanding payments.
   

Property owners may submit registration fee payments by mail if paying by check. Please do not send cash. While delivery by mail is reliable, it is possible that delayed service could result in payments arriving late. To avoid delays and a trip to the Post Office and for more payment options, we recommend paying online. To pay online, click the Online tab to the left.

1. Check your bill and write your check

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   The amount due is printed on your bill on the right. Owners who own several properties will be mailed separate bills for each property. Please write your check for the amount shown on the bill and make it payable to Santa Monica Rent Control Board. Please also write the Rent Control Invoice number (ANBILL2024-XXXXX) on the check. The invoice number can be found in the upper right corner of the bill. Be sure to sign and date your check and keep a record of the payment. If you do not pay the full amount when due, a 4.0% penalty is added to the balance each month. 

2. Detach the payment stub and include it with your check

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   Detach the lower portion of your bill that identifies the property and the amount owed and include it with your payment. 

3. Use the enclosed envelope to send your payment

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   Your bill will include a pre-addressed envelope to send the payment to us. Postage is not prepaid, so you will need to affix a stamp. Mail your payment and your payment stub(s) to us.

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   Rent Control Board

   City of Santa Monica

   PO Box 6006
   

   Whittier, CA  90607-6006
   

Property owners may pay registration fees in person by cash or check at our office in City Hall. Please note that payment by credit card may be done online only. To save a time and for more payment options, we recommend paying online. To pay online, click the Online tab to the left.

1. Check our office hours when planning a visit

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   Our office hours are generally Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 12:30pm, and 1:30pm to 4:30pm. City Hall is closed every other Friday, so before visiting on Friday, please be sure to confirm we are open. Call (310 458-8751. No appointment is necessary to pay fees.

2. Bring your bill with you to City Hall when you make your payment

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   Your bill will help us make sure that your payment is applied to your property, so please bring it with you when you come. If you forget your bill, we can look up your property to identify the amount owed.