A property owner attempting to raise rent by $39 a month for residents of an Orcutt senior living mobile park will have to settle for a lower increase after an appeal denial on Tuesday.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously sided against the owner and park management of Del Cielo Mobile Estates — Del Cielo Manufactured Housing Community LLC — finding that an arbitrator who oversaw the case did not abuse their authority in setting the allowed rent increase.

Del Cielo Manufactured Housing Community LLC announced that it intended to increase rent at the 185-unit park by $39.16 per month in 2025.

In October 2025, the residents submitted a petition for an outside mediator to oversee the case.

Under the county’s ordinance, park management could raise the rent by a minimum of $17.67 per month, but park management wanted more. The arbitrator was tasked with determining where the proposed rent should land using the park management’s costs and the county ordinance.

The mediator eventually determined in March that the monthly rent should be raised by $24.02.

Park management challenged the decision with the Board of Supervisors, arguing that the arbitrator did not allow certain fees to be included in the reduced rate determination. Those fees included a broker’s commission and litigation costs challenging the county’s overlay ordinance, among others.

The Board of Supervisors applied an overlay for mobile parks in 2025 after Del Cielo residents expressed concerns that their park would be changed to all-ages after new owners purchased the land.

Residents argued that seniors choose to live in age-restricted parks because of the low cost of living and the community. Allowing younger families could raise the cost of rent and require other changes to the park to accommodate them.

The Board of Supervisors agreed with their concerns and passed protections for mobile home parks and for senior parks.

Under the ordinance, owners are not allowed to convert senior parks to all-ages parks and must verify the tenants’ ages.

Jason Dilday, a representative for park management, said management is not trying to challenge the county’s ordinance restricting the cost increase.

However, he argued that the ordinance was improperly read and asked the board to restore the costs that the arbitrator dismissed in the decision.

Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson, whose district includes Orcutt, said he did not think the arbitrator in the decision misused their position.

He added that he believed the decision was made based on substantial evidence, and the arbitrator used their discretion to interpret the county ordinance.

“I think ultimately neutral arbitrators … are important in these processes,” Nelson said. “That’s why we built this into it, and I don’t see anything here that dissuades me.”

Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said she was persuaded by the arbitrator’s interpretation of the ordinance.

She added that disagreeing with the arbitrator’s interpretation could allow more fees to pass through by property owners to tenants, which would be inconsistent with the statute.

“So, to me, it hardly seems arbitrary and capricious what the arbitrator did,” Hartmann said. “It seems quite reasonable.”