MOUNTAIN VIEW — A rent-control measure approved by Mountain View voters in November is on hold after a judge this week approved a temporary restraining order requested by the California Apartment Association.

The move has angered rent-control advocates, who say it is akin to Dr. Seuss’ Grinch stealing Christmas.

“What this means is that thousands of Mountain View renters won’t be getting the voter-approved rent rollback they were expecting this holiday season,” said Daniel DeBolt, a spokesman for the Mountain View Tenants Coalition, which championed the measure.

Measure V, which passed with 53.6 percent in favor, would roll back rents to what they were on Oct. 19, 2015, a date the coalition has tied to a dramatic spike in rents. It also would require landlords to show cause when evicting tenants and tie annual increases of no less than 2 percent and no more than 5 percent to the Consumer Price Index.

The California Apartment Association and the city signed off on the temporary restraining order Thursday, a day after the former filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Measure V.

DeBolt pointed to the development as evidence of the city’s unwillingness to defend the measure.

“Ironically, the City Council declared Mountain View a ‘human rights city’ this week, but they refuse to honor and defend the renters’ rights that voters approved on Nov. 8,” he said.

In a statement, the city said it agreed to the order to “ensure the immediate preservation” of a council-approved urgency ordinance enacting the just-cause eviction provision of the measure. That decision and the order itself will have no bearing on whether the city ultimately defends the measure, according to the statement.

“It is good that we can continue to provide this protection while the legal challenge to Measure V is resolved,” said Mayor Pat Showalter, referring to the just-cause eviction provision. “The City Council wants the public to know that we take this matter very seriously and we regret any confusion this situation may cause renters and landlords.”

The California Apartment Association has until Feb. 3 to file a motion for a preliminary injunction. Otherwise, the order will expire and Measure V will take effect.

A legal showdown is anticipated. The association’s lawsuit argues, among other things, that both Measure V and the urgency ordinance will result in an “unlawful taking” under the United States and California constitutions.

“We are confident that our lawyers will be able to successfully defend Measure V in court once they are able to intervene early next year,” DeBolt said. “It has become obvious over the last year that the Mountain View City Council cannot be trusted to protect renters or to protect renters’ rights.”