News: Posts by Mike Nemeth
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A bill working its way through the state Assembly would reform a century-old California law that requires an apartment manager or other key employee to live at rental properties with 16 units or more.
Under current law, this employee can be a manager, janitor, housekeeper or other responsible person. The requirement traces back to the early 1900s, before the advent of 911 emergency services and cell phones.
Tagged: Legislation
Voters in Los Angeles on Tuesday soundly rejected Measure S, a ballot proposal that would have substantially blocked housing construction in the city for two years.
The California Apartment Association vigorously opposed Measure S, which threatened to exacerbate the housing shortage in Los Angeles, making it more difficult for renters to find places to live and further driving up rents.
Tagged: Elections Los Angeles
As early as May, the Concord City Council could vote to adopt a rent-mediation program for rent increases over 10 percent.
Tagged: Rent Control Contra Costa
Question: I have been asked by another property manager if a former tenant of mine caused any problems and if I would rent to him again. I suspected that he was a drug dealer or at least a drug user but I cannot prove it. What can I tell her?
Answer: If you are unsure, you should remain silent. From a legal point of view, it is always safest to say nothing. However, if you choose to do so, you should only reveal information, if any, that you know to be true and can be documented. When making a recommendation,… Read More
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
For the third consecutive year, bills have surfaced to modify California’s Ellis Act, the 1985 law that protects a property owner’s right to leave the rental housing business, an important safety valve for property owners in rent controlled jurisdictions.
One of the proposals, AB 982, would expand the number of tenants who are entitled to …
Tagged: Ellis ActLegislationRent Control
Question: I have a tenant who has been late with the rent on a number of occasions. I charge him a late fee, and he pays it. When his lease expires, do I have to renew?
Answer: Unless you are in a rent-controlled city, you are not required to show cause in order to not renew a tenant’s fixed-term lease and do not need to have or state a reason for non-renewal.
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
Despite strong opposition from the California Apartment Association, the Beverly Hills City Council has tightened its rent control policies with a lower cap on annual rent increases and other draconian measures.
Tagged: Rent Control Los Angeles
Question: We want to give notice to vacate to a renter of a garage who has been in occupancy for over one year. Can we give a 30-day notice or does the 60-day notice rule apply for garages as well?
Answer: You can give a 30-day notice. Sixty-day notices are only required for residential property when the tenant has been in possession for one year or longer and the rental agreement is month-to-month.
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
Lawmakers have introduced a bill to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, landmark legislation that exempts new construction and single-family homes from local rent control laws.
AB 1506 was introduced Friday, Feb. 17, the last day to propose bills in the California Legislature for 2017. Assemblymen Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica; Rob Bonta, D-Oakland; and David Chiu, D-San Francisco, authored the proposal with Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, as a co-author.
The California Apartment Association’s offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of Presidents Day. Normal operating hours will resume Tuesday.
Tagged: News