News: Posts by Mike Nemeth
Filter
Since July 2014, San Francisco has seen 33 Ellis Act eviction notices, according to the Rent Board. This marks a steep decline in use of the Ellis Act.
Month
Ellis eviction notices
Jan. 2015
4
Dec. 2014
17
Nov. 2014
8
Oct. 2014
1
Sept. 2014
0
Aug. 2014
1
July 2014
2
Like last year, a bill is threatening to undercut a landlord’s right to leave San Francisco’s over-regulated rental housing business.
The proposal, SB 364 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, targets the Ellis Act. Before the Ellis Act was passed in 1985, rent-controlled cities — Santa Monica in particular — were forcing landlords to stay in business, even if they were losing money or experiencing other hardships.
In many respects, SB 364 would turn the clock back 30 years in San Francisco. It would force many rental property owners in The City to wait at least five years before removing… Read More
Question: Can I keep a security deposit if the tenant moves out and does not give me a written 30-day notice?
Answer: Not automatically. You can deduct from the security deposit unpaid rent from the time of the move out until thirty days are up, or until the premises are relet, whichever happens first, provided you use due diligence to relet the premises.
Question: I took a $300 deposit from a tenant to hold an apartment pending a credit check. The credit check came in and I declined the application. How long do I have to return the money?
Answer: … Read More
PLEASANT HILL — A panel of experts will offer an economic forecast next week for Contra Costa, Napa and Solano counties and delve into the implications for the rental housing industry.
The California Apartment Association’s 2015 Economic Outlook, set for Wednesday, Feb. 25, will provide an analysis of economic and demographic indicators in the region. Further, the panelists will explore what’s driving those indicators and likely impacts on the apartment business.
CAA’s morning-long program will help landlords and property managers put market trends into perspective. With talk of rent control in some regional cities, it’s vital that multifamily professionals understand… Read More
Under legislation expected this year, landlords could be forced to sign government contracts through local housing authorities, use their mandated leases, and accept Section 8 certificates.
The California Apartment Association’s Board of Directors heard about this anticipated bill and several other likely proposals on Feb. 12, during its first meeting of 2015.
State lawmakers are also expected to attack the Ellis Act again this year. The Ellis Act is a state law that prohibits cities and counties from forcing landlords to stay in the rental housing business. In 2014, CAA successfully defeated a bill that would have forced San Francisco… Read More
The California Apartment Association has confirmed that Assembly Republican Leader Kristin Olsen will speak at CAA’s Legislative Conference.
Olsen, who represents the 12th Assembly District in the Central Valley, is the first mother of school-aged children to lead either a Republican or Democratic caucus in the California Legislature, according to her website.
The lawmaker, first elected to the Assembly in 2010, became chief Republican whip in her first term. In 2012, the Regional Council of Rural Counties named her Legislator of the Year.
Besides hearing from Olsen, Legislative Conference attendees will join their industry peers, head to the Capitol and… Read More
Give your career a boost by completing the California Apartment Association’s property management series.
Through our California Certified Residential Managers program, or CCRM, you’ll get the skills needed to manage rental property effectively.
Available exclusively from the CAA, the CCRM program is the gold standard in property management education. Besides comprehensive property management training, the series instills best practices to run top-notch rental communities and teaches compliance with California’s unique laws and regulations.
Tagged: Education
Chances are good that legislation addressing bed bugs will surface this year.
After all, bed bugs are surfacing in increasing numbers, creating headaches for landlords and tenants alike.
State lawmakers, in turn, are mulling a standard response to bed bug infestations. A bed bug bill would likely cover detection, disclosure and remediation. To help guide any policy discussion, CAA points to its material on bed bugs.
Watch for news on potential legislation in the weeks to come. In the meantime, do your part to fight bed bugs by taking an electronic survey.
UC researchers want to assess the impact bed… Read More
Tagged: Bed bugsComplianceLegislation
Question: How can we enforce the entry rules clause in our lease? One of our residents is refusing to show the rental unit to a prospective purchaser of the building.
Answer: California’s Civil Code, among other permitted uses, specifically requires residential tenants to allow the landlord to show the rental unit to prospective purchasers and their agents. Failure to comply could lead to an action for unlawful detainer after service of a three-day notice to perform or quit if the resident refused to give reasonable dates and times for the entry.
Question: I have a tenant who is driving everyone… Read More
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
Property owners can now charge a rental applicant up to $45.99 to cover screening fees, such as a credit check and time spent gathering information on the prospective tenant.
The new maximum fee, permitted since December 2014, is 83 cents higher than last year’s fee and is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.
Members can follow this link for a more in-depth explanation of what owners can do – and what they can’t – related to application charges.