News: Posts by Mike Nemeth

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More than 100 local CAA Greater Fresno members attended a seminar this month that focused on how members can help reduce crime, boost safety and prepare for emergencies. During a Ready Properties seminar June 11, the local American Red Cross “Be Ready” team (Katrina Poitras, Cayce Baierski and Sandra Santiago-Pinheiro) shared information on preparing a disaster kit, coping after a disaster and dealing with the aftermath of fires at multifamily properties. Also at the event, held at UC Center Fresno, Lt. Dave Newton of the Fresno Police Department talked about an app called “Nextdoor,” which may benefit rental housing professionals… Read More

Tagged: Greater Fresno

The California Apartment Association wishes to thank the lawmakers who voted down a bill that would have unfairly penalized landlords who make honest calculations regarding security deposits. Thanks also go out to the rental-housing professionals who took part in CAA’s letter-writing campaign to defeat the bill. On May 29, Senator Mark Leno’s SB 603 received 18 no votes, 13 yes votes, and 8 abstentions. The bill needed 21 yes votes to pass. The no votes came from the following senators: Joel Anderson, R-San Diego; Tom Berryhill, R-Twain Harte; Ron Calderon, D-Montebello; Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres; Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana; Bill Emmerson,… Read More

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A bill that would require water submeters in all new construction now has amendments allowing landlords and third-party billing companies to collect administrative fees. Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, revised her bill, SB 750, to permit collection of up to $4 in fees to help recover the actual costs of reading submeters and providing billing services for tenants. A lower administrative fee would apply, however, when the water bill is less than $10, according to the amended bill. Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, an administrative fee may be adjusted annually by the landlord commensurate with an increase in the Consumer Price Index.… Read More

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After a successful debut this past spring, the California Apartment Association’s property management webinar series returns this summer to a computer near you. The upcoming slate of online courses is from July 15 through Sept. 25. The inaugural webinar series, which ran from March through May, attracted students from Ukiah to Oxnard. Comments from students underscore the quality – and convenience — of CAA’s distance-learning program. “Many students said this was the only way they could attend classes,” said Jim Lofgren, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Sacramento Valley, a chapter of CAA. “Some would have needed to… Read More

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Following the lead of other cities in the Silicon Valley, San Jose is considering a fee on new development to help pay for affordable housing. This article in the Silicon Valley Business Journal focuses on a San Jose City Council vote approving a “nexus study” on such a fee. Under California law, before a local jurisdiction can assess a development fee, it must establish a nexus, or “reasonable relationship,” between the purpose of the charge and the type of development proposed. Many jurisdictions have interpreted the word “reasonable” quite broadly, leading to fees that may not truly fulfill the nexus… Read More

Tagged: Tri-County

Construction is wrapping up at The Paseos at Magnolia, a luxury apartment community in Riverside. Western National, a member of the California Apartment Association, will manage the 168-unit community. Construction of the 11-building community, designed by KTGY Group Inc., is expected to conclude this fall. Read more details about The Paseos in this article at MHNonline.

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With the Bay Area expected to grow by 30 percent over the next quarter century, building more multifamily housing isn’t an option — it’s a necessity. In her column, Blanca Torres of the San Francisco Business Times acknowledges the resistance — albeit conflicted — to apartment development and then chips away at it. She ends her article by listing five reasons why bringing more apartments to the Bay Area makes sense. Each touches on an element unique to the region, such as The City’s soft spot for public transportation, its top-notch scenery and a desire to preserve natural resources.

Tagged: San Francisco Apartment Association

As with most business relationships, dealings between tenants and landlords are growing increasingly digital — and that usually leads to greater convenience. Take last year’s CAA-sponsored bill that allows tenants to receive their security deposit refunds by direct deposit. That change makes it easier for everyone. But digital communication doesn’t meet legal muster on all fronts. In this L.A. times piece, a landlord asks if using email to notify a tenant of termination of tenancy is legal. It isn’t. In fact, landlords have to face very specific steps to inform tenants they’re facing eviction. Should this change? And if so,… Read More

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The Sacramento City Council has unanimously approved major changes to its rental-inspection ordinance and fee schedule – a move that could save qualifying landlords thousands of dollars annually. The 7-0 vote Tuesday ends a five-year battle over reforming the program, which will now allow self-certification of rental properties when a previous city inspection found no violations, or violations were corrected on time, and all fees are current. The change will result in a 43 percent reduction in the inspection fee and save rental owners in the city $1.1 million annually. “At a time when local governments around the state are… Read More

Tagged: Sacramento Valley

In this column in the New York Times, TV journalist Scott James tells a landlord’s horror story — it involves a sledgehammer — about renting out his downstairs apartment in San Francisco. He’s not renting out that unit again. Scott admits he’s adding to The City’s housing shortage and gives his reasons. What’s your take?

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