News: Posts by Mike Nemeth
Filter
Beginning next summer, landlords and other property owners will no longer be able to install automatic garage doors unless they have a battery backup function designed to operate during electrical outages.
While property owners won’t need to proactively install new automatic garage doors, any replacement door installed on or after July 1, 2019, must have the battery backup feature. The bill also provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 for a garage door not installed in compliance with the law.
Tagged: LegislationNews
Landlords losing the ability to use Ratio Utility Billing Systems on San Jose’s rent-controlled housing have just a few weeks left to apply for a one-time offset.
The petition period for the offset opened on July 5 and closes on Oct. 31. Any petition received after Oct. 31 will not be considered.
If landlords currently using RUBS are granted an offset, they’ll be permitted to add a portion of their RUBS charge to the tenant’s monthly base rent.
Tagged: Utility Rates Tri-County
Question: Our new residents, who are college kids, are driving the neighbors crazy with their partying, and they are only one month into their one-year lease. What kind of notice do I need to serve?
Answer: If the disturbances are major and continuous, or if the police have to be called, you may be able to serve a three-day notice based upon nuisance and commence the unlawful detainer action if they fail to vacate pursuant to the notice.
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
In response to newly signed legislation, the California Apartment Association has updated its compliance paper on tenant protections in place for victims of domestic violence.
The Industry Insight paper, “Domestic Violence & Human Trafficking,” has been revised to reflect the passage of AB 2413.
The bill, by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, will prohibit local agencies from penalizing property owners or residents if they call law enforcement to report domestic abuse or other crimes or emergencies at the property. The bill also will prohibit landlords from evicting or otherwise penalizing tenants simply because they call authorities to get help.
The… Read More
Tagged: LegislationNews
The number of newspapers urging readers to reject Proposition 10 and preserve the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act continues to grow.
In recent days, more than 15 newspapers took stances against Prop 10, which would bring extreme forms of rent control back to California.
These newspapers include the Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, Bakersfield Californian, San Francisco Business Times, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Palo Alto Daily Post, and La Opinión, the nation’s largest Spanish-language newspaper. Also joining the chorus against Prop 10 is the 11-newspaper Southern California Newspaper Group, which includes the Los Angeles Daily News, Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.… Read More
A UC Berkeley economist Tuesday released his third in a series of papers on why California should keep the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.
The new paper, “The Case for Preserving Costa-Hawkins: The Potential Impacts of Rent Control on Single Family Homes,” was authored by Kenneth T. Rosen, chairman of UC Berkeley’s Fisher Center and chairman and founder of Rosen Consulting Group.
If California voters approve Proposition 10 and overturn Costa-Hawkins in the Nov. 6 election, cities and counties will be authorized to impose rent control on single-family homes.
According to Rosen’s latest paper, single-family rent control would decrease property values… Read More
Gov. Jerry Brown signed his final bills on Sunday night, his constitutional deadline to approve or veto legislation in 2018.
In the month leading up to that cut-off, Brown approved a number of bills supported by the California Apartment Association, including legislation to increase California’s housing supply, improve safety at apartment complexes and help tackle homelessness issues.
In the paragraphs below, we summarize the most significant of those proposals and explain why they’re important.
Density bonuses
AB 2372 by Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, will authorize a city or county to establish a procedure by ordinance to grant a developer… Read More
Tagged: LegislationNews
Question: How long does an unlawful detainer judgment stay on the tenant’s record?
Answer: As with all judgments, it is valid for 10 years as far as collection goes, but the credit-reporting agencies keep this information for seven years. The judgment also accrues interest at 10 percent per annum, and can be renewed for an additional 10 years.
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed a bill that will streamline the approval of certain affordable housing projects with units for the homeless.
The California Apartment Association supported the bill, AB 2162 by Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, and coauthored by Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim. The legislation will expedite the approval of affordable housing developments with a certain percentage of “supportive housing.”
Supportive housing means housing with no limit on length of stay, that is occupied by persons with low incomes who have one or more disabilities, including mental illness, HIV or AIDS, substance abuse, or other chronic health condition.… Read More
In the November election, Santa Rosa voters have an opportunity to boost affordable housing while speeding the city’s recovery from last year’s devastating wildfires.
Last fall, the fires in Northern California’s Wine Country eviscerated 6,000 homes in Santa Rosa alone.
“Couple that with a statewide housing crisis of epic proportions, and Santa Rosa finds itself in dire need of additional housing supply,” said Alex Khalfin, CAA’s vice president of public affairs for the North Bay region. “While we can debate how this problem should or shouldn’t be solved, one fact remains clear — something must be done.”
Enter Measure N… Read More