News: Posts by Mike Nemeth
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A CAA-sponsored bill that would boost construction of micro apartments — especially in areas near public university campuses and public transit — has advanced to the state Senate.
On Thursday, the Assembly unanimously approved AB 352 by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles. The bill is now awaiting a hearing date in the Senate’s Rules Committee.
The bill, one of three housing-supply bills sponsored by the California Apartment Association this year, would help prevent local governments from establishing roadblocks to “efficiency dwelling units,” which usually measure 220 square feet or less. Like AB 943, Santiago authored this piece of legislation.
The Pacifica City Council on Monday voted 4-1 to place rent control and just-cause eviction policies on the November ballot.
The ballot measure would:
Cap rent increases at 3.4 percent annually.
Implement eviction controls mirroring San Francisco’s just-cause eviction policy.
Establish a seven-member rental housing commission with the power to set rents, recommend rules and regulations, and levy fees.
Over the objections of CAA and other business groups, the San Jose City Council on Tuesday night voted to immediately implement “just cause” eviction policies.
The council decision came on a 9-2 vote following four hours of emotional testimony. Voting against the emergency just-cause ordinance were council members Johnny Khamis and Dev Davis.
Amid fierce opposition from CAA, lawmakers have once again fallen short in their efforts to weaken California’s Ellis Act – the 1985 law that protects a property owner’s right to exit the rental housing business.
Since 1985, the Ellis Act has provided an important safety valve for landlords operating in rent controlled jurisdictions, guaranteeing they can walk away from the business when rent control becomes too burdensome.
Tagged: Ellis ActLegislationRent Control
In an editorial urging a no vote on Measure C, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat calls rent control a “drastic step” and “the most heavy-handed of solutions” to the city’s housing crisis.
The Concord City Council this month adopted a rent-mediation program that was supported by the California Apartment Association.
The ordinance, approved during the May 2 council meeting, will give tenants the right to nonbinding mediation if they receive rent increases of more than 10 percent during a 12-month timeframe.
Tagged: MediationRent Control Contra Costa
Question: While on vacation, my assistant was responsible for serving three-day notices to pay rent or quit in the apartment community we manage. She forgot to sign the notices. Is this a fatal defect?
Answer: California law does not specifically require the manager or owner to sign notices served on tenants. While signing is the recommended practice, an unsigned notice should still be held to be sufficient.
Tagged: ColumnsComplianceLegal Q&A
https://youtu.be/SMcXDn2fnpQ
Presenting a double threat to rental housing owners, the San Jose City Council on Tuesday, May 9, is expected to immediately impose a “just cause” eviction ordinance and consider adopting a significantly tighter cap on annual rent increases.
Emergency just cause ordinance: This ordinance would implement “just cause” the day following council approval. With such a drastic change to existing law, the council should include an implementation period so those unaware of the law avoid the risk of violating it.
San Francisco-style rent control: Last year, the City Council lowered its rent cap from 8 percent annually to 5… Read More
Rental property owners and industry partners took a trip in a cultural time machine last month during the CAA Orange County Charity Gala.
More than 400 attendees gathered April 20 at the Hotel Irvine for an evening that boasted …
The California Apartment Association has suspended its legal efforts to overturn a pair of rent control measures approved by voters last year in Mountain View and Richmond.
In recent months, judges in both Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties ruled against CAA’s motions for preliminary injunctions that would have halted enforcement of Measures V and L, respectively.