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A bill signed by the governor this past week will undercut eviction-delay tactics by unscrupulous tenant attorneys who claim mold as a substandard housing condition. On Friday, Oct. 9, Gov. Jerry Brown approved SB 655 by Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles. What does this mean for the rental housing industry? While the new law does add “visible mold” to the list of conditions that can make a property substandard or untenantable, SB 655 offers property owners a number of protections from bogus claims of mold contamination: Visibility: The mold growth must be visible.  No more air tests that tenants and… Read More

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Question: I have tenants who have a written rental agreement for their apartment. They pay $785 per month. They also rent the garage at $50, but there is no written agreement for the garage, either separately or in the rental agreement. If we give the tenant a three-day notice to pay at $835, would it be enforceable in court? Answer: Since the terms of the garage rental are unclear, it would be safer to serve two three-day notices, one for the apartment rent and one for the garage rent. They could be served simultaneously. Question: I have a tenant who… Read More

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Changes to pilot program mark another victory for rental housing in High Desert Hesperia is launching a more palatable version of its crime-free rental housing program, thanks to the government affairs work of CAA Greater Inland Empire. The California Apartment Association worked to remove two problematic components from the pilot program, which takes effect in this High Desert city Jan. 1. The troublesome elements would have forced rental property owners to pay more for the program, while opening them up to potential litigation. Under the city’s previous plans, property owners faced a fee schedule ranging from $37.50 to $50 per… Read More

Tagged: Greater Inland Empire

Question: A tenant claims her attorney told her that since she did “quit” after we gave her the three-day notice, she is not responsible for the balance of the rent for that month.  Is she correct? Answer: Her attorney is wrong. Even if a tenant “quits” pursuant to a notice to perform or quit, the tenant is still liable for lost future rent. Question: Is the legal age for leaseholders over 18 or over 17? Answer: The legal age to contract in California (including leases) is 18 or over. However, if the under age person is “emancipated” (is or has… Read More

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With political issues mounting, and a presidential election on the horizon, individuals may start going door to door in your rental community for political reasons. Some may be campaigning for office, trying to register voters or collecting signatures for a ballot initiative. This begs the question. Are you as a rental property owner or manager required to let folks carry out these specific political activities on your property? Well, the answer depends on the policies you already have in place. If an apartment complex has a blanket no-trespassing or no-soliciting rule, it can be enforced against individuals wanting to deliver… Read More

Tagged: Tri-County

With a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, disadvantaged communities in California will get help with the creation of a new form of redevelopment called Community Revitalization Investment Authorities.   Assembly Bill 2 by Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, authorizes local governments in economically depressed areas to use certain tax revenue for public works and affordable housing improvements. The measure requires that no less than 25 percent of funds generated through a CRIA be set aside for affordable housing in a given community. In 2011, the state dissolved redevelopment agencies, leaving many communities struggling to provide housing and maintain infrastructure.  … Read More

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Thanks to a court ruling, San Francisco landlords who use the Ellis Act to leave the rental housing business won’t have to pay tens of thousands of dollars in additional tenant relocation fees. Under a San Francisco ordinance authored by Supervisor David Campos, landlords using the Ellis Act were required to pay tenants up to $50,000 to cover any rent increases the evicted tenants incur over a two-year period. Superior court Judge Ronald Quidachay, however, determined that the terms of Campos’ ordinance were unreasonable. Read more about it in this San Francisco Chronicle  article. The state Ellis Act, passed in… Read More

Tagged: San Francisco Apartment Association

The California Apartment Association Greater Inland Empire’s first Moreno Valley town hall reception featured City Councilman Jeff Giba and other city leaders. The event, held at Cannon Management’s Overlook at Rancho Belago property, provided a unique opportunity  for CAA members to meet Giba and key members of city staff, including the assistant fire marshal and economic development director. Giba shared his goals for Moreno Valley and ways the rental housing industry and city can collaborate to improve the quality of life for residents. “This was the first time our members met one-on-one with a Moreno Valley policymaker and staff to… Read More

Tagged: Greater Inland Empire

Question: At my property, we are currently doing renovations, and have notified all the residents that there will be noise and water shutoffs.  One resident said they are entitled to rent discounts because of the situation, is it true? Answer: There is no “automatic” reduction in rent allowed for temporary shutoff of water, and/or noise created by renovation or routine maintenance. Question: We rent a house to a family.  My husband helped the tenant move a washing machine into the laundry room and noticed that the tenant’s defective hoses had leaked water onto the sheetrock. We want to have the… Read More

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With a new law in effect , multifamily housing communities may see an uptick in resident requests for electric vehicle charging stations. Regardless, say experts, it may be time to look at your property’s policies and plan for the future. BY AMY DREW THOMPSON Are you a green thinker? Get ready for a swell of patriotic pride because America is the No. 1 market for electric vehicles and, no surprise here: Californians are among those leading the charge. More than 150,000 plug-in electric vehicles, or PEVs, are on the road in California, with 3,000-5,000 new PEVs sold every month, says… Read More

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