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If you have employees who are legally required to live at your rental property, you may be able to increase their rents.
In California, allowable rent increases for on-site employees are tied to adjustments in the minimum wage. For businesses with more than 25 employees, the minimum wage is now $10.50 per hour, an increase of 50 cents, which took effect Jan. 1, 2017. As requested by the California Apartment Association, the amount of the monthly rent for an employee who is required to live on site also increased.
Tagged: Legislation
Over the past 12 months, the state’s ongoing housing shortage defined many of the issues facing California’s rental property owners and managers. The housing crunch drove debates at city halls, fueled signature-gathering efforts on rent control, and propelled a mix of positive and negative legislation at the Capitol. Combine the housing shortage with November’s historic election, and 2016 may be the most consequential year in recent memory for the rental housing industry. In the paragraphs that follow we briefly recap the top 15 industry news stories from 2016. To delve deeper into the issues and explore related content, follow the… Read More
Tagged: LegislationLegislative Summary
In 2016, housing policy emerged as a major focal point for the California Legislature.
For the rental housing industry, perhaps the most significant highlight was CAA’s successful sponsorship of four housing-production bills to ease California’s housing shortage.
When California fails to build enough housing, rent prices rise precipitously, leading to calls for onerous policies such as rent control.
The California Apartment Association’s webinar about new laws taking effect in 2017 is now available for replay — a free benefit to CAA members — and as a class that nonmembers can purchase.
CAA’s New Laws webinar, originally webcast Tuesday, Dec. 1, covers legislation that will affect:
Bedbug disclosures
All-gender bathrooms
Pesticide notices
Water submeters
The webinar also reviewed the impacts of other new laws, including the legalization of recreational marijuana use. Moreover, CAA’s public affairs experts reviewed the makeup of the California Legislature following the Nov. 8 election and new and revised CAA forms.
It’s not too late to… Read More
Don’t call it a men’s room. Or a women’s room. The era of the “all gender” restroom begins this spring, at least for public, single-user facilities.
Beginning March 1, 2017, if you have a single-user bathroom facility in your leasing office or other public area, it must be identified with signage as an “all gender” facility. The signage must comply with Title 24 regulations. Moreover, the bathroom must be designated for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use.
Tagged: Legislation
After garnering the governor’s signature, legislation that addresses how property owners and renters deal with bedbugs is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2017.
AB 551 by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian aims to address the need for cooperation among landlords, tenants and pest control operators to successfully control bedbugs.
Early detection and reporting of bed bugs is an important component required for preventing bedbug infestations.
AB 551 requires specific notices and practices on the part of landlords and tenants.
Tagged: Bed bugsLegislation
When talking about housing in California, compromise is sometimes the last word that comes to mind. A forum held Thursday in Sacramento was designed to start moving toward that goal.
The California Apartment Association brought together members from all sides of the housing debate, including representatives from the state, affordable housing, labor, builders, property owners and tenants. The objective was to start working toward consensus on how to resolve California’s worsening housing crisis.
The consensus was that all sides need to compromise to address the acute need and build more housing, both affordable and market rate. Another point that all… Read More
All four of the California Apartment Association’s housing-supply bills have won the governor’s signature, a victory for property owners, developers and renters.
In light of California’s housing shortage, CAA sponsored the slate of bills in 2016 to encourage the development of new housing and remove local obstacles to construction.
The bills include AB 2299 by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica. AB 2299, along with SB 1069 by Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, will make it easier to build second units — also known as in-law units or granny flats, on residential lots. Under the bills, local governments will lose the ability… Read More
Tagged: LegislationLegislative Summary
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law a pair of bills that will help chip away at the state’s housing shortage by making it easier to build in-law units on residential lots.
The bills include CAA-sponsored AB 2299 by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, as well as SB 1069 by Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont. Under the bills, local governments will lose the ability to mandate additional parking for second units when the units are within one-half mile of public transportation or ride-share parking areas.
Gov. Jerry Brown this week continued to sign legislation backed by the California Apartment Association, including bills on bedbugs, housing production and water submeters:
SB 7 (D-Wolk) – Water Meters and Submeters — will require that beginning Jan. 1, 2018, water submeters be installed in new apartment units. It specifically authorizes the imposition of an administrative fee by property owners or third-party billing companies when they read and bill tenants for their water use. It does not change or prohibit the use of ratio utility billing systems (RUBS).
AB 551 (D-Nazarian) – Bedbugs — will put in place disclosure requirements… Read More
Tagged: LegislationLegislative Summary