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Question: I am an owner of several small apartment buildings. What legal responsibility and liability does an owner have for changing locks when changing tenants? Answer: An owner or manager of rental property is held to the same standard of care that would be required by a reasonable and prudent owner or manager in like circumstances. In other words, if one of your residents claims he or she was robbed or injured by someone who had a key to his or her apartment, this person could claim you were responsible. The tenant could prevail in court if the trier of… Read More

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As Election Day quickly approached, about 30 rental housing professionals gathered for the inaugural Pints for PAC event Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Creek Monkey Tap House in Martinez. The evening included beer tasting, food pairing and exceptional networking. Pints for PAC attracted a wide range of attendees, from industry partners to reps from large property management companies to an independent rental owner with three units. Political Action Committee events help raise critical funds to defeat proposals harmful to the rental housing industry. Dollars raised at PAC events also support candidates who advocate for the multifamily housing business. Nancy Pullen… Read More

Tagged: Contra Costa

The California Apartment Association’s work with San Mateo County has helped shape an ordinance that protects residents from smoking while limiting the liability of rental property owners. The county, including the Board of Supervisors and county counsel, partnered with CAA Tri-County since May 2013 to protect property owners’ and managers’ interests in the regulations. This resulted in wording amenable to the industry because it provides: Liability protection. The ability to designate a smoking area. A 14-month phase-in period. No requirements to post “No Smoking” signage in each unit. The ordinance, approved by supervisors on a 4-1 vote Tuesday, Oct. 21,… Read More

Tagged: Tri-County

A small group of CAA Greater Inland Empire members broke bread with four local mayors Friday, Oct. 17, during the association’s third Leadership Roundtable of 2014. With more than two elected officials taking part this time, organizers changed the format, pairing each member with a mayor during lunch. They got to spend nearly an hour together. The event took place at the National Community Renaissance’s office in Rancho Cucamonga. Participating mayors included Paul Leon (Ontario); Carey Davis (San Bernardino); Dennis Michael (Rancho Cucamonga); and Karen Spiegel (Corona). “I’ve never been to a rental housing industry event; it was an honor… Read More

Tagged: Greater Inland Empire

Question: My tenant fixes his motorcycle in the living room of his apartment. I have warned him that he did not have a right to use our apartment as an auto repair shop. He says as long as he leaves the apartment clean, he has the right to work on his motorcycle. What should I do? Answer: You should review your lease to see if he is breaching any particular condition of promise. If not, and you are on a month-to-month tenancy, you could threaten to serve him with a 30-day notice to quit, or to change the terms of… Read More

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Picking the best from an exceptional group of 160 nominees for the third annual CAA San Diego Mission Awards was no easy feat. But in the end, our 42 judges narrowed down the entrants to 13 champs. Each was honored during an evening of great music and fine food Oct. 9 at Humphrey’s By the Bay. And the awards went to the following: Property of the Year: 1–250 units La Jolla Palms, Irvine Company Apartment Communities Property of the Year: 251-500 units Solazzo, Irvine Company Apartment Communities Property of the Year: 501+units The Reserve at 4S Ranch, Sares Regis Group… Read More

Tagged: San Diego

At the CAA Annual Membership Meeting, President Ron Granville, CPM, announced the results of the 2015 California Apartment Association Board of Directors’ election. Granville welcomed newly elected and returning directors to the board during the yearly membership meeting Thursday, Oct. 16.  Voting for the 2015 CAA Board of Directors closed Oct. 7. In accordance with the CAA bylaws, directors serve a term of three years; regional directors serve a term of two years. Newly elected directors begin their terms Jan. 1. 2015 newly elected members of the CAA Board of Directors, representing specific membership categories, are as follows: Independent Rental… Read More

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Question: Is there any way to impose a rent increase on tenants with a lease or do you have to wait until the lease is expired?  Can you raise rents on specific units and not all units? Answer: You have to wait until the lease expires unless the lease term contained an automatic rent increase.  If there is an objective business reason, you can raise rent on some units and not others, as long as it does not violate fair housing laws.  Many owners increase the rent on the tenants’ anniversary dates. Question: I have a tenant who has been… Read More

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With core values like excellence, leadership, service and community, it’s no wonder that GSF Properties in Fresno is holding a fundraiser this month to help families affected by autism. Dan McCoy, vice president of operations at GSF, talked about the fundraiser, Evening Under the Stars, in an October 2014 Fresno Bee article. “Service is something we are very passionate about,” McCoy, a CAA Fresno board member, said in the story. “We touch a lot of people’s lives every day by providing them with homes. We feel that giving back to the communities where those homes are located is a natural… Read More

Tagged: Greater Fresno

When 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6. Where Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave. Admission Free. Refreshments will be available. The California Apartment Association will take part in a roundtable discussion next month about housing costs in Mountain View and the prospects for affordability. Joshua Howard, senior vice president of local public affairs for CAA, will participate in the Civility Roundtable event Thursday, Nov. 6. The discussion will be dubbed “Can Housing in Mountain View Be Affordable?” The event will include a community conversation about the local impacts of rapidly increasing housing costs in the region. Project… Read More

Tagged: Tri-County