News: Legislation

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A bill that spells out what landlords and tenants need to do when confronted with a bed bug infestation is closer to becoming California law. The Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted 7-0 in favor of Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian’s AB 551. The proposal from the Van Nuys Democrat comes as bed bug infestations continue to spike both in California and across the United States. Despite the spread of these bloodsucking pests, California law hasn’t adequately defined the role that apartment owners and renters must play in preventing and killing these bugs. Nazarian’s bill addresses this by offering specifics. And it… Read More

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A bill intended to give renters the right to hang clotheslines outside their apartments is now far less onerous, thanks to amendments requested by the California Apartment Association. The revised AB 1448 by Assemblywoman Patty Lopez, D-San Fernando, advanced Tuesday from the Assembly Judiciary Committee by a 6 to 3 vote. It heads to the Committee on Housing and Community Development on May 13. Under revisions to the bill, the placement of clotheslines outside apartments is subject to landlord approval. The landlord, for example, could reject a tenant’s request to place a clothesline in an area that causes an eyesore.

Tagged: Los Angeles

Legislation that would curtail a landlord’s ability to check a prospective tenant’s criminal background before signing a lease gained momentum this week in the California Assembly. AB 369 by Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, now heads to the Appropriations Committee after passing the Committee of Housing and Community Development on Wednesday by a 4-to-2 vote. The author has cited four goals with AB 396: To reduce recidivism rates by providing stable housing. To keep families together. To prevent homelessness. To prohibit unfair discrimination that is based upon reasons that have no bearing on the success of a tenancy. The bill… Read More

Tagged: Los Angeles

A bill that would designate housing as substandard when any amount of mold is visible passed a state Senate committee this week. SB 655 by Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, moved out of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on Tuesday. Mitchell says the bill is necessary for the health of families and their children. While CAA believes that mold should be cleaned up in housing, SB 655 lacks a workable standard or definition for code enforcement or for property owners who want to stay in compliance with the law. Having any amount of mold or just the smell as… Read More

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The California Apartment Association this week supported a bill to help landlords stop tenants from cultivating marijuana in rental properties. A common complaint by rental property owners, especially in Northern California, centers on the use and cultivation of marijuana in multifamily housing. The bill, SB 643 by Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, would help address this issue by banning cultivation of medical marijuana in areas zoned residential. The bill includes other provisions, such as: Establishing the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation and requiring the bureau to license and regulate dispending facilities, cultivation sites, transporters and manufacturers of medical marijuana and medical… Read More

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A bill that threatens to undermine a landlord’s right to leave San Francisco’s rental housing business stalled Tuesday in its first committee hearing. The Senate Transportation and Housing Committee voted 6 to 5 against SB 364 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. Leno requested and was granted reconsideration, meaning it’s still possible that he’ll get the necessary six yes votes to advance the bill to the Judiciary Committee. The bill, opposed by the California Apartment Association during Tuesday’s hearing, takes aim at the Ellis Act, landmark legislation passed in 1985 that bars local governments from making property owners stay in… Read More

Tagged: San Francisco Apartment Association

A proposal that would cap rent increases for qualifying seniors in rent controlled communities has a new author in the state Legislature. Originally, this proposal was the centerpiece of AB 697 by Assemblyman Kansen Chu, D-San Jose. At the request of the California Apartment Association, however, Chu removed all wording from the bill related to rent increase exemptions for seniors. Instead, the bill would now simply provide a tax credit for senior citizens. The Service Employees International Union, which is behind the proposed cap on rent increases for qualifying seniors, then turned to Assemblywoman Nora Campos to incorporate this plan… Read More

Tagged: Tri-County

CAA is supporting a pair of bills that would offer tax breaks to landlords and other property owners who take certain water-conservation measures. AB 585 by Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore would offer tax credits for water-efficiency improvements to outdoor landscapes. The other bill, AB 603 by Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, would permit tax credits for those taking part in a lawn-replacement program. CAA is supporting these bills as California’s unprecedented drought continues to make headlines, including Gov. Jerry Brown’s announcement of mandatory water restrictions. Related content:  Drought: Don’t Waste a Drop (CAA’s Apartment Management magazine)  

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About 200 property management professionals from throughout California converged on Sacramento on Tuesday, gaining key insights into bills that could affect their businesses. Brimming with knowledge about the proposals, they then headed to the Capitol to sit down with lawmakers and discuss their concerns. These grass-roots activities helped define the California Apartment Association’s annual Legislative Conference. The daylong event began at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown, where CAA’s government affairs team explained why landlords should care about some of the most visceral bills introduced this session. Among the highest profile proposals for CAA are those dealing with short-term vacation rentals,… Read More

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The California Apartment Association has identified nine top-priority bills for the rental housing industry in the 2015 legislative session. This coming Tuesday, attendees of CAA’s Legislative Conference will learn more about the proposals below, and in the afternoon, discuss them with lawmakers during a visit to the Capitol.   POSITIVE BILLS 1. Airbnb, short-term vacation rentals; warns tenants of possible lease violation SB 761 by Sen. Isadore Hall, D-Los Angeles This bill is sponsored by the California Apartment Association and would require short-term vacation rental websites such as Airbnb to provide disclosures to prospective tenants. The past few years have… Read More

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