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If your rental property has a master meter for power and gas, you’ve probably posted those lengthy utility rate schedules for your tenants to review.
A bill on the governor’s desk would allow for a more convenient alternative.
Senate Bill 196 by Anthony Canella, R-Ceres, would allow a landlord to post an Internet address where tenants can obtain a utility company’s rate schedule, instead of the current requirement that the rate schedule, in its entirety, be posted in a conspicuous place.
Posting an Internet address takes up less space, time and money than posting the prevailing rate as published by… Read More
Tagged: LegislationUtility Rates
Senate Bill 750 — sponsored by tenant and environmental lobbies to mandate sub-meters in new construction and establish consumer protections in affected properties — remains pending in an Assembly committee.
As originally drafted, SB 750 by Sen. Lois Wolk prohibited RUBS, banned administrative fees for water sub-meters and required that, as of Jan. 1, 2014, all new multifamily construction units would be sub-metered.
The California Apartment Association and the Utility Conservation Coalition, an alliance of utility billing companies, have been diligently working to address the negative aspects of the bill and to create a “win-win” situation for owners, residents, and… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyLegislationUtility Rates
The California State Legislature is finishing up its summer recess and will return in August to wrap up the first year of the 2013-14 Legislative sessions.
To date, 2013 has been one of the most challenging Legislative sessions for the apartment industry in a decade. The California Apartment Association has actively lobbied on 75 bills to make certain that the industry is protected from over-reaching legislative proposals.
Three measures in particular would have had far-reaching economic impacts on the industry but were successfully stopped or amended by CAA.
Senate Bill 750 – Water sub-metering and RUBS
The issue of ratio-utility… Read More
ONTARIO — Thanks to CAA-Apartment Association Greater Inland Empire, local leaders in multifamily housing received an inside view of state and local legislative issues — and the regional economy as a whole.
It was all part of CAA-AAGIE’s inaugural Legislative Leadership Conference, held June 7 at the Double Tree Hotel in Ontario.
Discussion of legislation focused primarily on the rental housing industry, with themes and speakers including the following:
State Leaders: Rental Legislation and the State Budget
Moderator: Debra Carlton – CAA senior vice president, public affairs
Speakers: state Sen. Norma Torres andAssemblyman Jose Medina
Local Leaders: What’s Next for… Read More
The California Apartment Association wishes to thank the lawmakers who voted down a bill that would have unfairly penalized landlords who make honest calculations regarding security deposits.
Thanks also go out to the rental-housing professionals who took part in CAA’s letter-writing campaign to defeat the bill.
On May 29, Senator Mark Leno’s SB 603 received 18 no votes, 13 yes votes, and 8 abstentions. The bill needed 21 yes votes to pass.
The no votes came from the following senators: Joel Anderson, R-San Diego; Tom Berryhill, R-Twain Harte; Ron Calderon, D-Montebello; Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres; Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana; Bill Emmerson,… Read More
A bill that would require water submeters in all new construction now has amendments allowing landlords and third-party billing companies to collect administrative fees.
Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, revised her bill, SB 750, to permit collection of up to $4 in fees to help recover the actual costs of reading submeters and providing billing services for tenants. A lower administrative fee would apply, however, when the water bill is less than $10, according to the amended bill.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, an administrative fee may be adjusted annually by the landlord commensurate with an increase in the Consumer Price Index.… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyLegislation
A bill that would have unfairly penalized landlords who make honest mistakes regarding security deposits has died on the Senate floor, thanks largely to opposition from the California Apartment Association.
Late Wednesday, Sen. Mark Leno’s SB 603 received 18 no votes, 13 yes votes and eight abstentions. Prior to the roll call, Sen. Roderick Wright, D. Los Angeles, spoke against the legislation, reflecting many of CAA’s reasons for opposition.
Although the bill had undergone substantial amendments, SB 603 remained bad for the rental housing industry. The original, more problematic version would have required that landlords pay interest on security deposits,… Read More
Tagged: Legislation
Sen. Mark Leno’s SB 603 would no longer require that landlords pay interest on security deposits, but his bill is still bad for the rental housing industry.
The interest-on-security-deposits provision came out after CAA’s strong lobbying activities and nearly 800 CAA members wrote opposition letters to lawmakers.
Remaining, however, are unfair penalty provisions for landlords who fail to return security deposits as required by law – no matter the rationale.
Under SB 603, a small-claims court judge would have to award penalties against the owner if the tenant successfully demonstrates that all or a portion of the deposit should have… Read More
Tagged: LegislationSecurity Deposits
A bill that would require water submeters in all new construction now has amendments allowing landlords and third-party billing companies to collect administrative fees.
Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, revised her bill, SB 750, to permit collection of up to $4 in fees to help recover the actual costs of reading submeters and providing billing services for tenants. A lower administrative fee would apply, however, when the water bill is less than $10, according to the amended bill.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, an administrative fee may be adjusted annually by the landlord commensurate with an increase in the Consumer Price Index.… Read More
Tagged: Legislation
Like the California Apartment Association, Gov. Jerry Brown believes Proposition 65 needs changing.
The Brown administration is joining lawmakers aiming to stop frivolous lawsuits based on the proposition, passed by voters 27 years ago.
Among other things, the proposition requires that businesses with 10 or more employees post warning signs if they suspect cancer-causing chemicals are present.
Although he cited past successes of the law, Matthew Rodriquez, secretary for the California Environmental Protection Agency, said Prop. 65 needs updating, from both a scientific perspective and to protect businesses from unfounded litigation.
“Unfortunately, it has been abused in the past by… Read More
Tagged: In the newsLegislation