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During an NPR talk show last week, the California Apartment Association shared its perspective on a controversial law that’s allowed an uptick in San Francisco evictions.
On Thursday, Nov. 21, AirTalk with Larry Mantle focused on the Ellis Act, which allows landlords to quit being landlords, take apartments off the rental market and either move in or sell them.
In San Francisco, where much multifamily housing is under rent control, selling a property at market value can make more financial sense than continuing to rent it out. In some cases, the Ellis Act can rescue a property owner from financial… Read More
Managers of apartments and condominiums should not have to post signs at their swimming pools prohibiting diarrhea-afflicted residents from the water.
Such a ban is unenforceable, health protections are unproven, and the signs – which must have words or a diagram — are a magnet for theft.
Unfortunately, the rule is already on the books for apartment and condominium pools built since September 2012. The California Apartment Association and California Building Industry Association are trying to change that.
On Nov. 5, both trade groups petitioned the California Department of Public Health to exempt multifamily housing from the signage requirement.
As… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyOpinion Pools and Spas
In 2013, lawmakers derailed threatening bills to the rental housing industry and other business sectors.
Some of the bills left floundering focused on parcel taxes, spit roll property taxes and putting tax hikes before voters.
For example, here are two bills that CAA opposed and help put on ice until at least next year:
AB 59 (D-Bonta) – Parcel Taxes – The intent of AB 59 is to overturn a recent court case that prohibits school districts from imposing different parcel tax rates on different types of property. If passed, AB 59 would allow school districts to impose different parcel… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyLegislationTaxes
The state’s 2013 legislative session ends Friday with several CAA-supported bills already signed by the governor, on deck for last-minute passage by lawmakers or set aside for legislative consideration in 2014.
Some of these California Apartment Association-supported bills and where they stand:
Signed by Gov. Jerry Brown
SB 196 (R-Cannella) – Gas Rates Disclosure – Apartment Buildings – SB 196 allows an apartment owner who has gas or electric submeters beyond the master meter to post a website address where the tenants can access the utility corporation’s rates. Current law requires the property owner to post a copy of the… Read More
Tagged: Advocacy
Although untidy, the used mattresses strewn in front of the Capitol earlier this month sent a rather neat message: It’s time to put a tired old eyesore to bed.
The California Apartment Association, lawmakers and other stakeholders spoke in support of Senate Bill 254, which targets abandoned mattresses left in vacated apartments, dumped on the side of the road or other places that beds don’t belong.
SB 254, now on the governor’s desk, would create a nonprofit mattress-recycling organization to make sure discarded mattresses are collected, dismantled and recycled for new products.
Debra Carlton, senior vice president of public affairs… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyLegislation
A bill signed by Gov. Brown this week gives survivors of human trafficking the right to terminate residential leases to protect themselves against their abusers.
The law also strengthens existing protections for survivors of domestic violence who are forced to vacate a rental property for their personal safety.
Authored by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, SB 612 allows a tenant to precipitate the move-out process by providing the landlord with a written report, prepared by a medical provider, declaring that abuse occurred.
This increases protections for victims of crimes including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, elder or dependent abuse, and… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacySafety Domestic Violence
Over the past week, the California Apartment Association has negotiated more positive amendments into Sen. Lois Wolk’s bill on water sub-meters, resolving one of the rental housing industry’s biggest concerns: penalties.
Under new changes to SB 750, all penalty provisions have been removed. Those terms would have imposed attorneys’ fees and penalties against landlords and their billing agents if they failed to follow the provisions of Wolk’s sub-meter legislation, even if minor missteps were made.
In addition, the author has agreed to extend the sub-meter installation requirement for an additional year – to 2016. Moreover, the parties have agreed to… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyUtility 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
If a renter in Riverside allows underage drinking at a party, the tenant could face expensive penalties under a “social host” ordinance passed earlier this summer.
The landlord, however, can avoid punishment by working with the city to prevent future violations.
The California Apartment Association-AAGIE worked with the city to eliminate impacts to responsible property owners and to provide safeguards when violations are caused by tenants.
The city’s social host ordinance targets those who hold parties where attendees younger than 21 drink alcohol or take illegal drugs.
If the violation occurs at an apartment, the tenant could face financial penalties,… Read More
Tagged: Advocacy Greater Inland Empire
The San Jose City Council has approved a pilot program to allow rental property owners to self-certify their compliance with the city’s Multiple Housing Occupancy Permit requirements.
This move, proposed by Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen, could save rental property owners time and money while allowing the city to focus its inspection efforts on those rental properties that truly pose safety issues to the occupants and the community.
The pilot program was included in Mayor Chuck Reed’s 2013-14 budget this month and begins a process for Code Enforcement to work with CAA Tri-County to develop a program that will likely allow… Read More
Tagged: AdvocacyInspections Tri-County