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CAA South Coast persuaded the city of Fullerton to temporarily back off adoption of an $11-per-unit fire inspection fee. Notification of the fee came in May, just two weeks before it was scheduled to be brought before the City Council for approval. With such short notice, the CAA South Coast Government Affairs team jumped into action and made phone calls to key decision-makers. Soon after, the city manager removed the item from the council agenda and committed to work with the industry on this issue. On average, stopping adoption of this fee will save the apartment industry more the $22,000… Read More

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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

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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

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Following the lead of other cities in the Silicon Valley, San Jose is considering a fee on new development to help pay for affordable housing. This article in the Silicon Valley Business Journal focuses on a San Jose City Council vote approving a “nexus study” on such a fee. Under California law, before a local jurisdiction can assess a development fee, it must establish a nexus, or “reasonable relationship,” between the purpose of the charge and the type of development proposed. Many jurisdictions have interpreted the word “reasonable” quite broadly, leading to fees that may not truly fulfill the nexus… Read More

Tagged: Tri-County

The Sacramento City Council has unanimously approved major changes to its rental-inspection ordinance and fee schedule – a move that could save qualifying landlords thousands of dollars annually. The 7-0 vote Tuesday ends a five-year battle over reforming the program, which will now allow self-certification of rental properties when a previous city inspection found no violations, or violations were corrected on time, and all fees are current. The change will result in a 43 percent reduction in the inspection fee and save rental owners in the city $1.1 million annually. “At a time when local governments around the state are… Read More

Tagged: Sacramento Valley

RHA Sacramento Valley helped a large property management company avoid $55,000 in fines from the city of Rancho Cordova. The company, a member of RHA, originally faced more than $60,000 in administrative fines, fees and penalties. They stemmed from code enforcement violations that occurred before the company took over a troubled property. RHA arranged a meeting between the city and the member company to educate local officials about the time needed for the company to take over the problematic property — and highlighted the company’s commitment to the community. This includes investments in the property exceeding $40,000. In the end,… Read More

Tagged: Sacramento Valley