News: Contra Costa
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The Lafayette City Council on Monday is expected to consider a number of bad policies for the multifamily housing industry, including rent control.
The council also is likely to consider a moratorium on rent increases — and perhaps a just-cause for eviction measure, which would make it difficult to evict problem tenants, including those endangering other residents.
The California Apartment Association is encouraging its members to testify at the meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center.
It is important that local members of the rental housing industry remind the council that rent control:… Read More
The Alameda City Council on Wednesday night approved a temporary freeze on rent increases in excess of 8 percent.
The moratorium, which also includes just-cause for eviction, is scheduled to last 65 days. Moreover, the 8 percent cap applies cumalitively over 12 months, meaning that if a property owner gave an increase of 5 percent four months ago, the owner is limited to a 3 percent increase now. See the ordinace for more details.
Dozens of CAA members attended the meeting, helping to keep the moratorium temporary. Tenant groups were seeking permanent rent control.
The meeting at one point turned… Read More
https://youtu.be/I3MNTfdo42U
The Richmond City Council — the first to approve rent control in California in more than three decades — has rescinded the policy in response to a signature-gathering effort spearheaded by the California Apartment Association.
The council’s unanimous vote Tuesday night came after Contra Costa County’s Elections Division certified more than 5,000 signatures collected during the CAA-led petition drive.
“We believed the council had rushed to judgment on a policy that would bring long-lasting, negative consequences for the city’s housing stock and financial stability,” said Tom Bannon, CAA’s chief executive officer. “CAA quickly launched the referendum push so that… Read More
Contra Costa County’s registrar of voters Oct. 13 certified CAA’s referendum to repeal rent control and just-cause eviction in Richmond.
This past summer, Richmond became the first city in California to approve rent control in roughly three decades. A CAA-led effort to collect thousands of signatures prevented Richmond’s rent control and just-cause eviction ordinance from taking effect.
Now that Contra Costa County’s registrar has counted and certified the signatures, it’s up to Richmond City Council members to either repeal the ordinance themselves or schedule the issue for a public vote.
Responding to claims of large rent increases in Alameda, the City Council recently adopted a stronger mediation program to review rises in rent.
A group of local rental property owners and renters spent many hours working with the city of Alameda to develop a program aimed at balancing the needs associated with managing rental property with the needs of renters.
Despite this collaboration and agreement, the calls for rent control in Alameda continue to grow. CAA remains strongly opposed to rent control and is working with local owners, community leaders, and the city to prevent this policy from being introduced… Read More
Tagged: Rent Control Contra Costa
Several cities around the Bay Area this fall are considering the adoption of rent control or making current rent control policies more onerous. Quelling this political movement will take coordination among both California Apartment Association staff and CAA members.
At present, CAA continues its dialogue with elected officials, government staffers and property owners in each of these communities. Among the hottest centers of debate are San Jose, Santa Rosa, San Mateo, Alameda and Mountain View.
CAA continues to educate council members and the public about why rent control fails wherever it’s implemented. At the same time, CAA’s public affairs team… Read More
Landlords must tell tenants of their right to contest a rent increase
Before landlords raise rents in Alameda, they must now tell tenants about an appeal process offered by the city.
This requirement came Sept. 2 as an amendment to the city of Alameda’s rent-review ordinance, which has been in place for a number of years.
City leaders revised the law based on the belief that the review process is not well-known among tenants.
Under the update, a landlord must provide written notice of the appeal process at the same time that he or she provides a tenant notice of… Read More
The Santa Rosa City Council on Tuesday will discuss a proposal that would force owners of rental properties to accept Section 8 vouchers.
The California Apartment Association’s North Coast Division has strong concerns about such a mandate, which would be premature as the courts review the legality of such ordinances. A copy of CAA’s letter to the Mayor and Council of Santa Rosa can be found here.
CAA is urging the council to instead work with rental property owners and managers to explore ways that incentivize acceptance of Section 8 vouchers and wait for the courts to rule on this… Read More
Polished cars and polished professionals got to shine under one roof during the 12th Annual CAA Greater East Bay GEMM Awards.
On the evening of Aug. 20, the East Bay’s top rental housing professionals gathered at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, home to some of most coveted automobiles around.
In 16 categories, the CAA Contra Costa Napa Solano Division and RHA Serving Southern Alameda County honored the region’s most elite individuals and properties.
And here they are:
Category: Porter/Groundskeeper
Honoree: Antonio Morales
Muirwood Gardens, FPI Management, Inc.
Category: Maintenance Technician
Honoree: Jason Cranson
Villa Palms, Sequoia Equities.
Category: Maintenance Team… Read More
Tagged: Events Contra Costa
At a special meeting Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Richmond City Council officially approved its rent control and just-cause-for-eviction ordinance and scheduled it to take effect in 30 days.
The council had previously planned to implement the law effective Dec. 1. A council member, however, pushed to fast-track the process, leading to a series of special meetings over the past week.
After Wednesday’s second reading of the ordinance, the council ratified it by a 4-1 vote, becoming the first Bay Area city to adopt rent control in decades. Other cities in the Bay Area also are examining rent control and may… Read More
Tagged: Rent Control Contra Costa