News: CAA

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For a community to stamp out crime, it takes all kinds, from street cops to soccer coaches to neighborhood watch captains. They’re the pillars of crime suppression, intervention and prevention. These front-line crime-fighters need back-up, so to speak. Keeping criminals behind bars and at-risk youth on the right path costs money. And in Antioch, the City Council made the right move last month by asking voters to help raise the needed dollars. The California Apartment Association applauds the council’s unanimous vote to place a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. This offers a community-wide opportunity to tackle a community-wide… Read More

Tagged: Contra Costa

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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Rental housing professionals showed off their finest hats while networking during CAA’s “A Day at the Races” at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley. On May 16, attendees spent the afternoon in the Turf Club, enjoying the thrill of the horse races and chatting with acquaintances, old and new. The event also included a hat contest, with top honors going to Jennifer Gonzales of Apartment Finder.

Tagged: Contra CostaSolano

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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After a successful debut this past spring, the California Apartment Association’s property management webinar series returns this summer to a computer near you. The upcoming slate of online courses is from July 15 through Sept. 25. The inaugural webinar series, which ran from March through May, attracted students from Ukiah to Oxnard. Comments from students underscore the quality – and convenience — of CAA’s distance-learning program. “Many students said this was the only way they could attend classes,” said Jim Lofgren, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Sacramento Valley, a chapter of CAA. “Some would have needed to… Read More

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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

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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

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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

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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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