Eviction for Major Remodeling: Finally Off the Books After 43 Years

Beverly Hills City Council in January eliminated the landlord’s ability to evict a rent-stabilized household for the purpose of major remodeling. The provision was complicated and infrequently used but nevertheless represented a threat to tenants in an overheated rental housing market. The problem was the definition of ‘major remodeling’ in the rent stabilization ordinance: an expenditure as little as $7,000 on interior upgrades could qualify and result in a no-fault eviction. Not only is it good to have it off the books — but merely taking that step represents city council’s first effort to amend the rent stabilization ordinance in FIVE years.

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To My Rent-Stabilized Neighbors: No Need to Save this Date

The installation of the incoming Beverly Hills mayor and vice-mayor will take place on April 4th, says the city’s official announcement. “Save the date!” But it is difficult for me to suggest my neighbors should save the date for a ceremony where Vice-Mayor Julian Gold and Councilmember Lester Friedman will be nominated and elected by fellow councilmembers to the offices of mayor and vice-mayor respectively. Not that I begrudge the honor. All councilmembers give generously of their time to conduct the people’s business. And every year councilmembers rotate into those two ceremonial offices. It just happens that I’m not feeling any love for tenants from Gold and Friedman and that puts me into something less than a celebratory mood.

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Aggressive Landlords Pursue Rent Arrears Despite Moratorium Declaration

The county moratorium is likely entering its final month and is expected to expire on March 31, 2023. Full rent will likely be due on April 1st and repayment of rent arrears is due one year later on March 31, 2024. However tenants who have delayed the payment of some or all of the monthly rent with a moratorium declaration may still find themselves with a 3-day notice to pay-or-quit. And if not resolved the step is a court date. We hear from some tenants who used the moratorium that the landlord is using court as a threat in order to collect rent debt prematurely or coerce the tenant to voluntarily vacate.

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Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization Director Departs [Updated]

The internal staff memorandum was brief and to-the-point: “Helen Morales is no longer with the City, effective immediately.” As the city’s first deputy director of rent stabilization Morales had a hand in standing-up the new program and getting the city’s Rent Stabilization Commission up-and-running. With those administrative tasks unfinished and households about to be displaced for redevelopment, is this the time right for a management change-up? Or is it overdue?

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City Council: No Extension on Moratorium Repayment Deadline

Beverly Hills city council at the February 7th meeting has kept in place the tenant repayment deadline of May 31, 2023 for rent that was delayed using the city’s COVID emergency moratorium. That date was established last spring when council decided that the residential tenant moratorium should expire on May 31, 2022. The one-year rent repayment period is now coming to a close. As other municipalities and the county continue to provide COVID-related tenant protections, we asked city council to consider extending our rent repayment deadline. City council declined. Rent that was delayed under the city’s moratorium is now subject to a 3-day notice (and thereafter eviction proceedings) if not repaid by May 31, 2023.

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County Extends Nonpayment Moratorium Through March [Updated]

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has extended county moratorium protections for low-income renting households through March 2023. To gain the protection a qualified renting household must file the county moratorium declaration with the landlord by the end of the 7th day after rent is due. Any tenant that can qualify but has not paid full rent, or that has already been served with a 3-day notice to pay or quit, should consider sending the county declaration to the landlord immediately!

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Rent Stabilization Commission Seeks a Tenant Representative

City of Beverly Hills is seeking a tenant-representative to fill an announced vacancy on the Rent Stabilization Commission. Formed in 2019 to hear tenant-landlord disputes, the commission was instead directed to consider amendments to the city’s rent stabilization ordinance and to make such recommendations to City Council. Discussions necessarily focus on policy but often touch on more general concerns about rental housing. This is a good opportunity for a tenant to learn about rent stabilization and to have a voice on an issue that affects more than half of all city households.

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Forget Winter – We are in Tarp Season!

Record precipitation hit our region as an ‘atmospheric river’ of water vapor stalled over California. The storm was preceded by a series of advisories from the National Weather Service warning of heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms and floods. Some areas saw more than one inch of rain per hour! Indeed the weather folks called last week’s storm the most impressive since 2005. That can present quite a challenge to an old roof!

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Pass-Throughs Back at the RSO Commission for 9th Time

At the January meeting the Rent Stabilization Commission will take a record NINTH swing at crafting a recommendation to City Council concerning pass-through surcharges. In prior meetings commissioners found agreement to limit the cumulatively cost of any pass-throughs plus the maximum allowable annual rent increase to 10% of the base rent. Beyond that outer bound the commissioners have split on nearly every pass-through under consideration. At this meeting commissioners will try to come to some agreement on whether landlords should be able to pass through the cost of seismic retrofit, capital improvements and other major costs; and if so whether both Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 rent-stabilized tenants should pay for it.

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What You Need to Know About the Cheval Blanc Hotel Petition

In November City Council granted approvals for the Cheval Blanc hotel which is proposed to span four parcels between North Beverly Drive and Rodeo Drive south of Santa Monica Boulevard. Four buildings including the former Paley Museum would be replaced by one structure rising nine floors with 115 hotel rooms at an anticipated room rate of $2,000 as befits a luxury hotel with restaurants and a private club (the penthouse asks $30,000 nightly). It’s not a done deal, however, because a petition is circulating to send this project to the voters in a referendum with a Monday deadline. Sign or not sign?

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Today’s Council Agenda: Redevelopment and Tenant Protections

The economics of redevelopment has changed. In the past the city’s zoning code kept a lid on multifamily demolition and redevelopment: density was limited, building heights topped-out at three stories in most multifamily areas, and the required off-street parking made small-scale redevelopment impractical. Sacramento has changed the game with new laws, new incentives, and new limits on local control. In the cross-hairs are the rent-stabilized households who stand to lose their longtime home. What can the city do to protect tenants from displacement?

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