Renters Alliance – The Voice of Multifamily Residents in Beverly Hills Since 2017

Participation 101: What We Took Away from the Sixty Hotel Hearings

July 2, 2021July 3, 2021 Mark Elliot

The Planning Commission in June permitted Sixty Hotel to continue rooftop operations into the wee-morning even though residents near the hotel at Wilshire and Crescent voiced concern about noise from the rooftop bar and dining. And commissioners agreed to allow the hotel to continue operating without any new restrictions. Arguably commissioners tried to balance the interests of the city, the hotel and the residents in good faith. Yet it left neighbors feeling unheard and unhappy. What can we learn from the Sixty Hotel hearings?

Explainer

AB 889: More Transparency on Rental Housing Providers

July 21, 2021July 22, 2021 Mark Elliot AB 889, Libby Markowitz

Assembly Bill 889 introduced by Assemblymember Gipson in February wold require landlords who hold rental property in the name of a corporation or limited liability company to report the identity of the beneficial owners to the California Secretary of State. Renters Alliance supports full disclosure of ownership interests and so does Beverly Hills: the city’s legislative liaison committee agreed to support the bill in Sacramento. Let’s take a look at AB 889 and why we support it.

News

City Council Agrees to Discuss Sixty Hotel Permit Renewals

July 18, 2021July 22, 2021 Mark Elliot city council call-up, Planning Commission, Sixty Hotel

The Beverly Hills Planning Commission has allowed Sixty Hotel to continue rooftop activities for up to 165 visitors until as late as 2 a.m. within earshot of hundreds of multifamily households living near the hotel at Wilshire & Crescent. Planning Commissioners were not persuaded by residents who cited past problems with rooftop noise and expressed their concerns with future hotel compliance with conditions of operation. No new restrictions on hours of operation or occupancy were added. City council has now agreed to discuss whether to formally review the commission decision and has scheduled a special meeting on July 22, 2021.

News

Beverly Hills Multifamily Market Heats Up!

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 Mark Elliot market economics, max increase

Industry reports suggest the giant federal stimulus and rising inflation are pushing rents higher. But the story is complicated: Midwest and sunbelt cities are seeing the greatest percentage increases followed by big-city suburbs. But the most concerning aspect of today’s changing rental market is the effect of macroeconomic pressures on lower-income households and and the lower-quality apartments we inhabit. Let’s take a look.

News

Beverly Hills Moratorium Likely to Sunset on September 30th [updated]

July 11, 2021July 19, 2021 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium, rent-increase moratorium

County and state COVID–19 moratorium protections are set to expire on September 30th and it looks like City of Beverly Hills will follow suit. City hall has been mum about it yet the evidence suggests that city council will sunset our local moratorium by September 30th. That will open the door to eviction for nonpayment and even rent increases. More surprising is that council is tasking the newly reconstituted Rent Stabilization Commission with making a recommendation. Tenants, brace for a rent increase come October!

News

City Council Poised to Make RSO Commission Appointments [updated]

July 10, 2021July 19, 2021 Mark Elliot Kandace Lindsey-Cerqueira, Kathy Bronte, Rent Stabilization Commission, Zachary Sokoloff

City Council has moved quickly after the Rent Stabilization Commission imploded in March to appoint two designated tenant representatives to replace the departing representatives who resigned. The city’s priority is clearly to get the commission back up-and-running, so as soon as the application period closed the council conducted the interviews. Now the appointments recommendation is coming forward for council approval. Let’s see who is tipped for those seats!

News

AB 832: Sacramento Continues Moratorium and Expands Rent Relief

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 Mark Elliot COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (2021)

Governor Gavin Newsom and the state legislature came to agreement on June 28th to enact AB 832 (COVID–19 relief) and to administer $27 billion in federal COVID–19 rent relief funds. The bill extends tenant eviction protection under SB 91 to September 30, 2021 (still contingent on 25% partial payment) and, in a win for tenants, makes federal relief money available for both back rent and prospective rent payments. For landlords the reimbursement percentage increases from 80% to 100% to make landlords whole. Let’s take a look at what is likely to be the last update to the state moratorium.

News

Planning Commission to Sixty Hotel: Party Like It’s 1999!

July 1, 2021July 15, 2021 Mark Elliot conditional use permit, extended hours permit, Planning Commission, Sixty Hotel

The Beverly Hills Planning Commission on June 23rd allowed Sixty Hotel to continue with rooftop events as late as 2 a.m. despite hundreds of multifamily households living within earshot of the hotel at 9360 Wilshire. That likely means continued aggravation for residents just across the alley and beyond. It also will mean audible chatter from up to 165 rooftop patrons who will party like it’s 1999 while neighbors try to get a good night’s rest.

News

State Eviction Protections End on June 30th

June 15, 2021June 26, 2021 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium, pandemic, rent-increase moratorium

“California is open for business!” proclaimed our governor who is facing a recall. He’s talking “dream vacations” and $1.5 million lottery jackpots as he tosses pandemic restrictions to the dustbin. He wants to turn a depressing COVID–19 story into an uplifting tale of triumph but the messaging coming from his office seems like a trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster. Tenants in dire straits need more than a lottery and free queso from Chipotle. Yet Sacramento is silent about renewing COVID–19 tenant when they expire.

News

City Council to Discuss COVID-19 Emergency Order on June 24

June 15, 2021July 17, 2021 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium, local state of emergency, rent-increase moratorium

A question on the mind of many tenants is when will the tenant protections enacted under the Beverly Hills COVID–19 emergency order come to an end. City of Beverly Hills imposed a moratorium on evictions for non-payment and blocked no-fault evictions last fall. Subsequently city council amended the emergency order to put a moratorium on rent increases for rent-stabilized tenants too. With state emergency orders getting rolled-back when will state and local tenant protections expire? We may know more on Thursday June 24 when city council discusses it.

Los Angeles City Council passes anti-harassment ordinance

News

Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance Clears First Hurdle in Los Angeles

June 13, 2021June 13, 2021 Mark Elliot City of Los Angeles, Nithya Raman, tenant harassment

City of Los Angeles is poised to enact a comprehensive ‘Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance’ to enact sanctions and remedies when residential landlords engage in lawful and unlawful actions intended to influence tenants to vacate. Notably it establishes civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and criminal misdemeanor fines up to $1,000 for each offense. With this ordinance Los Angeles will protect tenants at the very moment when tenants are the most vulnerable to unscrupulous practices

News

Expect a 3.9% Rent Increase When the Moratorium is Lifted

June 12, 2021June 16, 2021 Mark Elliot AB 1482, CPI, max increase, rent-increase moratorium, Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Bureau of Labor Statistics in June released the latest year-over-year change in consumer prices (CPI) and to nobody’s surprise the cost of living is on the rise! From May of last year to May of 2021 the cost of the ‘all items’ basket of goods and services as measured by CPI in our region is up 3.9%. Once the pandemic ends the rent will rise too — and very likely by 3.9% for rent-stabilized households in Beverly Hills. That would be the highest allowed annual rent increase in three years and it will come right on the heels of the pandemic.

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