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

Ellis Act Evictions: Senior and Disabled Occupants Get More Time

May 17, 2022 Mark Elliot

Localities in California are allowed to regulate the price of rental housing and even to impose restrictive conditions on evictions. However a locality cannot force a residential rental property owner to stay in the apartment leasing business. The state’s Ellis Act allows the landlord to exit the business by evicting all tenants for redevelopment or some other purpose with only 120 days notice. Senior and disabled tenants can stay in their home for up to a full year. That additional time is useful for finding replacement housing and it provides additional leverage if the household negotiates a cash buyout. Here is what you need to know.

Explainer

County Moratorium: New Protection from Eviction for Low-Income Households

June 30, 2022July 1, 2022 Mark Elliot LA County eviction moratorium

The Los Angeles County moratorium protection against eviction for nonpayment of rent is back in effect. As of July 1, 2022 low-income renting households may delay the payment of rent if they are unable to pay rent due to COVID by filing a declaration with the landlord. The landlord must accept the declaration and no documentation is necessary. This will come as a relief to households financially impacted by COVID yet were left out on a limb after City of Beverly Hills sunset our residential tenant moratorium on May 31st. But the county moratorium offers additional protections too. Let’s take a look.

News

RSO Commission to Discuss the Rent Increase Cap and Allowable Pass-Throughs

July 2, 2022July 2, 2022 Mark Elliot max increase, pass-through, Rent Stabilization Commission

The Rent Stabilization Commission at its regular July 6th meeting will revisit an issue that will concern every Beverly Hills rent-stabilized household: potential future amendments to the rent stabilization ordinance relating to the maximum allowable annual rent increase and and the charges that may be passed-through to tenants. Each can make a difference in the amount of rent we pay but affect the price of housing in very different ways. Let’s take a look at what’s on the commission’s agenda and how it may affect tenants.

Commentary

Library Moves to Collect Old Fines Days Before Discontinuing Overdue Fines

June 27, 2022June 29, 2022 Mark Elliot Beverly Hills Library

Beverly Hills library collects a fine of 25¢ for each day that an adult book, CD or DVD is overdue. Those quarters add up and some households are in debt. Now the city is serious about collecting. Last week borrowers in arrears received an emailed notice threatening to refer that debt to a collection agency…with only ten days notice and an additional 40% added for referring it to collections. Libraries around the country have discontinued overdue fines and — wait for it! — so has our library as of July 1st. So why put the strong-arm on households in the 11th hour?

News

City Council: No Change to Limited 3.1% Rent Increase…For Now

June 23, 2022June 24, 2022 Mark Elliot rent-increase moratorium, Robert Wunderlich

City Council at last night’s meeting made no change in the current arrangement that allows landlords of rent-stabilized units to demand up to 3.1% more rent starting in July. But the rent hike only affects about one-quarter of renting households — those that did not pay a rent increase during the 2019–20 fiscal year. Most households wouldn’t see a rent increase at all until next July. Some hidden hand in City Hall was behind the RSO office’s effort to expand that rent increase to all renting households, but after an extended discussion to nearly 2 am Council didn’t go along. Here’s the story.

News

What is the Means-Tested Housing Assistance Program?

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 Mark Elliot housing assistance, qualified tenant subsidy

Beverly Hills rent-stabilized households recently received in the mail a notice that City Council will be discussing ‘CPI Index and Means Tested Housing Assistance Program’ at the Tuesday June 21st evening meeting. In a prior post we explained the ‘CPI Index’ discussion item. The housing assistance refers to a proposed program to provide limited financial assistance to tenants and landlords. Most households won’t understand this aspect of the notice. Let Renters Alliance explain….

News

City Council to Discuss ‘CPI Index’ — What the Heck Does that Mean?

June 19, 2022June 21, 2022 Mark Elliot

Beverly Hills rent-stabilized tenants recently received in the mail a notice that City Council will be discussing ‘CPI Index and Means Tested Housing Assistance Program.’ Most tenants will not know what that means. More importantly, most won’t understand how it could affect them…or why they should care. We applaud the rent stabilization office for reaching out about the meeting but lament that City Hall still can’t get stakeholder communication right. Let’s explain what’s on the Tuesday June 21st agenda.

News

Beverly Hills Voters Have Spoken…and the Registrar Continues the Count! [Updated 6/24]

June 19, 2022July 2, 2022 Mark Elliot

The 2022 Beverly Hills municipal election is behind us and the voters have spoken. The preliminary election results show that incumbents Lester Friedman and John Mirisch are returning to City Council. They will be joined by challenger Sharona Nazarian, who could shift the balance of power to favor landlords. The incumbent treasurer, Howard Fisher, coasted to re-election. The results are not yet certified but it looks like victory is locked-in for the top-three finishers according to the latest update from the county registrar of voters.

Commentary

My Rundown of the 2022 Beverly Hills Candidates

June 5, 2022June 6, 2022 Mark Elliot Election 2022

The choices tenants make at the ballot box will affect the affordability and availability of rental housing for years to come. This election cycle there are three of five City Council seats open. Incumbents stand a good chance of winning reelection. But if the composition of Council changes significantly we may find it tougher to win the continued improvements to the rent stabilization ordinance that we need for sufficient protections in this difficult time. Often I am asked which candidates I support. Here is my personal guide to the candidates.

Commentary

Why Does My Multifamily Alley Look Like Rubbish?

May 28, 2022June 6, 2022 Mark Elliot alley maintenance, solid waste rates

Here is a question many multifamily residents ask themselves every time they drop a bag of trash in a busted-up refuse bin: Why are so many of these giant black containers cracked, broken or missing a lid entirely? These cans, along with the proliferation of dirt and debris, make our multifamily alleys look like a rubbish bin. Won’t anyone in City Hall give a crap about the crap in our alleys?

News

Beverly Hills Moratorium Sunsets May 31st: What It Means to You

May 19, 2022May 27, 2022 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium, no-fault moratorium, rent-increase moratorium

City Council officially agreed to sunset the city’s COVID moratorium effective May 31st. The move had been anticipated as early as January and picked up steam with two Council meetings in April where the groundwork was laid. Coincident with their effort to wind-down the pandemic-era tenant protections, councilmembers also agreed to cap the rent increase for the next 12 months at a maximum of 3.1% and to create a limited rent subsidy program to cushion the impact of post-COVID rent increases. Let’s look at what the moratorium sunset means and what’s left to be decided.

City Council formal meeting 2022-4-26 moratorium sunset

News

Rent Can Rise Up to 3.1% for the 2019-20 Missed Rent Increase

April 27, 2022June 23, 2022 Mark Elliot rent-increase moratorium

City Council has established 3.1% as the first post-moratorium maximum allowable annual rent increase. Rent-stabilized households that did not pay a rent increase which took effect during the period coinciding with the city’s fiscal year, from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 will pay up to 3.1% starting as early as July 1st with the required 30-day notice. Households that did pay a rent increase in that fiscal year before the pandemic should not see a rent increase until July of 2023. This is City Council’s effort to allow landlords to recapture a missed rent increase. How much may you pay? The devil is in the details!

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