Beverly Hills RSO to Hold Tenant ‘Legal Training’

February 23, 2021July 5, 2024 Mark Elliot Community Education Workshops, COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (2021)

Join representatives from tenant legal services provider Bet Tzedek and staff from the Beverly Hills rent stabilization division for a virtual ‘Rent Stabilization Tenant Legal Training’ on Wednesday, February 24th at 6 p.m. This latest community education workshop should address the recent COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act legislation that extends protection against eviction for nonpayment of rent through June.

Update:The rent stabilization division has posted the video from the ‘Tenants Things You Should Know’ workshop and we will follow up with our take soon. In the meantime, the rent stabilization division has also posted an eviction moratorium update about the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (SB 91). We can also recommend the city attorney’s legal memo on SB 91 too.

Most notably the legislation establishes a new deadline of August 31, 2021 to repay all rent delayed pursuant to both local and state moratoriums. Under the Act, any rent delayed after that date can be converted into consumer debt by the landlord and so the tenant cannot be evicted for owing rent. Under the local moratorium, rent owed after that deadline can be grounds for eviction. It is important to know the difference between the state and local moratorium so we posted an explainer all about it: How the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act Affects You.

In addition the new legislation establishes a State Rental Assistance Program to disburse federal COVID funds for rent relief to qualifying households. The money is paid directly to landlords. Tenant can qualify by earning no more than 80% of area median income. There are additional important details which makes the ‘Tenants Things You Should Know’ essential viewing.

Call in to listen at 877 309 2073 or watch BHTV channel 10 on cable or stream live on the web. Those who want to participate in question-and-answer can join the meeting online using access code 598–788–485. Find details posted to the RSO website.

Our Take

It is about time the rent stabilization division reached out to renting households in Beverly Hills. This is the first substantive information provided to tenants by our rent stabilization division since statewide tenant protections were first enacted in August of 2020 with AB 3088.

Explainer

My Landlord is Asking for an Estoppel. Need I Sign It?

July 16, 2024July 29, 2024 Mark Elliot

An estoppel certificate is a legal document that simply establishes the terms and status of a rental agreement (or lease) for a third party like a prospective buyer. Typically a tenant is asked to complete an estoppel when purchase negotiations advance and that request may come from the current owner or an agent working on behalf of a prospective buyer. It is nothing to fear; it is a standard step in the sale of real property. In any case the lease or rental agreement may require the tenant to complete it. When presented with an estoppel to complete and sign you may have questions. Here is what you need to know.

Explainer