Explainer – Page 2 – Renters Alliance

What Type of Construction Requires a City Permit?

December 12, 2021December 18, 2021 Mark Elliot means, permits

Beverly Hills regulates interior and exterior construction through building permits. The process ensures that work will comply with state and local building codes. But permits also protect multifamily occupants from construction conditions that could compromise public safety and to some extent shield tenants from impacts that negatively affect habitability. However too much work occurs without the required permits. We should know which type of construction requires a permit and what to do if the work is not properly permitted.

Explainer

Cash-for-Keys Buyouts: What You Need to Know

October 29, 2021October 29, 2021 Mark Elliot buyouts, Santa Monica

You have been approached by the landlord with a cash offer to vacate your apartment. It is called a buyout. Should you take it? Is it a fair offer? Do you have leverage to negotiate a better offer? We urge you to know your rights before you take the cash. A rent-stabilized tenancy in Beverly Hills is worth more than you think. So let’s talk about the buyout and your options when the landlord comes calling with cash in hand.

Explainer

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

July 2, 2021September 24, 2021 Mark Elliot conditional use permit, extended hours permit, Planning Commission, Sixty Hotel

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

Excessive Heat Watch is Declared: How to Beat the Heat

June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 Mark Elliot health and safety, heat advisory

Summer heat has arrived! We will see the temperature rise into the 90s this week so tenants without air-conditioning are urged to take care! Seniors who reside on upper floors of older buildings without air conditioning are the most vulnerable. Beverly Hills buries heat emergency information deep into the city’s website so we want to share some of the resources we’ve found to help keep cool.

Explainer

How the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act Affects You

February 28, 2021September 20, 2022 Mark Elliot AB 3088, COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (2021), SB 91, Tenant Act (2020)

Renters Alliance is hearing from tenants who have delayed paying rent and are now confused to receive a notice from the landlord about a new state law called the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (SB 91). Some have received a 15-day pay-or-quit notice and are wondering if they should have paid 25% of the rent due. Don’t be alarmed. For those who have delayed rent under the Beverly Hills moratorium those requirements may not apply. Let’s take a look at how the local and state moratorium differ.

Explainer

Holiday Construction is a No-No in Beverly Hills

February 15, 2021December 11, 2021 Mark Elliot BHMC 5-1-205, BHMC 9-1-107, holiday construction ban

Is this story familiar? You wake up on a holiday like Presidents Day. Pour a cup of coffee and enjoy the peace & quiet. Two guys hop out of an unmarked junk van with a contractor’s saw and a stack of plywood and set up shop on the front lawn. With loud banging they begin to remodel an apartment in the building. Who do you call on a weekend or holiday when city hall is closed?

ordinance 20-O-2818 null and void featured image

Explainer

Local Moratorium vs. Tenant Act Which Rules Apply? [Updated]

December 11, 2020February 28, 2021 Mark Elliot AB 3088, eviction moratorium, Tenant Act (2020)

The Tenant, Homeowner, and Small Landlord Relief and Stabilization Act of 2020 was signed by Governor Newsom at the end of August. Among other things, the legislation enacted the Tenant Act to establish a statewide framework for delaying rent due to COVID-19 financial hardship. It did so by preempting local moratoriums like ours. The Act also mandates a new process for requesting rent forbearance and, importantly, a new deadline for repaying back rent. What does it mean for Beverly Hills tenants?

Explainer

Beverly Hills COVID-19 Rent Subsidy: What You Need to Know

November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 Mark Elliot COVID-19, COVID-19 rent subsidy

Beverly Hills city council in September agreed to create a $1 million rent subsidy program to help COVID–19 affected tenants in the city pay the rent. The objective of the program is to provide a measure of stability to tenants in their moment of need. The program is also intended to benefit landlords by providing rental income that might otherwise be delayed due to COVID–19. But the devil is in the details. Here’s how it works.

Explainer

Proposition 21’s Rental Affordability Act: What You Need to Know

September 28, 2020July 13, 2021 Mark Elliot Proposition 21, Rental Affordability Act

When legislators in Sacramento won’t protect tenants then it’s up to the people to step up. On this November’s ballot

Explainer

Courts Can Process Evictions. What Does That Mean for Tenants?

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium

The state policy-making body for the courts decided last week to sunset Emergency Rule #1 that puts the brake on unlawful detainers in Superior Court. The rule is providing immediate relief for tenants with cases in the eviction pipeline. But the greater effect is to prevent tenants from being summoned in such cases. Emergency rule #1 was issued by the Judicial Council in April in response to the pandemic but as of September it goes away even though we’re stuck with the pandemic. What does it mean for tenants?

Explainer

Moratorium on the Rent Increase: What You Need to Know

April 13, 2020 Mark Elliot max increase, rent-increase moratorium

City of Beverly Hills expanded its moratorium on eviction due to the COVID–19 emergency to also include a moratorium on the allowed annual rent increase. The provision is included in a new urgency ordinance which took effect on April 1st. However the rent freeze appears to apply retroactively to the date that the local emergency was declared: March 15th. Let’s take a closer look to see how it may apply to tenants who faced a rent increase.