News – Renters Alliance

What Does Inflation Mean for Tenants?

October 17, 2021October 17, 2021 Mark Elliot inflation, rent adjustment

According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation is marching upward. After years of very moderate increases in consumer prices, the bureau in September reported a 5.4% increase nationally with consumer prices bumping up 4.6% in our region over last September. Those price hikes will push our rents up too — especially for single-family and condominium renters — once our local moratorium on rent increases is lifted. Let’s look at inflation and its effect of inflation on housing costs for both prospective and current tenants.

News

RSO Commission Special Meeting: Moratorium and Relocation Fees

September 12, 2021September 12, 2021 Mark Elliot no-fault moratorium, relocation fees, Rent Stabilization Commission, rent-increase moratorium

The Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization Commission will hold a special meeting on Monday, September 13 at 6 pm to discuss COVID–19 moratoriums on no-fault eviction and rent increases as well as potential amendments to the rent stabilization ordinance concerning relocation fees. It is a special meeting because the last regular meeting was cancelled. And it is carryover business because both issues have already been discussed but not resolved.

News

Sixty Hotel Permits Up for Council Review on Tuesday [Updated]

September 12, 2021September 23, 2021 Mark Elliot Sixty Hotel

On September 14th City Council will formally review a Planning Commission decision to allow Sixty Hotel to continue to keep its rooftop open until 2 AM on weekends and until midnight on weekdays. Despite neighbor complaints the Planning Commission declined to impose any additional restriction on hours or occupancy. So neighbors took their complaint to city hall in July and council agreed it warrants further discussion. Let’s look at the issues going into Tuesday’s evening meeting.

News

RSO Commission to Discuss Modifications to COVID Emergency Order

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021 Mark Elliot no-fault moratorium, Rent Stabilization Commission, rent-increase moratorium

The Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization Commission has been busy since it was reconstituted in August with new tenant representatives. The commission first recommended bringing to an end the city’s moratorium on eviction for nonpayment. Then it took tentative steps toward allowing a double rent increase while trying to cushion the impact on tenants. Now at the upcoming September 1st meeting the commissioners will decide whether to end or amend the other emergency tenant protections: the moratoriums on rent increases and no-fault evictions. Is it time for those protections to end?

News

Relocation Fees Come BACK to RSO Commission

August 29, 2021August 30, 2021 Mark Elliot relocation fees, Rent Stabilization Commission

Relocation fees returns to the Rent Stabilization Commission for more discussion at the upcoming September 1st meeting. The commission is discussing it because City Council tasked the commission with making a recommendation as to what, if any, change should be made to the fees provided to tenants when they are evicted due to no fault of their own. But the commission has grappled with this complicated issue four times already. Will any recommendation emerge from this next go-around?

News

Next Up for Rent Stabilization Commission: Moratoriums on Rent Increase and No-Fault Eviction

August 14, 2021 Mark Elliot no-fault moratorium, Rent Stabilization Commission, rent-increase moratorium

The moratorium on rent increases and the moratorium on no-fault eviction will return to the Rent Stabilization Commission in September for additional discussion and a likely recommendation to the city council to end or amend those COVID-era tenant protections. Indeed commissioners at the last meeting seemed ready to end the moratorium on rent increases as soon as October. Here’s what transpired. Will commissioners also give the nod in September to allowing no-fault evictions to proceed?

News

RSO Commission Recommends Moratorium on Eviction for Nonpayment to End

August 10, 2021August 11, 2021 Mark Elliot COVID-19, eviction moratorium, Rent Stabilization Commission

The Beverly Hills Rent Stabilization Commission has recommended that city council sunset our local moratorium’s prohibition on eviction for nonpayment as soon as September 30th. The recommendation was suggested by the Apartment Owners Association and supported by landlord representatives on the commission and it passed by a vote of 4-2. If city council agreed then we could see local tenant protections end as soon as Sacramento decides to sunset its own moratorium. Will the commission follow with a recommendation to end the prohibition on rent increases and no-fault evictions too?

News

Relocation Fees Up for Discussion at RSO Commission AGAIN

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021 Mark Elliot relocation fees, Rent Stabilization Commission

Our newly reconstituted Rent Stabilization Commission will discuss the relocation fee again. Pursuant to direction from city council, the commission is to make a recommendation to council concerning the fee schedule. Today it ranges from $7,000 to $16,000 depending on the size of the unit and the tenant. The fee is paid compensation to Beverly Hills rent-stabilized tenants when they are involuntarily terminated for reasons described in our rent stabilization ordinance. Are the fees too little, too much, or about right?

News

City Council Agrees to Discuss Sixty Hotel Permit Renewals

July 18, 2021September 8, 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. Update: City council has scheduled for September 14th a formal review of the commission decision. Stay tuned!

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!

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