News – Renters Alliance

Beverly Hills OKs $1M Rent Subsidy Program

September 16, 2020September 19, 2020 Mark Elliot Julian Gold, qualified tenant, rent subsidy, Robert

Beverly Hills tenants who have been affected by COVID–19 may find relief in a new city rent subsidy program. First proposed two years ago as a general subsidy for rent-burdened tenants, the refashioned program is scoped-down in reach but scaled-up in benefit. City council at its September 15th meeting agreed to throw as much as $1 million toward rent-relief program to provide $1,000 for at least three months to tenants affected by COVID–19 measures. While tenants seeking relief will likely have to wait a month to get it, we do know something about program particulars.

News

Watch Landlord Stephen Copen Unlawfully Evict His Tenant

September 8, 2020September 9, 2020 Mark Elliot 611 Gayley, Naghmeh Makhani, no-just-cause eviction, Stephen Copen

Landlord Stephen T. Copen was arrested and booked last Monday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office after forcefully evicting a tenant from his 611 Gayley Avenue property. He was charged with misdemeanor vandalism for tossing his tenant’s property out of the unit and allegedly causing $2k in damage. Not only was this eviction illegal (there was no court order), but it occurred despite the City of LA’s eviction moratorium.

News

California Courts Again Are Open for Eviction Proceedings

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Mark Elliot COVID-19, eviction moratorium

Tenants who may have viewed the Superior Court’s pause on evictions as a backstop to our local eviction moratorium should know that eviction cases (and filings) will proceed as of September 1st. An amended rule by the court’s Judicial Council on August 13th imposes a sunset clause on its Emergency rule #1 promulgated in April to pause evictions. It may sound arcane but it augurs some pain for tenants who are at risk of displacement during the pandemic.

News

Heatwave is Here!

August 16, 2020 Mark Elliot air conditioning, heat advisory

Summer heat has arrived and the region is baking. Here in Beverly Hills we will see temps rise well into the 90s. That makes it especially uncomfortable to be in an old apartment without air conditioning. What can be done? We have a few suggestions.

News

Mandated Moratorium Rent Repayment Plans? A Solution in Search of a Problem!

May 4, 2020May 5, 2020 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium, Julian Gold, NMHC

On Tuesday afternoon’s city council meeting agenda is an item dryly titled, ‘Consideration of Modifications to the City’s Urgency Ordinance 20-O–2808.’ Proposed for council consideration is a major change to the terms of the city’s residential eviction moratorium: A tenant who asks for rent forbearance could have to sign on to a rent repayment plan in order to receive it. Here’s why that is a solution in search of a problem!

News

City Council Tweaks the COVID-19 Emergency Regulations

April 28, 2020April 29, 2020 Mark Elliot COVID-19, Julian Gold, urgency ordinance

Beverly Hills city council adopted a new urgency ordinance at the April 21st meeting making several changes to several emergency measures related to COVID–19. The amendments are part of council’s continuing refinement to the city’s response (to which we gave an A grade). Here we review those changes with specific focus on measures that affect tenants.

News

CARES Act: An Emergency Assist From Congress for Some Landlords

April 16, 2020April 27, 2020 Mark Elliot CARES Act, COVID-19, NAA

Congress in March passed H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which extended unemployment benefits for laid-off workers and granted a ‘recovery rebate’ of $1,200 to qualified taxpayers. But there was A LOT more in that federal bag o’ treats, and many — but not all — multifamily housing owners in Beverly Hills may benefit. Let’s take a look at Washington’s largess and the multifamily housing industry’s opportunities for relief under the CARES Act of 2020.

News

City Council Extends and Enhances Emergency Tenant Protections

April 2, 2020April 3, 2020 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium

After another marathon eight-hour emergency meeting, Beverly Hills city council unanimously agreed to improve our moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent due to COVID–19 by extending the repayment period from six months to one year AND adding a new protection against Ellis Act eviction. City council also agreed to freeze rent increases, too, so no tenant will see a rent hike while the local emergency is in place.

News

Need Rent Forbearance? Beverly Hills May Make it Untenable

March 30, 2020April 3, 2020 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium

City of Beverly Hills this month declared a state of emergency and adopted an eviction moratorium that would put the break on residential evictions for non-payment of rent (and even prevent no-fault evictions when otherwise allowed by law). This Tuesday at 2:30 pm city council will consider revising that moratorium to make it much more burdensome for tenants to qualify for forbearance.

News

Governor Newsom Orders a Statewide Eviction Moratorium

March 29, 2020 Mark Elliot eviction moratorium, Gavin Newsom

Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order imposing a statewide moratorium on residential and commercial evictions for non-payment of rent. Effective March 27th, and extending through May 31st, the order compliments an earlier order that only allowed localities to prohibit evictions for non-payment. Beverly Hills was among the earliest in the Southland to do so. What does the statewide moratorium say, and how does our local moratorium compare?

City Council at RSO commission formation 2019-3-5

News

Rent Stabilization Commission Appointments

March 27, 2020April 10, 2020 Mark Elliot Rent Stabilization Commission

One year ago Beverly Hills city council formally created a new Rent Stabilization Commission to discuss changes to the rent stabilization ordinance and to decide certain disputes between tenants and landlords. Standing up the new commission signaled city council support for the rent stabilization program, but more immediately it heralded the next step in our ongoing three-year process to revise the ordinance. We anticipated commission appointments soon but then the city erroneously sent out letters announcing it. Here is a look at who will be appointed next Tuesday.

← Previous