Rent Stabilization Program – Renters Alliance

How to File a Code Enforcement Complaint

December 15, 2021December 15, 2021 Mark Elliot Community Preservation, Rent Stabilization Program

Code enforcement is compliant-driven in Beverly Hills. Unfortunately the city has no systematic rental housing inspection program, so City Hall relies on the public to report violations. Lax code enforcement has enabled some landlords to practice ‘managed decline’ where money that should go to maintenance is taken as profit. Renters Alliance encourages tenants to file a complaint because that is how we hold landlords accountable. Heck, landlords agree because they don’t want regular inspections. Here is our step-by-step guide to filing a complaint.

Explainer

Qualified Tenant Subsidy: Help When the Rent Is Too Damned High

December 28, 2018June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot Julian Gold, qualified tenant subsidy, Rent Stabilization Program, Robert Wunderlich

One of the ideas to emerge from the City Council’s rent stabilization discussion concerns a ‘qualified tenant’ benefit. Those who pay too much in household income for rent could find relief from the city. An estimated 400 households could qualify under the program. The objective: to cushion rent increases with a cash subsidy. Councilmember Bob Wunderlich proposed to target rent stabilization protections to tenants “who really need it.” What’s it all about?

Process

RSO Study Session #1: Council Gets to Work!

October 16, 2018June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot duplex exemption, John Mirisch, Julian Gold, Lester Friedman, Lili Bosse, max increase, recap, rent banking, Rent Stabilization Program, Robert Wunderlich, RSO study session

City Council held its first rent stabilization ‘study session’ last Thursday. This is the latest step in a 18-month policy process to amend the rent stabilization ordinance. The session suggested what a final rent stabilization ordinance might look like: relocation fee schedule, exempted properties and more. However key issues — and the process itself — is still up for negotiation!

HR&A Advisors presentation to city council

Explainer

HR&A Advisors Rent Stabilization Issue Presentations

August 10, 2018August 13, 2022 Mark Elliot Rent Stabilization Program

Beverly Hills consultant HR&A Advisors in 2018 released a set of issue papers commissioned to inform the City Council and the public about the key rent stabilization issues up for discussion. The consultant presentation, along with issue memos, was delivered to City Council on August 7, 2018. We present that video here followed by individual issues which we have broken out from the presentation for your viewing convenience. Each issue includes the HR&A Advisors memo followed by the relevant segment of the presentation.

Commentary

Establishing Expectations is a Two-Way Street!

June 20, 2018June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot communications, Community Education Workshops, Rent Stabilization Program

City Council kicked-off our extended rent stabilization reform discussion in January of 2017 without much discussion about policy goals. Councilmembers heard plenty from tenants about rising rents, capricious landlords and predatory practices, but no specific objective for rent stabilization was identified. Well the Rent Stabilization Program has found one…but it needs revision!

News

Director of Rent Stabilization Program is Appointed

May 23, 2018June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot Helen Morales, Rent Stabilization Program

City of Beverly Hills has hired a director for our new Rent Stabilization Program. Helen Morales comes to Beverly Hills after a 10-year career as a manager, hearing officer and housing investigator at City of Los Angeles. She comes to us after an eight month search. Her first day was a week ago, yet no press release or website announcement mentioned it. (A press release was belatedly posted this week.) This is what we know.

News

Community Development Director Healy Keene Interview

November 18, 2017June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot Rent Stabilization Commission, Rent Stabilization Program, Susan Healy Keene

While we wait for the city’s new consultant to get on the job, we have a lot of questions about the next steps in the rent stabilization policy process, the possible tenant-landlord committee, and in general about the administration of the new Rent Stabilization Program. Community Development Director Susan Healy Keene oversees the new program and generously took her time to answer our questions this morning.