West Hollywood – Renters Alliance

Measure RP: Thoughts on the City’s ‘Tax Payer Protection Act’

October 21, 2020July 5, 2024 Mark Elliot Julian Gold, Measure RP, Robert Wunderlich, West Hollywood

Beverly Hills city council has placed on the November ballot a measure to conditionally add three-quarters of one percent to the sales tax IF Los Angeles County voters at some point in the future approve any increase. Dubbed by city council as the ‘Beverly Hills Tax Payer Protection Act,’ Measure RP would put our city a step ahead of the county by grabbing the resulting revenue. But the measure raises some questions about equity. In this time of unprecedented stress on county health and homelessness services, is it fair to put Beverly Hills first?

Consumer Price Index for Los Angeles area: prices were up 3.1% from a year ago

Analysis

How Does Beverly Hills Compare on the Rent Increase Cap?

August 11, 2019July 5, 2024 Mark Elliot City of Los Angeles, Culver City, Inglewood, Los Angeles County, max increase, Santa Monica, West Hollywood

Beverly Hills recently posted the maximum allowed annual rent increase percentage for Chapter 6 tenants and we breathed a sign of relief: it has dropped to 3.1% from last year’s 4.1%. That’s because the rise in consumer prices has slowed and, with it, the cost of providing housing. But most localities don’t cap rents and those that do take various approaches even in the same rental market. How does Beverly Hills compare?

Commentary

No Excuses for Unprofessional Management

May 20, 2019April 27, 2020 Mark Elliot AAGLA, City of Los Angeles, NARPM, property management, Santa Monica, West Hollywood

We hear a lot about the proverbial ‘mom-and-pop’ owner-operators of rental housing. They are hailed as hard-working, upstanding community members have scrimped and saved simply to have a ’nest egg’ on which they can fall back in retirement. But anecdotal accounts suggest they are also our least-professional operators. Here’s a snapshot of those poor practices.

Commentary

Time for a Systematic Housing Inspection Program!

May 1, 2019September 9, 2021 Mark Elliot City of Los Angeles, Helen Morales, inspections, Santa Monica, West Hollywood

Worn carpets, low-amp juice, and clogged drains are familiar to tenants living in older buildings. The law requires nothing better, only that premises be “fit for the occupation of human beings.” But who checks? Our complaint-driven enforcement system makes every tenant a non-deputized housing inspector. We need a systematic housing inspection program and we need it now.

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