As of Wednesday, Jan. 1, new laws limiting the ability of landlords to increase rent or evict certain tenants go into effect, as well as laws forbidding landlords to discriminate against renters using public housing vouchers. Under Assembly Bill 1482, landlords will be limited in how much they can raise the rent every year. The law caps such increases at 5 percent plus inflation. That provision is set to sunset in January 2030.
State lawmakers are embracing rent control after more than two decades of muffling the abilities of cities to impose it. They now say it’s necessary to Provide a bit of relief to renters as the state grapples with a housing shortage, a growing homeless population, and a poverty rate of 18.2 percent, the second highest in the nation.
“At risk of homelessness”: Senate Bill 1188 This bill would authorize a tenant to temporarily permit the occupancy of their dwelling unit by a person who is at risk of homelessness, as defined, regardless of the terms of the lease or rental agreement, with the written approval of the owner or landlord of the property, and subject to extension under certain circumstances. The bill would authorize an owner or landlord to adjust the rent payable under the lease during the time the person who is at risk of homelessness is occupying the dwelling unit, as compensation for the occupancy of that person, and would require the terms regarding the rent payable in those circumstances to be agreed to in writing by the owner or landlord and the tenant.
90- Day Notice for Rent Increases above 10%: Assembly Bill 1110 Beginning in 2020, 90 Days’ Notice for Rent Increases Above 10% for California Tenants…Now, if a proposed rent increase is greater than 10% of the tenant’s rent at any time during the prior 12 months of the increase effective date, the landlord must provide 90 days’ notice.
Recycling Bins: Assembly Bill 827 requires a multi-family dwelling of five or more units, among other businesses to provide customers with a recycling bin or container for a waste stream that is visible, easily accessible, adjacent to each bin or container for trash other than that recyclable waste stream (except in restrooms) and clearly marked with educational signage.
Ellis Act: Assembly Bill 1399 Under the revised law, the owner cannot pay liquidated damages to a prior tenant in lieu of offering the Tenant the opportunity to re-rent their former unit. The date on which the accommodations are deemed to have been withdrawn from the rental market is the date on which the final tenancy among all Tenants is terminated.
Here are just a handful of new changes for landlords and tenants. For more information on all the new changes for 2020 you can visit the California Legislative Information: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
