Northern California landlord/tenant law firm. Tag Archives

Santa Monica Rent Control Board Announces $40 Adjustment Cap

June 14, 2017 | Gregory J. Brod

In June, the City of Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board announced its 2017 general adjustment (GA) cap. This year, landlords cannot raise rent for rent controlled units by more than 2%, with a maximum increase of $40. This applies to all maximum allowable rents of $1,975 or higher.

The Rent Control Board sets the yearly GA based on 75% of the annual change in the Consumer Price Index for the greater Los Angeles Area, which was 2.7%. The Board announced the 2% GA back in May, yet the Board voted to implement the $40 cap in July over concern about rising rents.

When Santa Monica’s GA May go into Effect

Santa Rosa Tenants’ Attorney on Renters’ Rights in Northern California

January 27, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

There are few things we take for granted a much as clean air and a safe place to sleep. Sadly, our Santa Rosa tenants’ lawyer knows that many Californians do not have this luxury. As a pending lawsuit alleges, many of our neighbors are stuck in unsafe living conditions, problems exacerbated when landlords turn a blind eye to the suffering.

Paper Examines Santa Rosa Tenants’ Dispute Alleging Unhealthy Living Conditions

The Press Democrat’s Sunday Edition included an in-depth look at the health problems plaguing residents in a northeast Santa Rosa apartment complex and the related battle pending in state court. According to the report, the apartment was infested with dangerous mold that, along with other triggers, caused serious asthma flares for one young resident. Numerous other tenants reported moderate to severe health issues they believe are linked to the living conditions at the complex.

Northern California Tenants’ Lawyer Looks at Short-Term Rentals in San Francisco

July 15, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Late last week, a friend of our San Francisco landlord/tenant law firm e-mailed us an article he’d seen on Curbed LA, the Los Angeles portion of a real estate and neighborhood news website. The article suggests that landlords in L.A. could fetch up to twice as much money on the short-term market (such as via Airbnb) than they can make via a traditional long-term rental. He asked us: “Could the same thing happen in San Francisco? Should renters be worried?” We thought that the reality and the legality of short-term rentals in San Francisco might be on more than one renter’s mind (and therefore a great blog topic!), especially given the well-publicized increase in rental prices in the Bay Area in recent years.

Airbnb and the Short-Term Rental Concept

For those unfamiliar with the company, Airbnb is a locally based company that touts itself as a community marketplace connecting people looking for a place to stay with people who have space to spare. The site covers more than 34,000 cities and allows people to rent a wide-range of spaces with many spaces offering nightly, weekly, and monthly rates. While it is certainly the most popular, Airbnb is just one company serving the growing demand for short-term rentals.