News and Announcements

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2017 General Adjustment (GA) is 2% with a $40 Cap

The 2017 general adjustment for controlled units is 2%, with a maximum increase of $40. The maximum increase of $40 applies to all maximum allowable rents (MARs) of $1,975 or higher. In late June, the Rent Control office will mail information to all tenants and property owners regarding the general adjustment, including a form owners may use to notice tenants of the increase. With proper written notice (usually 30 days), the general adjustment may be implemented by property owners no earlier than September 1st, 2017 for tenancies that started before September 1st, 2016. Tenancies that started on or after September 1st, 2016 are not eligible for the 2017 general adjustment. Further, all registration fees and penalties must be paid in full in order for owners to qualify for this year’s general adjustment.

2017 Annual Registration Fee Set at $198 per Unit

To cover the reasonable and necessary expenses of the Rent Control Agency, the Rent Control Board amended Regulation 11200 to increase the annual registration fee for a controlled unit from $174.96 to $198.00 per year. The upcoming fiscal year runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Divided by 12 months, the annual fee per unit of $198 amounts to $16.50 per month. If all registration fees are paid by August 1st of this year, owners may pass through to qualifying tenants half of the monthly amount, which is $8.25, beginning September 1st of this year and continuing for the following 12 months. The registration fee pass-through is in addition to the maximum allowable rent and any surcharges from the tax bill that may be passed through. The Rent Control Agency will be sending registration fee bills to owners at the end of June. Owners may pay fees online, as indicated below. Owners who need to update their mailing addresses should file a Change of Mailing Address form immediately.

New Requirement for Owners to Provide Rent Control                    Information Sheet to Tenants at Time of Rental

Recognizing that knowledge may lead to more effective communications, the Rent Control Board recently adopted a regulation requiring that for all tenancies starting on or after July 31, 2017, landlords must give new tenants a Board-produced information sheet about the Rent Control Law at the time of lease signing.

The single-sheet document contains rent control basics including information about rent levels and rent increases, eviction protections, maintenance and repairs, and base amenities. It also includes information on other important issues affecting Santa Monica tenants and landlords such as home-sharing, smoking restrictions, harassment, and construction work in occupied buildings. Tenants are encouraged to acknowledge receipt of the information sheet by signing and dating the form. If a landlord fails to provide the information sheet to a tenant at the beginning of a tenancy, the landlord will not be able to implement the general adjustment for the unit until they comply with the requirement.

2017 Spring Rent Control Newsletter Has Arrived

The Spring issue of the Rent Control News is in the mail. This issue is packed with informative articles for tenants and owners alike.  Topics covered include:  a new Tenant Information sheet that landlords must provide to all tenants who move into their unit on or after July 31, 2017; how to effectively manage and live with construction in an occupied property; the City Council's recently adopted Seismic Safety Ordinance; and the 2017 annual rent increase for controlled units. Look for the Spring issue in your mailbox, or read a PDF version here.

2016 Annual Report Released

The Rent Control Board presented their 2016 Annual Report during the March 23, 2017 Board Meeting. The extensive report highlights several topics, including: new developments concerning Santa Monica rent control issues; the status of housing stock; the impact of market-rate vacancy increases; the impacts of the Ellis Act; and a review of the workings of the Rent Control Department. The report can be accessed by going here. An archive of past reports is available by going to our Reports page.

NEW SEMINAR WEBPAGE

Rent Control staff is frequently asked for copies of the PowerPoint slide presentations used at our various annual seminars.  Also, it has been suggested that we videotape seminars and make the video accessible through our website for those who were unable to attend.  In response to both of these requests, we have added a new webpage, entitled “Rent Control Seminars,” that can be found under “Information & FAQs” on our homepage.  The Rent Control Seminars page now includes not only a calendar of all tentatively planned seminars for the current year, but also full-length videos and modified PowerPoint slide presentations of past seminars. You can access the Rent Control Seminars page here.

Owners Must Disclose Tenant Rights Prior to Making Buyout Offers

At the Board's March 12th meeting, a new regulation was adopted (Regulation 9011) to effectuate Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 4.56.050(b), which requires landlords to serve a notice on tenants of certain rights before the landlord makes a buyout offer to the tenant. The notice required by the regulation is now available at the Board's office and here. At its April 9th Board meeting the Board amended the new regulation to require landlords to file "buyout agreements" with the Rent Control Board. Tenants are under no obligation to accept buyout offers and should realistically evaluate whether any amount offered is sufficient to cover the loss of a controlled rental unit.

 Electronic Communications Sign-Up

In keeping with the goals of a sustainable Santa Monica, the Rent Control Agency is giving people who receive communications from the Agency the option of having future communications that are available electronically delivered by email.  To sign up to receive Rent Control communications electronically, click here to access a sign-up form.