ACTION Apartment Association

Malibu Gives Initial Approval To Short-Term Rental Ordinance

09/18/2020 7:52 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Malibu City Council gave initial approval to a temporary short-term rental enforcement ordinance Monday night. If approved at a later meeting, the enforcement ordinance will take effect Jan. 15, 2021.

Nine in Ten Renters Expected to Pay Full Rent

09/16/2020 10:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Nine in ten U.S. renters paid their rent in full last month and are expected to do the same in September, although many will once again pay late, according to a nationwide survey by Apartment List.

The apartment rental site -- which has been surveying more than 4,000 tenants nationwide every month since the coronavirus emergency began -- found that 68 percent of renters made an on-time payment in the first week of September.

Santa Monica City Council Enacts New Chinese Exclusion Law

09/15/2020 8:50 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Mathew Millen

On September 8, the City Council enacted a new ordinance governing the rental of housing in Santa Monica ("Santa Monica Council Approves Measures to Spur New Housing," August 26, 2020).

Under the ordinance, "a landlord and tenant may enter into a lease only if the tenant will use and occupy the rental housing unit as the tenant’s primary residence."

The new law also requires that the lease be for at least one year and prohibits a property owner to lease furnished housing, a feature college students and medical interns at our hospitals frequently look for.

In effect, rental housing providers can no longer rent to foreign students under the ordinance.

Council keeps police budget intact

09/15/2020 8:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A number of public safety reforms are in motion after Santa Monica City Council members approved a slate of recommendations Tuesday. But city leaders decided it was best to keep local police resources intact after it was suggested that Council shave $8 million off the Santa Monica Police Department’s annual operating budget.

Planning Commission Urges Council to Fast-Track Miramar Redevelopment

09/15/2020 8:36 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 last week to support the proposed redevelopment of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and urged the City Council to fast-track one of the most ambitious projects in Santa Monica history.

Transparency Project – 5 Seats, 22 Candidates

09/14/2020 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In the November 2020 election for Santa Monica City Council, a plethora of candidates have registered to compete with incumbent Councilors to represent our city in the trying times ahead. As voters, how do we sift through the various statements, positions, and platforms to decide which candidates deserve our support?

The simplest question is the most obvious: do you like the direction the city is going?

Political groups release endorsement information

09/14/2020 8:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

With dozens of candidates running for the various school district, rent control board, and city council seats that are up for grabs this year, Santa Monicans will have a number of choices to make when they submit their ballots in November. Luckily, local political groups have already begun vetting candidates and making endorsements.

More than half-a-dozen organizations have made their endorsements known publicly this election season but a few more could be released prior to November.

1 in 5 Tenants in County Have Struggled to Pay Rent

09/14/2020 8:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

UCLA and USC release joint report on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on renters

Over 22 percent of Los Angeles County tenants paid rent late at least once from April to July, while between May and July, about 7 percent did not pay any rent at least once, according to a recent study.

A joint UCLA–USC report released August 31 reports among households in the county that did not pay rent, either in full or partially, about 98,000 tenants have been threatened with an eviction, while an additional 40,000 report that their landlord has already begun eviction proceedings against them.

Council approves new leasing requirements for rental units

09/13/2020 5:19 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Leases shorter than a year in length will soon be illegal in Santa Monica when a newly approved law takes effect next month.

Councilmembers adopted an ordinance Tuesday that states leases must be longer than 365 days and rental housing units cannot be furnished. Advertising any lease of a residential rental unit that does not comply with these requirements is also prohibited and violators will be subject to fines and penalties.

SMa.r.t. Column: A Clean Slate

09/13/2020 5:16 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

So there you have it! Maybe. Another win for the rich guys as the Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 to approve the design of that cruise ship sunk on Ocean Ave and Wilshire, and euphemistically referred to as the Miramar Hotel.

In case you are among those who may not follow the over-development that is devastating our town, the Miramar project will create what is essentially a 900 ft long condominium (they say hotel) that starts along Wilshire, wrapping around the corner onto 2nd street and creating a “great wall” the entire length to California, and then turns the corner towards Ocean Ave.