The City of Santa Monica this year will make separate payments to 28 retired employees whose pensions were so large they exceeded IRS limits, an analysis of pension data by The Lookout found.

In fact, Santa Monica had more retirees whose pensions exceeded the federal limit than any other city in the state, according to data obtained from the State pension fund under the Public Records Act.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/September-2019/09_13_2019_Santa_Monica_Tops_List_of_California_Cities_with_Biggest_Pensions.html

City Hall will encourage residents and businesses to replace natural gas appliances with electric heating and cooking equipment as it pursues its goal of reducing carbon emissions to 20% of their 1990 levels by 2030.

The City Council discussed Tuesday how to incentivize consumers to forgo appliances powered by natural gas in favor of electric heating and cooling systems, stoves and dryers.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/carbon-reduction-goals-are-not-cooking-with-gas/179818

City Hall is creating new regulations that aim to prevent landlords from converting rent-controlled units to vacation rentals.

Hundreds of rent-controlled apartments are rented by the day or month on websites such as zeusliving.com, according to local officials. City Council members believe this key supply of affordable housing needs to be preserved for long-term renters and is planning to require that landlords lease their rent-controlled units to individuals, not companies, for a minimum of one year.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/city-seeking-long-term-solution-for-medium-term-rentals/179745

By Peter Borresen

This week the Santa Monica City Council passed the first reading of a superb new law that, although technically not rent control, is exactly that – It will magically allow owner occupied triplex and duplex owners to be allowed to raise rents, but at the same time will allow the tenants to gain $21,000+ relocation fees should rents rise more than a token amount and thus halt all attempts at rent raising. This law is pure genius: Something that looks and smells and tastes exactly like rent control, but technically is not.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/your-column-here-magical-sounding-rent-control-that-isnt-rent-control/179773

"The Santa Monica City Council is reviewing proposed revisions that will AGAIN FURTHER limit how large homes can be built in Santa Monica," the postcard reads.

"Say goodbye to receiving top dollar for your residence if you ever plan on selling your home."

The zoning revisions opposed in the postcard are being championed by Santa Monica homeowners who fear their single-family neighborhoods are being rapidly overtaken by "monster mansions," or "McMansions."

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/September-2019/09_12_2019_Battle_Over_McMansions_Escalates_in_Santa_Monica.html

If every regulatory instinct Democrats in Sacramento have is wrong and counterproductive, maybe they should take Jerry Seinfeld ’s advice to George Costanza and do the opposite. Consider a statewide rent cap that Democrats rushed through the legislature this week.

Read More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-worlds-dumbest-housing-policy-11568243654?shareToken=stb1ac715546eb41a7bde49965f43cd376&reflink=article_email_share

Tenants in rent-controlled duplexes and triplexes would receive between $15,000 and $30,000 in relocation assistance when their landlords decontrol the building and dramatically increase the rent under an ordinance the City Council unanimously adopted this week.

When an owner of a duplex or triplex moves into the building, the remaining units in the building become exempt from rent control and subject to rent increases beyond what is allowed under the city’s rent control laws, said city attorney Lane Dilg.

With the new rules, if a tenant’s unit becomes exempt and the rent increases beyond the limit set by rent control, the tenant can either choose to stay in the unit and pay the increased rent or receive relocation benefits from the landlord to ensure they can move to a new location, Dilg said.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/tenants-of-small-buildings-now-quality-for-relocation-benefits/179681

California is on the verge of having statewide rent control.

Assembly Bill 1482—which will bar landlords from hiking rents more than 5 percent, plus local inflation, in one year—was approved this afternoon in the state Assembly on a 46-22 vote. Inflation varies by region, but averages about 2.5 percent in California.

The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk; he has said he will sign it.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/california-assembly-passes-statewide-rent-control-bill%E2%80%94governor-will-sign/ar-AAH9CIu

Airbnb hosts in Santa Monica will be prohibited from renting to more than two groups of guests at a time and allowing more than two people to stay in each room.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to tighten Santa Monica’s home-sharing ordinance after a five-bedroom, landmarked home at 710 Adelaide Place was converted to an Airbnb housing up to 36 people earlier this year. The 2015 ordinance is meant to prevent permanent housing from being converted to vacation rentals while allowing residents to earn some extra income by hosting guests in their home for 30 days or less while living on-site.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/city-council-tightens-home-sharing-law-to-allow-two-guests-per-room/179668

California moved closer to enacting statewide rent caps on apartments and some rental houses after the state Senate voted 25-10 on Tuesday, Sept. 10 to pass the so-called “anti-gouging” rent bill.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/calif-senate-advances-statewide-caps-on-rent-hikes/ar-AAH5R6p