“I just wanted something to be safe for my kids,” Katz said, explaining her decision to update the electronic doorbell she had installed with a single screw on the front of her door with a Ring, the doorbell camera that is leading the market in home security systems. Attached with the same single screw, the Ring sends a live video feed to Katz’s cell phone whenever someone approaches her front door. She can instantly see who is outside and communicate with them – even if she is upstairs or even out of the house.

“Your written rental agreement provides that there shall be no alterations to the Premises. You have installed a doorbell on your front door. This is strictly prohibited,” reads the May 31 letter from attorney Duane Hall, who represents the landlord American Career Investments.

Read More: http://smdp.com/rent-control-tenant-faces-eviction-threat-over-ring-doorbell/161229

June 7, 2017 -- Legislation co-authored by Santa Monica Assemblyman Richard Bloom that would restore the authority of local governments to require affordable rental units took another step closer to becoming law Tuesday.

The bill, AB 1505, which is one of a number of proposed laws to address California's affordable housing crisis, was approved by a 7-4 vote by the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing. The bill now heads to the Senate Floor.

Under the bill, "inclusionary housing remains a local decision, with input from local stakeholders, to determine what mix of policies, if any, make sense for their community."

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_07_2017_Santa_Monica_Legislators_Affordable_Housing_Bill_Clears_Key_Senate_Committee.html

Enhancing your home’s energy-efficient features is a savvy way to make the space more livable while also making a smaller impact on the environment and your bank account.

Read More: http://smmirror.com/2017/06/ease-up-on-energy-consumption-home-upgrades-that-reduce-energy-reliance/

The Santa Monica City Attorney’s office has obtained a preliminary injunction against Ronald Walden, a local landlord, based on allegations that Walden repeatedly entered his tenants’ home without notice or justification. The order, signed by Santa Monica Superior Court judge Lisa Hart Cole on Friday, limits Walden’s access to the house while the case is pending before trial. No trial date has been set.

Read More on page 3: http://backissues.smdp.com/060617.pdf

and

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_06_2017_City_Wins_Injunction_to_Keep_Santa_Monica_Landlord_from_Rental_Property.html

See map at: http://www.antievictionmap.com/?link_id=4&can_id=8529208cf4f194406e3348fe082e2097&source=email-save-the-date-raising-the-roof-june-15-2017-2&email_referrer=save-the-date-raising-the-roof-june-15-2017-2&email_subject=celebrate-tenant-wins-june-15-2017#%2Fsanta-monica-3%2F#%2Fsanta-monica-3%2F

California lawmakers took steps to address the state’s affordable housing shortage Thursday by passing bills to speed construction and generate money for subsidized housing.

SB35 removes some development restrictions in cities that fall behind on housing production goals. It passed 23-12 in the Senate. AB73 rewards cities for streamlining the approval of housing, particularly for developments near public transportation. It passed the Assembly 46-19. The Senate also voted 30-9 to put a $3 billion bond for affordable housing on the ballot

Quick arrests by the Santa Monica Police Department after two violent break-ins in the North of Montana neighborhood have not quieted neighborhood fears of a perceived spike in burglaries. Now, neighbors who have already been paying for private security for decades want to step up patrols even more.

May was a disturbing month – on the 15th, multiple men assaulted and robbed Andrew West in his home on 17th Street. West is still recovering from his injuries in the hospital. Then, less than ten days later police say the same burglars struck again – this time allegedly stabbing resident Imtiaz Tar and hitting his housekeeper Dinah Barrera with a hammer inside Tar’s home on 19th Street. Tar’s wife and son were also home when the attack happened on May 26.

Read More: http://smdp.com/noma-residents-increasing-private-security-patrols/161201

By Ted Edlin

Ted Edlin, who has lived in Berkeley for more than 50 years, was formerly president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations, vice-president of NEBA, chair of the Housing Advisory Commission, and a member of the Fire Commission, now known as the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission.

Assembly Bill AB 1506 ( which has been withdrawn) was sponsored by Assembly persons from Santa Monica. This article was written before it was withdrawn but I thought the information would be useful to those interested in the effects of rent control without Costa Hawkins.

This bill proposes to repeal Costa Hawkins (Vacancy decontrol/recontrol) bill passed 20 years ago.  In the interest of full disclosure I owned rental units in Berkeley in the 1970s, lived under Berkeley rent control for 30 years, and had numerous interactions with the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board during the course of those 30 years.

Read More: http://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/06/02/opinion-consequences-repealing-costa-hawkins/

It passed by a vote of 50 to 6.

AB 1568 allows local governments to use new sales tax and increased property tax revenue to finance infrastructure improvement projects, which a statement from Bloom’s office says will create “a new dedicated funding source for affordable housing.”

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_02_2017_Assembly_Passes_Two_of_Santa_Monica_Legislators_Housing_Bills.html

Community Investment Department of Los Angeles is a bit like rummaging through the trash bin at a farmers’ market. You’re going to find some bad apples.

“There are good operators and bad operators, those that are exploitative and those that aren’t,” says Daniel Gomez, Director of Code Enforcement at HCIDLA. “To say ‘slumlords’ isn’t right anymore. Bad operators today are those that look only at the potential of the property, not the property itself.” In other words, where bad landlords used to be cheap, now they’re greedy.

He estimates that about 95 percent of the landlords in LA are good, decent, non-predatory. The other five percent are what he refers to as “bad actors.” In response, HCIDLA is beginning to focus its work on identifying and isolating bad actors. But how do you pick out the worst among the city’s tens of thousands of landlords?

Read More: https://la.curbed.com/2017/5/31/15715266/la-worst-landlords-tenant-law