In Santa Monica, the overall median rent in the city stands at $2,203, after rising 2.1% last month. Prices remain down 1.4% year-over-year.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2023/10/13/santa-monica-rent-report-october-2023/

It Marks the First Time the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act Has Been Substantially Amended

Under AB 1620, which was signed on Oct. 11, local jurisdictions can require landlords to allow physically-disabled tenants (not subject to nonpayment eviction) to move into similar or smaller units on an accessible floor. The tenant would also keep the same rent rate and terms of their lease as long as the move is necessary to accommodate their disability, no operational elevator serves the floor of their current dwelling, the new dwelling doesn’t require renovation to comply with safety standards, applicable authorities determine the owner will still receive a fair rate of return, and the tenant requests to move into an available unit prior to it becoming available.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/10/gov-newsom-signs-santa-monica-sponsored-bill-protecting-disabled-renters/

One of the more significant measures Newsom signed this year is Assembly Bill 12, which will prohibit landlords from charging more than one month’s rent as a security deposit.

Read More: https://news.yahoo.com/newsom-signs-tenant-bills-lower-015843614.html

Santa Monica's switch to at-large elections in 1946 exemplified a nationwide effort to disenfranchise Black and Latino voters, according to a joint study released this month.

The 47-page report -- authored by professors from UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan and Harvard -- was released as Santa Monica is fighting a Voting Rights lawsuit that would upend its electoral system ("Supreme Court Reverses Voting Rights Ruling," August 23, 2023).

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/October-2023/10_10_2023_Santa_Monica_Is_Case_Is_Study_in_Voter_Discrimination.html

The Santa Monica Housing Division staff will be hosting informational workshop about the City's Below Market Housing (BMH) waitlist and program.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/events/48fr9fj1a3rmm0jvrevc15whda/202310121800?mc_cid=04a457bbcd&mc_eid=740a4d40da

The project, at the block bounded by Olympic and Colorado and 4th and 5th Streets, includes AMCAL’s proposal to acquire the adjacent 27,176 square foot office/commercial building at 1640 5th Street, known as the “Comma Building”, from Lincoln Properties, for additional housing units.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/10/city-council-approves-metro-adjacent-affordable-housing-proposal/

It is admitted there were flaws in the original TORCA which the Santa Monica Housing Commission’s proposed ‘TORCA 2.0’ is explicitly designed to fix. TORCA 2.0 will allow non-profits to buy rent control buildings that are offered for sale, and will then offer to sell to tenants the units they are renting, at prices affordable to even the lowest incomes. And renters can choose to buy without timelimits, at any time in the future. Renters who do not wish to buy can continue renting under rent-control and will then be permanently protected from Ellis or owner-movein evictions. 

Read More on page 5: https://s3.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/100623.pdf

When Elizabeth Hirschhorn's Airbnb stay ended in April 2022, she simply didn't move out. She’s been living there rent-free ever since, and she refused to budge unless Jovanovic paid her a relocation fee of $100,000, according to a settlement offer reviewed by The Times.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/the-tenant-from-hell-she-checked-into-a-luxury-airbnb-then-refused-to-pay-or-leave-it-s-been-540-days/ar-AA1hG5SL?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=17b0bf0b645042b8ba147abe6fbe9690&ei=18

The City Council last week gave the go-ahead to execute an exclusive negotiating agreement that could result in the largest residential development in Santa Monica history.

Affordable housing developer AMCAL Multi-Housing, Inc. -- which was chosen from among 11 bidders -- is proposing a 338-unit project on a 1.85-acre site on City owned land near the Expo terminus Downtown, a company representative told the Council.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/October-22023/10_02_2023_City_to_Begin_Negotiating_Record_570_Unit_Project.html

Under the new law, landlords moving into their units or renting to family also must identify the people moving in. In addition, the rental must be occupied within three months of eviction and they must live in the unit for at least a year. Those who evict tenants to renovate properties must include copies of permits or contracts, among other details, when serving eviction notices.

Landlords who do not follow through will have to allow evicted tenants to move back under the original lease terms.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2023/10/01/newsom-signs-law-to-bolster-eviction-protections-for-renters/