ASUC Renter's Legal Assistance

Rental Assistance

RLA blog

October 22, 2008
" Public Notice: 2009 Annual General Adjustment Adopted" by Jay Kelekian
Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board via ci.berkeley.ca.us
Click here for the article
The Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board adopted the Annual General Adjustment (AGA) Order for Year 2009, which will allow eligible landlords to increase the 2008 permanent rent ceilings by 2.7%. The 2009 AGA of 2.7% represents 65% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Bay Area during the 2007 fiscal year, which was 4.191% as posted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in July 2008. The 65% of CPI formula was approved by the voters at November 2004 general municipal election.

April 28, 2008
"Community Rallies Against Prop 98; Decries Landlord Tactics" by Paul Hogarth
BeyondChron: Top News Stories via beyondchron.org
Click here for the article
Over 50 tenant activists from San Francisco, Marin County, the East Bay and South Bay gathered on April 25th at the Oakland Airport Hilton – to protest the Apartment Owners Association (AOA)’s seminar on how to evict tenants.

April 17, 2008
"Bay Area rents still rising" by James Temple
SFGate: Top News Stories via sfgate.com
Click here for the article
The Bay Area's teeter-totter relationship between the rental and sale housing markets extended into the first quarter, with apartment prices rising as the real estate slump continued to thwart would-be buyers.

April 13, 2008
"Prop 98 would eliminate rent control and tenant protections" by Lynda Carson
Health, Housing, & Public Services via indybay.org
Click here for the article
Unless defeated, Prop 98 would eliminate rent control and other renter protections, such as laws against unfair evictions, the timely return of security deposits, laws that require landlords to give 60 day notices before forcing renters out of their housing, and it would terminate laws that prohibit renters from being evicted from home foreclosures.

April 13, 2008
"Landlord should replace old fence he took out" by Robert Griswold
San Francisco Chronicle Q&A via sfgate.com
Click here for the article
The authors are property manager Robert Griswold and attorneys Steven R. Kellman, director of the Tenants' Legal Center, and James McKinley, of Kimball, Tirey and St. John, a law firm that represents landlords. Answers are based on California state law. Consult with your local municipality as ordinances can vary.

April 2, 2008
"Rent control targeted in June election" by By Mary Ann Milbourn
Money ocregister.com
Click here for the article
The primary focus of the two initiatives – Proposition 98 and Proposition 99 – is to close a loophole in the state's eminent domain law to prevent government from taking private property for other private uses. Dueling measures on June ballot set up fight between tenants and landlords.

March 30, 2008
"Landlord can charge deposit for tenant's cat" by Robert Griswold
San Francisco Chronicle Q&A via sfgate.com
Click here for the article
Deposits may be set at different rates for tenants based on economic and credit factors as long as those factors are applied equally to everyone. Therefore, your deposit could actually be higher or lower than other tenants' without violating fair housing laws.

March 10, 2008
"East Palo Alto Seeks Berkeley's Advice on Rent Stabilization" by Desiree Matloob
The Daily Californian via dailycal.org
Click here for the article
The East Palo Alto City Council will be paying Berkeley $15,000 to conduct a detailed review of the ordinances, regulations and practices employed by staff in East Palo Alto.

November 29, 2007
"Renting Market Sees Surge After Housing Crash"
KSBW via theksbwchannel.com
Click here for the article
Experts said that the change that has hit credit scores and down payment requirements has caused a lot of people to be pushed out of the purchasing market and into the rental business.

November 29, 2007
"Those who rent instead of own are looking smarter these days" by Nancy Trejos
Washington Post via mercurynews.com
Click here for the article
Owning became more expensive than renting in the first quarter of 2004, and that trend has persisted. In the second quarter of this year, nationwide, the average annual cost of owning a home was $17,707, compared with $15,721 for renting.

November 18, 2007
"As Owners Feel Mortgage Pain, So Do Renters" by John Leland
The New York Times via nytimes.com
Click here for the article
In the foreclosure crisis of 2007, thousands of American families are losing their homes without ever missing a payment. They are renters in houses whose owners default on their mortgages — a large but little noticed class of casualties.

November 18, 2007
"Eminent Domain State Ballot Measure Takes Aim at Rent Control" by Tom Chorneau
San Francisco Chronicle via sfgate.com
Click here for the article
Property rights activists are once again pushing a ballot measure aimed at restricting government's use of eminent domain, but this time there's a secondary target - rent-control ordinances.

October 15, 2007
"AB 548 (Levine) Bringing the Opportunity to Recycle to Every Californian" by CAW
Californians Against Waste (http://www.cawrecycles.org)
Click here for the article
AB 548 would have provided a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units.

Update: VETOED by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 14.
Click here for the veto message.

October 12, 2007
"Law Puts Renters' Status Off-limits" by Michael Gardner
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Click here for the article
California has become the first state in the nation to prohibit local governments from forcing landlords to check the immigration status of tenants.

February 24, 2006
"The Many Faces of Protected Tenant Status" by Carol Lloyd
San Francisco Chronicle via sfgate.com
Click here for the article
Although each city defines the category of protected tenancy in different ways, most laws are grounded in the same principle: that some tenants, because of their prolonged tenancy and their especially vulnerable circumstances, just shouldn't be evicted.

> RENTAL ASSISTANCE


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Rental Assistance: Finding a Place Rental Agreements Moving In Security Deposits Repairs Subletting Privacy Rent Control Moving Out Evictions RLA Blog Other Resources Rental Assistance RLA blog October 22, 2008 " Public Notice: 2009 Annual General Adjustment Adopted" by Jay Kelekian Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board via ci.berkeley.ca.us Click here for the article The Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board adopted the Annual General Adjustment (AGA) Order for Year 2009, which will allow eligible landlords to increase the 2008 permanent rent ceilings by 2.7%. The 2009 AGA of 2.7% represents 65% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Bay Area during the 2007 fiscal year, which was 4.191% as posted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in July 2008. The 65% of CPI formula was approved by the voters at November 2004 general municipal election. April 28, 2008 "Community Rallies Against Prop 98; Decries Landlord Tactics" by Paul Hogarth BeyondChron: Top News Stories via beyondchron.org Click here for the article Over 50 tenant activists from San Francisco, Marin County, the East Bay and South Bay gathered on April 25th at the Oakland Airport Hilton – to protest the Apartment Owners Association (AOA)’s seminar on how to evict tenants. April 17, 2008 "Bay Area rents still rising" by James Temple SFGate: Top News Stories via sfgate.com Click here for the article The Bay Area's teeter-totter relationship between the rental and sale housing markets extended into the first quarter, with apartment prices rising as the real estate slump continued to thwart would-be buyers. April 13, 2008 "Prop 98 would eliminate rent control and tenant protections" by Lynda Carson Health, Housing, & Public Services via indybay.org Click here for the article Unless defeated, Prop 98 would eliminate rent control and other renter protections, such as laws against unfair evictions, the timely return of security deposits, laws that require landlords to give 60 day notices before forcing renters out of their housing, and it would terminate laws that prohibit renters from being evicted from home foreclosures. April 13, 2008 "Landlord should replace old fence he took out" by Robert Griswold San Francisco Chronicle Q&A via sfgate.com Click here for the article The authors are property manager Robert Griswold and attorneys Steven R. Kellman, director of the Tenants' Legal Center, and James McKinley, of Kimball, Tirey and St. John, a law firm that represents landlords. Answers are based on California state law. Consult with your local municipality as ordinances can vary. April 2, 2008 "Rent control targeted in June election" by By Mary Ann Milbourn Money ocregister.com Click here for the article The primary focus of the two initiatives – Proposition 98 and Proposition 99 – is to close a loophole in the state's eminent domain law to prevent government from taking private property for other private uses. Dueling measures on June ballot set up fight between tenants and landlords. March 30, 2008 "Landlord can charge deposit for tenant's cat" by Robert Griswold San Francisco Chronicle Q&A via sfgate.com Click here for the article Deposits may be set at different rates for tenants based on economic and credit factors as long as those factors are applied equally to everyone. Therefore, your deposit could actually be higher or lower than other tenants' without violating fair housing laws. March 10, 2008 "East Palo Alto Seeks Berkeley's Advice on Rent Stabilization" by Desiree Matloob The Daily Californian via dailycal.org Click here for the article The East Palo Alto City Council will be paying Berkeley $15,000 to conduct a detailed review of the ordinances, regulations and practices employed by staff in East Palo Alto. November 29, 2007 "Renting Market Sees Surge After Housing Crash" KSBW via theksbwchannel.com Click here for the article Experts said that the change that has hit credit scores and down payment requirements has caused a lot of people to be pushed out of the purchasing market and into the rental business. November 29, 2007 "Those who rent instead of own are looking smarter these days" by Nancy Trejos Washington Post via mercurynews.com Click here for the article Owning became more expensive than renting in the first quarter of 2004, and that trend has persisted. In the second quarter of this year, nationwide, the average annual cost of owning a home was $17,707, compared with $15,721 for renting. November 18, 2007 "As Owners Feel Mortgage Pain, So Do Renters" by John Leland The New York Times via nytimes.com Click here for the article In the foreclosure crisis of 2007, thousands of American families are losing their homes without ever missing a payment. They are renters in houses whose owners default on their mortgages — a large but little noticed class of casualties. November 18, 2007 "Eminent Domain State Ballot Measure Takes Aim at Rent Control" by Tom Chorneau San Francisco Chronicle via sfgate.com Click here for the article Property rights activists are once again pushing a ballot measure aimed at restricting government's use of eminent domain, but this time there's a secondary target - rent-control ordinances. October 15, 2007 "AB 548 (Levine) Bringing the Opportunity to Recycle to Every Californian" by CAW Californians Against Waste (http://www.cawrecycles.org) Click here for the article AB 548 would have provided a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units. Update: VETOED by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 14. Click here for the veto message. October 12, 2007 "Law Puts Renters' Status Off-limits" by Michael Gardner The San Diego Union-Tribune Click here for the article California has become the first state in the nation to prohibit local governments from forcing landlords to check the immigration status of tenants. February 24, 2006 "The Many Faces of Protected Tenant Status" by Carol Lloyd San Francisco Chronicle via sfgate.com Click here for the article Although each city defines the category of protected tenancy in different ways, most laws are grounded in the same principle: that some tenants, because of their prolonged tenancy and their especially vulnerable circumstances, just shouldn't be evicted. > RENTAL ASSISTANCE