In the words of Rahm Emanuel, politicians should never let a crisis go to waste – even when they’re fake. In 2025, Santa Clara County supervisors pushed a sales tax measure citing the Medicaid cuts in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act as a fiscal emergency requiring immediate voter action. The ploy worked. Voters…
When faced with a vacancy, it’s natural to feel anxiety and urgency—the pressure to stop “losing money every day.” As days on the market increase, self-doubt (“Did I price it too high?”) and frustration (“It shouldn’t be this hard to rent a good unit”) can quickly set in. Because of this, many housing providers begin…
The ACLU of Northern California and two partner law firms have filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against major landlord Equity Residential and surveillance vendor SmartRent, alleging that the companies violated tenants’ constitutional right to privacy by forcing the use of in-home “smart” surveillance systems. These devices can log when tenants come and…
Hi, Jeff. Thanks for writing, and you would be hard pressed to be too conservative for me. The revelation is, you run a business and have a membership—a following— that will give you a fair listen and likely agree with you. Moreso, they will likely follow your lead in matters they know are near their…
As many of AOA members know, in 2017, Apartment Owners of Los Angeles brought a legal challenge to the City of Los Angeles through Apartment Owners of Los Angeles et al. v. City of Los Angeles, LASC Case No. BC677423. While it has been a long, hard battle, the case continues to move forward. Finally,…
In a major victory for California taxpayers, the Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13 has qualified for the November 2026 ballot. Last Tuesday, the California Secretary of State reported that proponents, led by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, had turned in more than enough valid signatures to county registrars, ensuring that voters will…
Female Night Manager Shot by Resident! A female manager was shot in the arm at a Rancho Cucamonga apartment complex after she encountered a barrage of gunfire over a March weekend. Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of assault with a deadly weapon at just before 10:30 p.m. on a…
Tired of Spreadsheet Utility Billing? Here’s What Automation Actually Looks Like by the Livable Content Team If you’ve ever spent a Friday afternoon cross-referencing utility invoices against a spreadsheet, manually calculating each resident’s share, and triple-checking your math before sending bills – you already know the problem. Manual billing isn’t just slow. It’s expensive, error-prone, and…
The decision by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to pursue another sales tax is just the latest example of fiscal irresponsibility by elected officials in California. While other states balance their budgets, provide better services (e.g., schools that actually educate students) and lower taxes, California continues its journey in the opposite direction. Although…
For apartment owners in coastal and urban environments, protecting a property is not just about maintaining appearances: it is about ensuring structural safety, regulatory compliance, and long-term asset value. Under California’s SB 721, apartment buildings with Exterior Elevated Elements (EEEs) must undergo periodic inspections to identify potential safety hazards. Understanding what is at stake, particularly…