What You Need to Know About the Fair Employment and Housing Act from the State of California

Below are some frequently asked questions about source of income and the Section 8 housing program.   Q:  What is the new law regarding source of income protections? A: California has a law called the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) that protects people from housing discrimination based on categories including race, color, national origin,…

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Legal Q & A -Dennis Block

Below are questions asked by rental property owners regarding California and Orange County rent control laws, followed by answers provided by eviction attorney Dennis Block.   Question One: My property is in Tustin, California. Do rent increases which exceed 10% require a 90-Day Notice? I served my tenant a 60-Day Notice to increase the rent,…

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“Justice for Renters Act” – Injustice for All!

Here they go again.  There are organizers out there collecting signatures for a California initiative that calls for even stricter residential rent control laws.  This initiative is called the “Justice for Renters Act” and 546,651 signatures must be gathered in six months and then verified to go to the statewide ballot in 2024. According to…

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How Would Vacancy Control Work in the Real World? By Gideon Kramer, SPOSFI News Editor

In 1980, the city of Berkeley passed a comprehensive strict rent control ordinance, “strict” because it included vacancy control. Under vacancy control, city-mandated price controls continue to apply even after a voluntary vacancy occurs. This all changed in 1995 when the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (AB 1164) became state law, mandating that no local rent control…

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IN THE NEWS: Ninth Circuit Rules Seattle “Fair Chance” Housing Ordinance Unconstitutional

(Court Rules Landlords Can Ask Tenants About Criminal History!) Washington, D.C.:  On March 21, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the government cannot prevent landlords from asking about applicants’ criminal histories when selecting tenants.   In 2017, Seattle passed the “Fair Chance Housing Ordinance,” forbidding landlords from asking about or…

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Letters to the Editor – May 2023

Dear AOA: This “drip-drip-drip” attack on landlords by state and local politicians, from building code upgrades to eviction roadblocks to capped rents, is having a significant negative impact on building development, construction and ownership. As such, we are re-evaluating our multi-family investment goals. If this continues…..it will make it impossible to build anything.    Regards, Al…

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