Dear Governor:
I strongly oppose bill AB 828! This bill places an unfair burden on all
landlords who are already severely limited by rent control laws.
Landlords are inundated with property taxes, mortgages, insurance, utility bills, vacancies, repair
and maintenance. We are unable to properly maintain units as needed or get cited by the city or
even get sued by the tenants.
This bill unjustly targets landlords who pay hugely in property taxes to spur the economy. AB
828 is unconstitutional and discriminatory to landlords being the only group required to lose their
life’s work and property by this 25% reduction in rent.
A 25% reduction in rent may cause landlords into unnecessary foreclosures and create massive
hardships forcing us to lose our life’s work and savings and we need the monies to upkeep the
property. A big NO on AB 828. C.M.
Dear Governor Newsom:
My wife and I worked very hard a lifetime and with our savings managed to own a few
apartments units. We are reaching our retirement ages and we are not a big corporate apartment
owner and these units are the main source of income for our family of four. If what is being
proposed in AB 828 becomes law, it will devastate us financially as many small apartment
owners are in the same boat and are barely making it. I ask you to please do not sign AB 828 into
law. Most small apartment owners are living on 10 to 20% margin. A 25% rent cut will have
only one way out and that is foreclosure and devastation. A. Heydar
Dear Governor Newsom:
I saved my money for 40 years to buy my rental units and poured my life savings into it. I took
no vacations and tightened my belt working two jobs to pay the mortgage on the property. Now,
I'm a senior citizen and I depend on the rental income to provide for me.
AB 828 gives judges power to change my rental agreements and to tell me what rent to charge.
It's not right for a judge to abrogate the mutually agreed contractual relationship that I
established with my customer tenants.
No one should have to explain to a judge why they should be allowed to take a cruise or spend
some money, and this dream destroying, anti-American proposal is a slap in the face to those
who saved for the future. Why should anyone invest, maintain and manage rental housing if the
result is government confiscation of property rights and capital.
I urge you to oppose any form of AB 828 which might reach your desk. Rex N.
Dear Governor Newsom:
I wish to express my strong opposition to AB 828. Please identify any other industry that is
being forced to discount their prices by the State of California. Being a landlord is my
business. This is how I pay my bills. I just paid property taxes in San Mateo County and San
Joaquin County; neither county gave me a discount. In fact, I received an email from San Mateo
County informing me that my property taxes were still due. I still have the same expenses that I
had three months ago; none of which have been discounted.
The bill as written does not require a tenant to show that they were affected by the Coronavirus.
This amounts to a windfall to tenants who remain employed and have not suffered an economic
loss as a result of the pandemic.
When will you be forcing grocery stores to discount their prices? The premiums that I pay for
premises insurance are exorbitant. When will they be discounted?
I question the constitutionality of this bill and the statewide rent control that was signed into law
and I hope that the legality of this action is ultimately decided by a Court.
Please remember that while most tenants cannot be bothered to vote; landlords always vote.
Sincerely, Christina W.
Dear Governor Newsom:
This email is to oppose AB 828. WE NEED RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR TENANTS. It is
unfair to force mom and pop landlords to foot the bill, again, for the challenges in our society. It
was not our fault that COVID-19 affected the local economy and the world. We pay our taxes,
our property taxes, our utilities and all the other expenses we are expected to pay to keep our
properties maintained to provide homes for tenants. These expenses go up every year, they do
not decrease, yet, you expect us to take a decrease in rental income?
We do not have a pension, and we do not burden the system. We pay our own way.
I urge you to consider providing rental vouches for tenants. It is the only fair way to address the
challenges they are facing without penalizing the property owner. Thank you for your time,
Rebecca M.
Dear Governor Newsom:
Please do not exercise a legislative mandate to tamper with free enterprise via AB 828.
Landlords and tenants are free to negotiate rents between themselves, and many of us already
have.
To mandate across the board rent reductions when many renters have not been affected by
COVID-19 work employment cutbacks is simply not fair. Others are receiving government
stimulus checks to aide with rent payments, etc.
Additional renter assistance could be provided through a government Rent Voucher initiative in
the same spirit as the stimulus checks. Landlords should not be penalized when other sources
are and could be available to apartment tenants. Please veto AB 828 and use your influence
to discourage its passage at the legislative level. Sincerely, Lincoln F.
Dear Governor Newsom,
Please oppose AB 828.
I am a widowed senior 74 years old who depends on the rental income from a small apartment
building my husband and I built in 1985 for retirement. We owned a small woodworking
business and did not have a pension plan. The apartment income was designated for our future.
After 35 years of maintaining it ourselves, making repairs, painting and cleaning, it would be
very unfair and unjust to deprive me of my income.
I still have a mortgage since I’ve had to refinance a few times to cover large expenses. Until
recently, I drove a car that was over 20 years old in order to save for expenses the building might
require.
My tenants earn more money than I do and drive BMWs while I have a ‘98 Toyota 4
Runner. A few months ago, I finally upgraded to a new Subaru. Not all landlords are rich and
greedy. Although my building was not under rent control until the recent AB 1482, I did not
raise rents more than $50 per year and not every year.
My tenants are grateful for my excellent maintenance of the building and the pride I take in
ownership. They have sent me thank you letters and gift cards. Please veto this punitive
legislation. Thank you. Barbara G.
Dear Governor Newsom:
Please veto AB 828 if the legislature passes it, as it amounts to theft from landlords to tenants. It
is as totalitarian a measure as could be imagined short of passing a law requiring us
(landlords) to support our tenants while they are in need, for whatever they need, and as long
as we can. This is straight from Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” Such support should be provided, if
at all, by the State to the landlord in the form of rent vouchers given to tenants to pay their rent.
Sincerely, Michael B. Green
Dear Governor Gavin Newsom,
I am a 75 year-old woman and handicapped. I worked hard for many years to be able to buy a
fourplex in Los Angeles and it's my source of income and what I live on.
Just now I am renting three apartments of which one decided not to pay rent – a young man who
will have to pay his past due rent in payments – with no interest and no late payments. Which
bank give loans with such conditions? Why the banks are not required to do the same? Isn't it
the responsibility of the government to assist its citizens? What about Section 8, or the cities
pick up the rents.
I do understand that some tenants have hardship, but I also see some take advantage of these
rulings. What about us – the seniors that invested in a building to support us in our old age?
We are not bankers. We cannot support tenants. Not all of us millionaires. We have to eat
as well and pay our expenses and the building's expenses by ourselves without help.
Did you think about those tenants that will decide not to pay, and the future legal fees we will
incur?
We are "small businesses" and we are being asked to pay the customers' expenses. They are
getting support from the state and federal government. WE DON'T.
I don't see any Senators or Congressmen giving away their pension incomes. I hope you will take
it into consideration and reconsider some of your decisions. We need help as badly as the
tenants. Thanks, Livia
To: Governor Newsom
RE: NO MORE FREE RENT!
Please use government vouchers instead!
My business is rental homes. I have 20 tenants, mostly in Riverside County. I work for myself from my
home and have for decades.
My tenants live paycheck to paycheck. When they fall behind – they never catch up. Every single time
they do not pay rent, they are "borrowing" money from me. It NEVER gets paid back, because they are
“not collectable.”
Evicting a tenant here costs a minimum of $1,000. They almost always cause much further damage to
my home during the three months it normally takes to get them out – and I am out the rent also.
And now you are telling them not to pay – and that I will cover for them.
Is there any other person you are asking to pay huge bills for strangers? I don't think so. That’s what
your rainy day savings is for. That’s what your family is for. That what your friends are for. AND
THAT’S WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS FOR! It is wrong to make me do it.
On my own with no mandate – I sent every tenant a 10% rental reduction for April (and again today for
May). They said thank you and took it. And surprisingly, they PAID THE RENT. But I am very fearful
of what the next month could bring. If they don't pay, I lose my home. And theirs.
I will volunteer to be on any task force or committee to help make this happen.
Thank you to you and your staff for everything (except this!) that you are doing during this
virus. I can't imagine the stress and strain.
Sincerely, Lynn J. Bower (just one person; not a big company or a bank!)
.
Editor’s Note: A special thank you to everyone who wrote letters to our Governor and/or
politicians. YOU are the voices of AOA and we need to be heard!