Rent control is a hot topic in Beverly Hills, as well as in other cities across Los Angeles County and California. With sky-high rents and limited housing options, many tenants are looking for ways to protect themselves from unfair rent increases and evictions. To help renters understand their rights and the regulations in place, here is a comprehensive guide to rent control in Beverly Hills.The City of Beverly Hills has long been a leader in tenant protection. In the early 1990s, the City Council passed Chapter 5 of Title 4, 'Regulation of Certain Types of Businesses and Activities', which established rent control regulations.
This law limited the amount of rent that landlords could increase each year, based on the change in consumer prices. It also prohibited landlords from evicting tenants without just cause. In addition to Chapter 5, the City Council also created a Rental Housing Inspection Program to ensure that rental units were up to code. However, this program was never implemented due to opposition from landlords.
In response, the City Council created a new rent stabilization office and commissioned a study of rent control ordinances.In 1995, the City Council passed Rent Stabilization Part II (also known as Chapter 6 of Title 4). This law extended tenant protections to other households in rental housing. It also established a registry of rental units, as recommended by the Human Relations Commission. Under California's new restrictions, tenants who have lived in rent-controlled units for more than a year can generally only be evicted when they are at fault.
This includes not paying rent or violating the terms of their lease agreement. Tenants who are evicted without just cause may be eligible for relocation assistance from the City.To make rent-controlled units available to new tenants, landlords often resort to “cash for keys” offers, in which they effectively pay tenants to leave. Most apartments (but not single-family homes and condos) built before 1995 in California are subject to the state's rent limit. To determine if your apartment is subject to rent control, you can check the Los Angeles Department of Housing and Community Investment website.
In the “appraiser” tab, you will find the date of construction of the building and in the “housing” tab you can find out if it is under rent control.With California's new restrictions now in place, tenants who have lived in rent-controlled units for more than a year can generally only be evicted when they are at fault, for example, if they haven't paid or violated the terms of their lease agreement. Most importantly, these measures also provide some protection against eviction and cash payments should a tenant be forced to move out of their apartment.Rent control is an important issue for many Los Angeles residents. By understanding the regulations in place and knowing your rights as a tenant, you can protect yourself from unfair rent increases and evictions.
