60-Day Notice for No-Fault Evictions Now Permanent

Effective January 1, 2010, State Law requires landlords to provide at least 60 days’ notice to terminate a residential tenancy. In Santa Monica, tenants may only be evicted from a controlled rental unit for good cause as stated in the Rent Control Law. The 60-day notice provision applies to evictions for owner-occupancy and to lease terminations that are exempt from rent control.

The Santa Monica City Attorney’s office recently launched a web page that explains the City’s new law prohibiting smoking in common areas of all multi-family residences. The law went into effect in February 2009 and covers both multi-unit rental properties and condominiums. For further information, go to http://www.smgov.net/departments/cpu/
smokefree.aspx.

Inside the Fall 2009 edition:

• Guidelines for entering into temporary rent-reduction agreements
• Water conservation tips
• Utility bill assistance programs for low-income households
• Rebate programs that gas and electric companies offer to owners of multi-family buildings
• Other articles of interest to property owners and tenants

Santa Monica’s 2009 General Adjustment is 1% with an $8 floor and a $16 ceiling. The increase for mobile home spaces is 1%.  The Rent Control Law requires the Board to adjust rents each year to cover changes in owners’ operating expenses.