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Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare an urgency ordinance to repeal Long Beach Municipal Code Section 8.97 relating to Tenant Relocation Assistance effective December 31, 2019; and
Direct City Manager to create a Senior and Disabled Household Security Deposit Assistance Program for qualified lower-income households and identify up to $250,000 in non-General Fund funding for the program. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On June 11, 2019, the City Council adopted Ordinance 19-0014 amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapter 8.97 relating to Tenant Relocation Assistance (City Regulation) (Attachment A). The City Regulation requires certain rental property owners to pay relocation assistance payments of between $2,706 and $4,500 to tenants that receive a notice of rent increase that totals 10 percent or more in any 12 consecutive month period, to tenants receiving a notice to vacate due to the landlord’s rehabilitation of the unit, or to tenants in good standing that receive a notice of non-renewal or notice to vacate.
The State Legislature subsequently passed, and the Governor signed, Assembly Bill 1482, the “State Tenant Protection Act” (State Regulation) (Attachment B), which will be effective as of January 1, 2020. The State Regulation contains two major operative provisions, the first of which requires that landlords may only terminate tenancies if they have just cause to do so, and the second of which restricts the amount by which landlords may increase rent.
There are two categories of just cause provisions included in the State Regulation, those where the tenant is “at-fault” and those where the tenant bears “no-fault.” If a tenancy is terminated due to a recognized “no-fault” just cause, then landlords are required to make a relocation payment equal to one month’s actual rent.
Both the City Regulation and the State Regulation will apply to landlords and tenants in the City at the same time. The conditions under which relocati...
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