TITLE
Recommendation to direct City Attorney to draft an urgency ordinance establishing a temporary prohibition on substantial remodel lease termination notices and evictions, effective immediately. The urgency ordinance shall state that violation of the ordinance shall constitute an affirmative defense to an eviction. The prohibition shall remain in effect until the City Council has considered and taken final action with respect to the proposed renovation administration program; and
Direct City Manager and City Attorney to work with the California Apartment Association, the Apartment Association of Southern California Cities, Long Beach Residents Empowered, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and other appropriate stakeholders and experts to prepare a report and return to City Council within 90 days (i) exploring the feasibility and costs associated with establishing a renovation administration program to ensure landlords can invest in renovation work without subjecting tenants to either untenantable housing conditions during renovation work or forced permanent displacement, and (ii) removing substantial remodels from the list of no-fault just cause evictions in connection with the establishment of such program.
DISCUSSION
In 2019, to address the statewide housing crisis and rising rental costs, California legislators passed AB 1482, the Tenant Protection Act. This landmark tenant protections bill placed limits on residential rent increases and requires landlords to show just cause when seeking to terminate residential tenancies. The bill enumerates many just cause reasons, which are categorized as “at-fault” and “no-fault.” The bill lists substantially remodeling a unit as a no-fault just cause, allowing for landlords to cite unit remodeling as the basis for terminating tenancies. In February 2020, the Long Beach
City Council moved to protect vulnerable renters by requiring landlords to acquire construction permits from the City before notifying tenan...
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