Bill Text: CA AB36 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Residential tenancies: rent control.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB36 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB36-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 26, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 36

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Introduced by Assembly Member Bloom
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta and Chiu)

December 03, 2018

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An act to amend Section 1954.52 of the Civil Code, relating to residential rental housing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 36, as amended, Bloom. Affordable housing: rental prices. Residential tenancies: rent control.

Existing law, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, prescribes statewide limits on the application of local rent control with regard to certain properties. That act, among other things, authorizes an owner of residential real property to establish the initial and all subsequent rental rates for a dwelling or unit that has been issued a certificate of occupancy after February 1, 1995, has already been exempt from a residential rent control ordinance as of February 1, 1995, pursuant to a local exemption for newly constructed units, or is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit or is a subdivided interest in a subdivision and meets specified requirements, subject to certain exceptions.

This bill would modify those provisions to authorize an owner of residential real property to establish the initial and all subsequent rental rates for a dwelling or unit that has been issued its first certificate of occupancy within 10 years of the date upon which the owner seeks to establish the initial or subsequent rental rate, or for a dwelling or unit that is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit or is a subdivided interest in a subdivision and the owner is a natural person who owns 2 or more residential units within the same jurisdiction as the dwelling or unit for which the owner seeks to establish the initial or subsequent rental rate, subject to certain exceptions.

Existing law declares that the Legislature has provided specified reforms and incentives to facilitate and expedite the construction of affordable housing, and provides a list of statutes to that effect.

This bill would state the findings and declarations of the Legislature that, among other things, affordable housing has reached a crisis stage that threatens the quality of life of millions of Californians as well as the state economic outlook. This bill also would express the Legislature’s intent to enact legislation in order to stabilize rental prices and increase the availability of affordable rental housing.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 1954.52 of the Civil Code is amended to read:

1954.52.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an owner of residential real property may establish the initial and all subsequent rental rates for a dwelling or a unit about which any of the following is true: if either of the following apply:

(1) It has a been issued its first residential certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995. within 10 years of the date upon which the owner seeks to establish the initial or subsequent rental rate.

(2)It has already been exempt from the residential rent control ordinance of a public entity on or before February 1, 1995, pursuant to a local exemption for newly constructed units.

(3)

(2) (A) It is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit or is a subdivided interest in a subdivision, as specified in subdivision (b), (d), or (f) of Section 11004.5 of the Business and Professions Code. Code, and the owner is a natural person who owns two or fewer residential units within the same jurisdiction as the dwelling or unit for which the owner seeks to establish the initial or subsequent rental rate.

(B) This paragraph does not apply to either of the following:

(i) A dwelling or unit where the preceding tenancy has been terminated by the owner by notice pursuant to Section 1946.1 or has been terminated upon a change in the terms of the tenancy noticed pursuant to Section 827.

(ii) A condominium dwelling or unit that has not been sold separately by the subdivider to a bona fide purchaser for value. The initial rent amount of the unit for purposes of this chapter shall be the lawful rent in effect on May 7, 2001, unless the rent amount is governed by a different provision of this chapter. However, if a condominium dwelling or unit meets the criteria of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a), or if all the dwellings or units except one have been sold separately by the subdivider to bona fide purchasers for value, and the subdivider has occupied that remaining unsold condominium dwelling or unit as his or her the subdivider’s principal residence for at least one year after the subdivision occurred, then subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) shall apply to that unsold condominium dwelling or unit.

(C) Where If a dwelling or unit in which the initial or subsequent rental rates are controlled by an ordinance or charter provision in effect on January 1, 1995, the following shall apply:

(i) An owner of real property as described in this paragraph may establish the initial and all subsequent rental rates for all existing and new tenancies in effect on or after January 1, 1999, if the tenancy in effect on or after January 1, 1999, was created between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1998.

(ii) Commencing on January 1, 1999, an owner of real property as described in this paragraph may establish the initial and all subsequent rental rates for all new tenancies if the previous tenancy was in effect on December 31, 1995.

(iii) The initial rental rate for a dwelling or unit as described in this paragraph in which the initial rental rate is controlled by an ordinance or charter provision in effect on January 1, 1995, may not, until January 1, 1999, exceed the amount calculated pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1954.53. An owner of residential real property as described in this paragraph may, until January 1, 1999, establish the initial rental rate for a dwelling or unit only where if the tenant has voluntarily vacated, abandoned, or been evicted pursuant to paragraph (2) of Section 1161 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply where if the owner has otherwise agreed by contract with a public entity in consideration for a direct financial contribution or any other forms of assistance specified in Chapter 4.3 (commencing with Section 65915) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the authority of a public entity that may otherwise exist to regulate or monitor the basis for eviction.

(d) This section does not apply to any dwelling or unit that contains serious health, safety, fire, or building code violations, excluding those caused by disasters for which a citation has been issued by the appropriate governmental agency and which has remained unabated for six months or longer preceding the vacancy.

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)California is home to some of the most expensive places to live in the United States with six of the nation’s 11 most expensive large metropolitan rental markets according to a 2018 report by the Public Policy Institute of California.

(b)According to a report by the Department of Housing and Community Development, approximately 82 percent of renter households are considered “burdened” because they spend 30 percent to 50 percent of their annual income on rent, with some spending more than 50 percent.

(c)In the last two decades, rents in California have increased an astounding 60 percent.

(d)Nearly 40 percent of persons 18 to 34 years of age live with their parents.

(e)Housing affordability is a leading cause of the dramatic increase in homelessness in California which now has approximately 134,000 people living on the streets constituting 25 percent of the nation’s homeless.

(f)Affordable housing has reached a crisis stage that threatens not only the quality of life for millions of Californians every day but also the state economic outlook.

(g)It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that will stabilize rental prices and increase the availability of affordable rental units.