SANTA MONICA—On December 3, the city of Santa Monica announced that the City Attorney’s Office and Rent Control Board is inviting Santa Monica landlords, tenants, property managers, service providers, and community partners to attend the annual Landlord/Tenant Forum on Wednesday, December 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Main Public Library’s Martin Luther King Auditorium.
The event is an opportunity to receive updates on key housing-related issues and engage directly with staff from both agencies. This year’s topics include:
-Rent Control Regulation 3035 and Price Gouging Laws – A discussion of the newly passed amendment to rent control regulations limiting “banked” rent adjustments to a maximum of 10% of monthly rent per year, along with a brief overview of protections against price gouging during emergencies.
-Vacant Property Registry and Rental Housing Registry – Overview of these two new City programs, their requirements, compliance deadlines and enforcement processes.
-Expansion of the Preserving Our Diversity (POD) Program – Information on program growth and anticipated impacts.
-Tenant Protection Litigation Updates – A review of tenant harassment, relocation, and fair housing cases the Consumer Protection Unit has recently litigated.
-S-MMC Chapter 6.22 Discussion – Overview of medium-term leasing requirements and enforcement.
Seating is limited and registration is required. Call (310) 458-8336 to register. A recording of the Landlord/Tenant Forum will be made available on the city’s YouTube channel following the event.
The workshop is for Santa Monica tenants to learn more about services and resources available through the Rent Control Agency, such as details about how rent and amenities are determined, protections against eviction and remedies available for issues related to excess rent, amenities and maintenance. The seminar is free and open to the public, and reservations are not required. A similar seminar for tenants in English is planned for the spring.
For more details and for a description of the event in Spanish, visit www.santamonica.gov/rent-control-seminars-and-newsletters and read the fall edition of Rent Control News in Spanish or call the Rent Control Agency at (310) 458-8751.
By Danny Jones