Rent control in Los Angeles (Sacramento: 2013, for rent, neighborhoods)

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by lesallimc

"The tenant can go elsewhere."

Seriously? Not that simple... Guess "owners" don't want to acknowledge that as has been explained time and time again in this thread. I wonder if the government utilized eminent domain on these same owners how they would feel. Apparently, only renters have feelings...

It happens all the time. The Govt buys the property from property owners and pays them the market rate. Just like owners pay renters under rent control to move. If they are old, they get a lot more. How do you think all these new schools in Los Angeles county were built over the past 10-15 years. Govt bought out large sections of land, tore down the buildings and built and sometimes they did not build.

[SandyCo]

Rent control abuse, really?

I'm going to use myself as an example. I moved to Sherman Oaks in 1997. The rent for my two-bedroom apartment was $725. Even under rent control, by the time I moved out in 2009, it was $1,036. That's a 43% increase over twelve years. I can guarantee that my salary certainly didn't increase that much! I'm lucky if it increased maybe 1-2% per year.

When I moved to another apartment in 2009, my rent became $1,395 - the market rate, and a 35% increase from what I was paying at the other place. I'm lucky that I now get paid extra on top of my salary, or I'd still be living in the rent-controlled hovel. I'm also lucky that the economy tanked in 2008, because by mid-2009 I was finally able to find a nice two-bedroom for a reasonable price; I'm sure this apartment was renting for at least $1,600 in 2007!

I wanted to move from my old apartment since at least 2006 (when my son graduated from high school), and probably even earlier but I simply couldn't afford to. I had two kids and no child support (long story, but I basically picked the wrong guy to marry and have babies with). So tell me, please, how exactly was I abusing rent control?

To be honest, I'd never live in another rent-controlled building again. My experience with it was awful. And I agree with what you said about low-income tenants, too. Section 8 has been terribly abused by people who are used to living off the system, and everything in my old building started to go downhill when the owner decided to begin renting to Section 8 recipients.

The owner of that building was one step up from a slumlord. I can't even remember how many times the pool turned green and mossy because the pump broke and he couldn't be bothered to get it fixed. The paint was peeling all over the place, because he hires cheap labor and they don't know how to paint properly, and they use cheap materials. God help you if you have a plumbing issue, because the maintenance voice mail box was always full. However, my old apartment sat on the market for nine months before it was rented, so he was obviously penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Greggd1, please remember there are two sides to every story. I was able to get out, but not everyone is as fortunate. The truth is that good tenants are not valued, anymore, and that's sad.

Originally Posted by greggd1

Rent Control for Seniors is one thing, but for a younger person or family, its being abused when used as long term housing.

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

Rent control abuse, really?

I'm going to use myself as an example. I moved to Sherman Oaks in 1997. The rent for my two-bedroom apartment was $725. Even under rent control, by the time I moved out in 2009, it was $1,036. That's a 43% increase over twelve years. I can guarantee that my salary certainly didn't increase that much! I'm lucky if it increased maybe 1-2% per year.

When I moved to another apartment in 2009, my rent became $1,395 - the market rate, and a 35% increase from what I was paying at the other place. I'm lucky that I now get paid extra on top of my salary, or I'd still be living in the rent-controlled hovel. I'm also lucky that the economy tanked in 2008, because by mid-2009 I was finally able to find a nice two-bedroom for a reasonable price; I'm sure this apartment was renting for at least $1,600 in 2007!

I wanted to move from my old apartment since at least 2006 (when my son graduated from high school), and probably even earlier but I simply couldn't afford to. I had two kids and no child support (long story, but I basically picked the wrong guy to marry and have babies with). So tell me, please, how exactly was I abusing rent control?

To be honest, I'd never live in another rent-controlled building again. My experience with it was awful. And I agree with what you said about low-income tenants, too. Section 8 has been terribly abused by people who are used to living off the system, and everything in my old building started to go downhill when the owner decided to begin renting to Section 8 recipients.

The owner of that building was one step up from a slumlord. I can't even remember how many times the pool turned green and mossy because the pump broke and he couldn't be bothered to get it fixed. The paint was peeling all over the place, because he hires cheap labor and they don't know how to paint properly, and they use cheap materials. God help you if you have a plumbing issue, because the maintenance voice mail box was always full. However, my old apartment sat on the market for nine months before it was rented, so he was obviously penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Greggd1, please remember there are two sides to every story. I was able to get out, but not everyone is as fortunate. The truth is that good tenants are not valued, anymore, and that's sad.

A condo purchased in or near sherman oaks in 1998-2000 you would have had a mortgage of about the same with minimal downpayment.

The entire City of LA is rent controlled.

You may not have abused rent control, but there are many that do and in doing so, they abuse and screw themselves as they have missed opportunities to move on to something better. Obviously this isnt 100% the case, but I would say much more than not. There are also many property owners who are penny pinching fools that do the minimum and set themselves up for negligence claims.

[lesallimc]

Originally Posted by greggd1

A condo purchased in or near sherman oaks in 1998-2000 you would have had a mortgage of about the same with minimal downpayment.

The entire City of LA is rent controlled.

You may not have abused rent control, but there are many that do and in doing so, they abuse and screw themselves as they have missed opportunities to move on to something better. Obviously this isnt 100% the case, but I would say much more than not. There are also many property owners who are penny pinching fools that do the minimum and set themselves up for negligence claims.

There are many reasons people choose to rent over purchase that may not have anything to do with money.

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by lesallimc

There are many reasons people choose to rent over purchase that may not have anything to do with money.

ok good. then in that case, there should be no problem in finding another unit to "rent" if an owner wants to occupy "his" unit.

[lesallimc]

Originally Posted by greggd1

ok good. then in that case, there should be no problem in finding another unit to "rent" if an owner wants to occupy "his" unit.

Not sure what the correlation between preferring to rent and ease of finding a unit to rent is, but if you see it, then good for you.

[Samiamnh]

Why would anyone even want to life in a 3rd world sewer like LA ?

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by lesallimc

Not sure what the correlation between preferring to rent and ease of finding a unit to rent is, but if you see it, then good for you.

Not sure you read the discussion either

[mading6]

I am a landlord in Los Angeles myself from a different city and let me tell you the nightmare of owning our apartment building was HELL! We finally sold it at the end of last year. You as a landlord basically have NO RIGHTS, none! I have come to honestly think that Los Angeles does not want to house these people so they make private owners subsidize them, dead serious!

Just wait for your SCEP inspection. My big building imspection was hell, they were thinking of pressing criminal charges on me for No window screens. Insanity with one oppurtunity to correct problem. Well i camt prevent tenants from ripping out window screens, pleeaaassseee. My other smaller building's SCEP imspection was a breeze.

The only for sure way to evict a tenant is through non- payment of rent. That is the easiest, quickest way to evict someone.

I could give you a phone number to our evictions attorney or you can basically just call an evictions attorney in Los Angeles and a lot of them give free advice over the phone.

Good luck!

[jaleh]

Well, after all that, one of my tenants moved out on their own...what a relief. I didn't have to do anything. Actually lots of tenants are moving out in that neighborhood. My sister is moving in and we are all set.