NEWS ALERT: Glendale Pauses For Now on Increased Restrictions and Fees

At its August 22^nd meeting, the Glendale City Council received a laundry list of bad policy recommendations in a report from its Ad Hoc Committee and Staff that would substantially change the current Rental Rights Program. AAGLA successfully advocated against the recommendations causing the City Council to pause taking further actions on the recommendations and instead directed Staff to come back in October with further refined recommendations.

Key policy recommendations that will come back to the City Council at a future meeting include:

1. Substantially increased relocation fees for ALL No-Fault tenancy terminations, including in cases of owner move-ins
2. Removal of income qualification for renters who receive relocation fees, so that even middle- and high-income renters would receive relocation benefit payments
3. New administrative fees as punishment for rental housing providers
4. Removal of recognition that Mom-and-Pop owners are unable to pay relocation fees in the same amounts as larger corporate owners

AAGLA forcefully argued in-person and in formal, written comments against the proposed recommendations for the creation of a Vacancy Tax and Rental Registry.  As a result, Staff stated at the meeting that they would not pursue such policies going forward.

AAGLA urged the City Council to take actions that would encourage harmonious relationships between renters and rental housing providers by creating a new, non-binding, voluntary mediation program along with an accompanying marketing program. The City Council will consider taking action on this item at its meeting next week on Tuesday, August 29^th.

As we know that the City Council will once again entertain some of the same extremely detrimental policies on relocation fees, no limitations on attorney’s fees, new administrative fees, and rental registry, among others in October, we strongly urge our impacted members in Glendale to immediately join an AAGLA advocacy team by emailing Max Sherman at Max@aagla.org.  Our advocacy team members will join us for one-on-one discussions with City Council members to share their personal stories of how these policies will cause severe damage to them as local mom-and-pop rental housing providers. We will also provide training to team members in September to be fully prepared for the October City Council meeting.

We will continue to keep our members informed regarding the upcoming City Council meetings as additional information becomes available.

This article is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions regarding your property or specific tenancies and the requirements of any local law changes described herein, please consult with an attorney.