Pasadena has a new rent protection after the Eaton fire

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board passed this week A number of amendments to his housing regulations for the protection of displaced residents and at the same time to ensure stable recovery of the Eaton fire for tenants and landlords.

Ryan Bell, chairman of Pasadena Rental Housing Board, spoke to Laist to explain what has changed.

1. Protection for non -authorized inmates and pets

If you are now If you share your rent with people or pets that were victims of the fire, you cannot be punished, even if it violates your lease.

“Some rental contracts say that they cannot add the occupants without permission or that they cannot have a pet,” says Bell. “These rental contract provisions are temporarily replaced.”

This could affect any Palisades to Altadena who protect themselves from friends and family in Pasadena, says Bell.

The change takes place according to a similar state protection, which was drawn up by an executive regulation issued by governor Gavino Newsom, at the beginning of March.

From February 28th it will stay in force for 90 days (that is in the middle of the last week of May).

2. Fee reimbursements for landlords who have lost entire buildings

Landlords who paid the annual rental fee of $ 214.71 per unit are available for a prored reimbursement.

“There were residential units that burned to the bottom. And landlords had already registered these units and paid the fee, ”says Bell.

Bell says that only about a dozen landlords will be affected by the change, but adds that it is not fair to “pay a fee for something that simply no longer exists”.

3 .. enable

Landlords can now temporarily lower rents without changing the basic rent.

A large part of Pasadena's rental stocks is subject to the rental control laws, which limit annual rent increases to 3% above the basic rent.

“But if a landlord wants to help me because I have lost income due to the fire,” says Bell, “you could give me three months with a 500 US dollar discount and then bring it back to 2,000 US dollars without punishment.”

Bell says the idea came from a landlord. “We thought that made sense,” says Bell.

There is no maximum time in which landlords can offer a reduced price, but they have to supply the tenants before restoring the original rent at least 30 days in advance.

4. short -term rentals

Rental conditions are usually set if you stay somewhere for more than 30 days, including a motel or a hotel.

In order to prevent displaced people from moving every 29 days, Newsom has temporarily suspended this rule.

“We essentially also took over this on site and there were a little longer,” says Bell.

The regulation applies wherever a temporary occupancy tax pays, including hotels, motels and airbnbs. It expires on May 1st.

5. No evacuation for non -payment

La County recently passed a resolution that prevents evacuations for non -payment if the tenant was financially damaged by the fires. The city of Pasadena strengthens this protection by handing over local regulations.

The tenants also have to prove that they are aiming for an income replacement, such as:

The result, says Bell, is: “If you have lost your job due to the fire or otherwise have been financially influenced, you cannot be sold for non -payment for six months.”