SANTA MONICA— The Santa Monica Rent Control Board will have a virtual meeting on Thursday, August 13 at 7 p.m., regarding an appeal for a rent increase and a job opening for the Rent Control Board’s legal counsel.
As the meeting schedule details, after announcements pertaining to the Rent Control Board and time allocated for public comment, the board will take action on the two aforementioned items.
The first, a jurisdictional item, is an appeal from a landlord for a rent increase who believes his tenants are no longer occupying his property as their primary residence since 2017. Previously, a hearing officer denied the landlord’s petition, resulting in the owner’s appeal to the Rent Control Board.
Under Santa Monica Regulation 3304, “A property owner who believes that a rental unit is not being used as the tenant’s principal place of residence may file [a] petition to seek a determination that the tenant is ‘not in occupancy.’” If the petition is approved, the property owner will be granted a one-time rent increase by the board.
The staff report on the matter confirmed the following:
“Because the record shows that Santa Monica has not served as (their primary) residence since 2017, and their extended absence is not excused under the Board’s regulations, staff recommends that the Board reverse the hearing officer’s decision.” If the hearing officer’s decision is reversed, the MAR of the unit will be increased to $2,435.
The next item the Rent Control Board will discuss is the means to recruit and hire a new General Counsel for the board. According to the General Counsel’s job summary, the position would act as legal counsel for the board, represent the board in litigation, and participate in recommending and implementing policy changes.
For information on how to participate or stream the virtual meeting, click here.
