Real Estate Law Blog
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Richmond’s Rent Control Measure Hangs On
Richmond’s rent control is under attack by the California Apartment Association.
The first strike came on January 6th, when the California Apartment Association filed a lawsuit against the City of Richmond over the rent control measure, which went into effect this past December 30th.
It’s no surprise that the Association, which represents landlords, would file a lawsuit. It spent slightly over $1 million to defeat rent control measures on the ballot this past November in Richmond, Mountain View, San Mateo, Burlingame, and Alameda, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Don’t Be Fooled by the Recent Decreasing Rent News
There’s been a bunch of articles recently touting the improved rental market in San Francisco and other cities in the Bay Area.
“Winter Continues to Cool Off San Francisco’s Rental Market,” claims SFCurbed. “S.F. Rents Down More Than Any Other Large U.S. City,” states SFGate. “Bay Area Tenants Get Some Relief as Rents Continue to Slide” says The Mercury News.
Yes, recent statistics show a cooling off on the upward rise of apartment rents in San Francisco and in some other parts of the Bay Area. The asking rate might even be a little reduced from 2016’s levels.
The Case of the Winning Defendant
Court opinions can be like reality television shows. They both have lots of drama.
Unlike reality television, though, court opinions include lots of fun legal stuff.
Checklist for Tenant Estoppels
The landlord or his realtor presents you with a document asking you about the details of your lease. You sign it without thinking about it. Did you just unknowingly give away some of your tenant rights?
In my last blog, “Tenant Estoppel Certificates: The Hidden Trap,” I wrote about the importance of tenant estoppels. This is a form you might receive if your landlord sells your building.
If you’re not in the legal field, you could get fooled into thinking that estoppels aren’t important.
Tenant Estoppel Certificates: The Hidden Trap
A “tenant estoppel certificate” sounds like something boring. But it can be critical in preserving your tenant’s rights.
Money and Owner Move-in Evictions
Can you get money from your landlord if he wrongfully used an owner move-in eviction?
Maybe. An investigative report by NBC Bay Area suggests that it’s relatively easy. But be forewarned: you as a tenant will likely have hoops to jump through.
Did Rent Control Win Big at the Ballot Box?
If you didn’t like the results of the presidential election, there still might be a bright spot for you as a tenant.
Five Bay Area cities had tenant rent control measures on the ballot last Tuesday. All of these measures were created through voters collecting enough signatures.
Winning My First Eviction Case
Here’s an article I wrote that was published in the November 2016 The Bar Association of San Francisco Bulletin. It was fun to remember my first experience as a volunteer lawyer and to reflect on how far I’m come:
Eviction by Fire
Nine tenants were left homeless by another fire that damaged an apartment building in the Mission district about 17 days ago.
There’s been a rash of them. This 2-alarm fire took 66 firefighters about an hour and a half to put out. A SFGATE article noted that the fire “caused no injuries.”
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Mary Catherine Wiederhold
Real Estate Attorney
1458 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 533-0735
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