Bill That Lengthens Rent Increase Notice for Tenants to Go Before Senate

Assembly Bill 1110, which would require a 90 days’ notice of an increase of rent if it changes by 10 percent or more, faces its final major voting hurdle in the Senate.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), originally had given a 120-day notice for rent hikes of 15% or more. However, this was lessened to 90 days with a rent increase of 10% following Amendments in May and in early September.

The Globe spoke to a representative from Assemblywoman Friedman’s office on why she introduced and supports the bill.

“Rents have been increasing 10, 20, 30 percent in her district, and in many places in California,” said the representative. “It takes a long time and a lot of resources to find a new place to live and to move. Many people don’t know what they’re going to do.

This is why Friedman and the city of Glendale, who are both sponsoring the bill, are for this. In the current market, 30 to 60 days is not enough time to adequately find another place to live. Ninety days gives tenants that much more time to reorganize and find a new place to live.”

Neighborhood and tenant groups are also largely in favor of the bill. One community organization in nearby Burbank told the Globe in an e-mail “We’ve heard horror stories of residents having to move to their car for a few weeks because they weren’t given enough time to move. One resident here was actually given their notice while visiting their dying mother in Florida for several weeks. What that [bill] would do would protect people who got the notice at the wrong time like that. Or can’t easily view apartments because they’re working all the time.”

“This is the humane thing to do.”

Many housing and property associations, such as the California Business Properties Association (CBPA), oppose AB 1110. They say with current California tenant rights, this would make it harder to get another tenant, and could possibly raise the risk of the property.

“Ninety days means another 30 days where the tenant doesn’t care,” explained a Glendale contractor who didn’t wish to be named. “If you have a tenant with not enough money being forced out, they’ll damage units and not care. A lot of contractors fix apartments solely because of that.

A lot of landlords are worried about that, and I can see why a lot of them don’t want that.”

The bill, which is expected to be passed through to the Governor, would not change the current 30 days notice law, where only 30 days notice required if the increase in rent is less than 10 percent.