Pending law would require landlords to pay displaced tenants
CITY HALL Landlords will have to pay their tenants $135 for each day they are unable to live in their apartments due to repairs or remodels under an ordinance the City Council is expected to approve Tuesday.
The ordinance, which has been months in the making, quantifies per diem amounts for temporary relocation benefits,a move that was deemed necessary after tenants and landlords complained about ambiguity. City officials said disputes arose over the quality of motels or hotels to which a tenant could be relocated, as well as pet accommodations and meals.
After researching prices at “modest” hotels in Santa Monica, including the Best Western, Comfort Inn, Days Inn and Travelodge, city staff came up with an average daily rate of $135.
In addition, landlords would also be required to pay their tenants $25 a day for meals,a figure city staff devised after looking at the average, per diem meal allowances given to city and state employees. Those allowances range between $34 and $45 a day. The reason why staff set the meal allowance at $25 is because it felt the figure was reasonable given that unrelocated tenants have substantial meal expenses anyway, and the benefit is supposed to be for only partial compensation.
Tenants also would be given $1 a day for laundry, if those relocated have their own washer and dryer or use those provided by the landlord. If a tenant goes to a laundro-mat to clean their clothes, they will receive no money from their landlord.
Pets are also included in the ordinance. If a tenant can’t bring their pet along with them, landlords would pay $45 a day to place dogs in a kennel, $25 a day for cats.
City staff came up with those figures after looking at boarding rates at Santa Monica’s only kennel.
If a tenant decides to leave their pet with a family member or a friend, they would not be reimbursed.
The benefits only apply to those tenants who are not responsible for their relocation. A tenant who causes damages to an apartment would have to pay their own way.
The new benefits will not sit well with landlords, said Carl Lambert, president of Action Apartment Association, which represents property owners in Santa Monica.
“I think the numbers are outrageous,” Lambert said. “They will prevent responsible owners from remodeling and repairing their buildings. Additionally, owners will no longer allow any dogs or cats in their buildings, as they would be obligated to pay for relocation of those animals,for instance,if they had to do fumigations, which happens periodically.”
Lambert said the new benefits would make owners think twice about to whom they rent and whether they want to remain in the rental market. Lambert said many would be tempted to “Ellis” their buildings, meaning landlords would evict all of their tenants, demolish the apartments and replace them with condominiums for sale.
“As owners become more careful about who they rent their property to or withhold units from the market, the rents in Santa Monica will go up,” Lambert said. “The landlords were not invited to the bargaining table. This is something the City Council intends to ram down our throats like other failed programs.”
Deputy City Attorney Adam Radinsky said the Housing Department was responsible for researching costs associated with relocation and he is confident the figures are fair for both landlords and their tenants.
“Obviously, this is not an exact science,” Radinsky said.“I think the figures being proposed are seen as a middle ground based on the evidence that was available.”
If approved Tuesday, the ordinance would take effect in 30 days.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 14, 2007. Read the original PDF.