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# Rent hikes are reflection of the times Editor
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/rent-hikes-are-reflection-of-the-times-editor/
- Published: 2006-06-16T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:24:11.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Joel C. Koury Santa Monica*

Your article on the last Rent Control Board meeting (SMDP, June 6, page 1) did a great job stating the different opinions expressed, including mine. However, I just want to clarify a point that was mistakenly attributed to me during the article. To my recollection, none of the tenants that spoke mentioned 2 percent or any other specific number as an acceptable figure for increasing the general adjustment. But your article accurately captured the position of most of the tenants that addressed us, which was, that they were uniformly opposed to any increase in the general adjustment.

The property owners’ and managers’ opinions were less unified about how much to increase the general adjustment. Some agreed that 4 percent was an acceptable increase, while others said that they believe this figure to be insufficient. The only time that anyone mentioned a specific number other than the 4 percent that was ultimately adopted, was when I asked a local property manager what figure he would like to see the board adopt and he responded that he would like to see an increase of at least 5 percent.

The bottom line is, the property owners made a very convincing case that their costs are increasing significantly. Unfortunately, the law required us to increase the general adjustment to help them defray these costs. Under the circumstances, the board did its very best to try and limit any increases to those required by the law, while simultaneously trying to protect our renters who are struggling paying their own bills.

As anyone who has recently paid for a gallon of gasoline knows, since the spend-and-charge Republicans have been in charge in Washington and Sacramento, everything is going up except for wages.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 16, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061606.pdf?ref=smdp.com)