Written Communications – Item 7.2
Wood – Received 2/20/2024
From: Melanie Woods
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 9:25 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: 7.2 Tenant Protection Ordinance: Updates to the Chula Vista Residential Tenant Protection Ordinance, CVMC Chapter 9.65, to Remain Consistent with Recently Adopted California Senate Bill 567
WARNING - This email originated from outside the City of Chula Vista. Do not click any links and do not open attachments unless you can confirm the sender.
PLEASE REPORT SUSPICIOUS EMAILS BY USING THE PHISH ALERT REPORT BUTTON or to [email protected]
Honorable Mayor and City Council,
On behalf of the California Apartment Association (CAA), I would like to express my support for the changes to the Tenant Protection Ordinance to align with state law. CAA is the nation’s largest statewide trade group representing owners, investors, developers, managers, and suppliers of rental apartment communities. We have over 13,00 members representing more than 60,000 industry professionals. CAA members are invested in over 11,000 multifamily units in the City of Chula Vista.
As you may know, the State of California has been heralded for having the “strongest tenant protections in the nation” through the adoption of AB 1482 (Chiu) in 2019. This legislation established a statewide, consistent standard to protect renters from excessive rent increases and arbitrary evictions. While we may not agree with all of the policy changes to AB 1482 made in SB 567, consistency with state law allows for better compliance and consistent implementation across the state.
Section 9.65.080(D)(1) which mimics AB 567 penalty provision by providing that non-compliant owners can be held liable for treble damages and punitive damages in the event the owner is found to have acted willfully or with malice. While we do not defend the actions of such property owners, we would argue that the civil penalties and treble/punitive damages are intended to serve the same purpose and conclude that the city should use choose one or the other and not both.
We appreciate the stakeholder process and the proactive communication and transparency from city staff. Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments prior to the finalized ordinance changes. Stacey Kurz and her team truly go above and beyond to keep stakeholder partners informed. We hope to continue to work together towards an ordinance that is fair for housing providers and tenants.
Sincerely,
Melanie Woods Vice President, Local Public Affairs
California Apartment Association
CAA Services: Events and Education Insurance Tenant Screening You don't often get email from. Learn why this is important