CalRHA Policy Update - March 2024

The Governor’s Legislative Secretary, Christy Buoma, is leaving and has been replaced by Christine Aurre, who has served as Newsom’s Deputy Legislative Affairs Secretary since 2022. Prior to that, she was Legislative Director in the Office of State Senate Majority Leader Robert Hertzberg from 2019 to 2022. Aurre was Legislative Assistant in the Office of State Assemblymember Patrick O'Donnell from 2015 to 2019.

Leaders from CalRHA met with Governor Newsom’s Legislative Deputy for housing/rental housing issues, Myles White, in March where we discussed key legislation that has been introduced so far, as well as creative ways to help fund rent assistance in the state.

With the March 5th primary behind us, you may access the election results here. Close contests may be found here.

Finally, the Governor will be giving his State of the State on March 18th.

Legislative Update
Policy Committees have begun hearing legislation and several bills of interest are highlighted below.

• AB 2059 (Flora, R-Ripon) - Tenancy: Obligations of Landlords: Repairs - This bill would prohibit a landlord from being liable for dilapidations rendering the premises untenantable, unless the landlord receives written or oral notice of the dilapidations and the landlord is given a reasonable time to repair the dilapidations. - SUPPORT
• AB 2114 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks) - Exterior Elevated Elements: Inspection - This bill would also allow licensed civil engineers to perform balcony inspections. Set for a hearing on March 20th in Assembly Housing and Community Development. - SUPPORT
• AB 2187 (Bryan, D-Culver City) - Office of Tenants’ Rights and Protections - Placeholder bill stating the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to establish the Office of Tenants’ Rights and Protections. - OPPOSE
• AB 2216 (Haney, D-San Francisco) - Household Pets - Would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation related to a landlord’s ability to prohibit common household pets in residential tenancies. - OPPOSE
• AB 2230 (Bennett, D-Oxnard) - Would state that California’s anti-trust laws can be applied to anti-competitive practices occurring in residential housing, and would clarify that City Attorneys may investigate and prosecute anticompetitive behavior. - OPPOSE
• AB 2278 (Carillo, D-LA) - CalRHA Sponsored bill which would have the Housing and Community Development Department post the correct allowable yearly rent increase. Set for a hearing on March 20th in Assembly Housing and Community Development. - SUPPORT
• AB 2498 (Zbur, D-Santa Monica) - Housing: the California Housing Security Act - Would, upon appropriation of the Legislature, establish the California Housing Security Program to provide a housing subsidy to eligible persons, as specified, to reduce housing insecurity and help Californians meet their basic housing needs. To create the program, the bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish a 2-year pilot program in up to 4 counties, as specified. The bill would require the department to issue guidelines to establish the program that includes, among other things, the amount of the subsidy that shall be the amount necessary to cover the portion of a person’s rent to prevent homelessness, but shall not exceed $2,000 per month. - SUPPORT
• AB 2584 (Lee, D-Milpitas) - Corporate Owned Single-Family Homes - Would prohibit owners of more than 1,000 homes from buying more single-family properties. OPPOSE
• AB 2785 (Wilson, D-Suisun City) - Would require a landlord to, within 30 days of receiving a tenant’s security, deposit the sum into an account of a bank or other financial institution regulated by the state or federal government. Any balance originating from the security that remains in the account after reimbursement to the landlord, including interest accrued on that balance, would be payable to the tenant. OPPOSE
• AB 2801 (Friedman, D-Burbank) - Prohibits a landlord from requiring a tenant to pay for, or asserting a claim against the tenant or their security deposit for, professional carpet cleaning or other professional cleaning services. OPPOSE
• AB 3057 (Wilson, D-Suisun City) - CEQA Exemption - Expands the CEQA exemption to junior ADUs. SUPPORT
• SB 1201 (Durazo, D-LA) - LLC Owner Transparency - Would require each entity to disclose the name of each person with substantial control over the entity both upon creation and upon submitting their required biennial business filings. OPPOSE

The legislative calendar for 2024 is as follows:

• March 21-29 - Spring Recess
• April 26 - Last day for policy committees to hear fiscal bills
• May 3 - Last day for policy committees to hear non fiscal bills
• May 17 - Last day for fiscal committees to pass bills to Floor
• May 24 - Last day for bills to pass their house of origin
• June 15 - Budget bill must be passed by midnight
• June 27 - Last day for legislative measure to qualify for the November 5th General Election ballot
• July 3 - Last day for policy committees to meet and pass bills
• July 4 - August 4 - Summer Recess
• August 16 - Last day for fiscal committees to meet and pass bills
• August 23 - Last day to amend bills on the Floor
• August 31 - Last day for each house to pass bills
• September 30 - Last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills

About CalRHA
The California Rental Housing Association represents 25,000 members totaling more than 676,000 units, made up of small, medium and large rental housing owners throughout the State of California.