Assemblymember Richard Bloom’s (D-Santa Monica) bill to protect California tenants from eviction passed out of its second Assembly Committee today on a 7-3 vote. The measure, AB 2364, closes loopholes in the Ellis Act that have allowed some landlords to displace tenants and raise the price of rent control units. Though misuse of the Ellis Act has existed for decades, the current housing crisis has exacerbated the problem.

AB 2364 clarifies the Ellis Act by setting one withdrawal date for a property, by requiring the entire property to be deemed back on the market if one unit is returned, and by increasing the length of time for which a property owner can be penalized for re-entering the rental market. The measure also eliminates the cap on punitive damages and clarifies that these changes are only prospective.

Read More: http://smdp.com/ellis-act-legislation-passes-out-of-second-policy-committee/166016