ACTION Apartment Association

AIRBNB and City of Los Angeles Strike Tax Deal

07/19/2016 1:58 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Airbnb will soon begin collecting a 14% tourist tax for the City of Los Angeles. The deal, announced on July 18, is expected to provide more than $5 million in annual revenue from lodging and rental hosts.

...Out of the Drought, But Santa Monica Says "No Way."

07/18/2016 1:26 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The rest of California has declared "Drought Over," and put aside it's penalties and emergency measures. Not so the City of Low Flush Toilets. They like to tax and they like to spend, so like leftists everywhere, City Hall is maintaining controls.

Lookin’ for LUVE in Santa Monica [Bill Bauer]

07/18/2016 8:19 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Residocracy hosted its kick-off meeting at the Santa Monica library a week ago Sunday. The purpose of the meeting was to organize various committees to work on Residocracy’s Land Use Voter Empowerment (LUVE) ballot measure campaign.

LUVE, if approved in the Nov. 6 election, would amend the city’s Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) and zoning ordinance to require voter approval of certain types of new development projects.

Santa Monica Councilmember O’Day to Run for Re-Election

07/18/2016 8:16 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 18, 2016 -- Terry O’Day, the only remaining Santa Monica City Council member facing re-election this fall whose intention was unknown, told The Lookout this weekend that he will run for a second full term.

Santa Monica Board Races Taking Shape

07/18/2016 8:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 18, 2016 -- The races for eight open seats on Santa Monica's three elected boards are taking shape, as candidates can begin filing nomination papers on Monday.

Is Santa Monica destined to become a Notopia? [SMa.r.t.]

07/16/2016 10:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

At the heart of the issue is the question: Does the increased density represented by these developments and those pushed for by some of our own city staff and politicians destroy the existing social fabric of the neighborhoods which make up our community? It is further complicated by the economics because as density increases property values escalate up forcing out those residents who have lived here 40 to 50 years.

Santa Monica Rent Board Demands Ellis Act Study

07/15/2016 9:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 15, 2016 -- Could certain factors lead Santa Monica landlords to get out of the rental business and evict tenants as allowed by California’s Ellis Act? Rent Control Board members want to know and have asked the City Council to call for a study.

On Thursday night, the Rent Board passed a resolution calling for the council to take action. Chair Nicole Phillis, who proposed the resolution, said her purpose was not to bring an end to Ellis activity.

Santa Monica Meets Water Reduction Goals, Maintains Conservation Plan

07/14/2016 2:11 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 14, 2016 -- Santa Monica has dramatically reduced its water use and statewide drought conditions have eased, but the City is keeping in place its water conservation plan, the City's top sustainability official said this week.

LUVE Initiative Placed on Santa Monica Ballot

07/14/2016 6:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 13, 2016 -- The first step in what likely will be an intense Santa Monica election campaign began rather subdued Tuesday when the City Council voted to place the slow-growth LUVE initiative on the November ballot with limited discussion.

Living in Santa Monica with emotional support animals [Fair Housing]

07/13/2016 7:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 13, 2016

The Law:

The Fair Housing laws bar landlords from discriminating on the basis of a tenant’s disability. This means they must make “reasonable accommodations” to their rules when necessary. As you may know, this includes allowing “service animals” — those trained to perform specific tasks — even in no-pets properties. But it also includes allowing “emotional support” animals (those that provide comfort even if they don’t do a particular task).