AB 246 (Bryan D) State of emergency: residential rent increases: County of Los Angeles: price gouging enforcement by district attorney.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/15/2025
Status: 1/16/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee February 15.
Location: 1/15/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, among other things, authorizes an owner of residential real property to establish initial and subsequent rental rates for a dwelling or unit that meets specified conditions, subject to certain exceptions. Current law, until January 1, 2030, prohibits an owner of residential real property from, over the course of any 12-month period, increasing the gross rental rate, as specified, for a dwelling or a unit more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling or unit at any time during the 12 months before the effective date of the increase, subject to specified conditions. The California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist, as specified. This bill, notwithstanding any other law, would prohibit an owner of residential real property from increasing the rental rate for a dwelling or a unit located in the County of Los Angeles in excess of the rental rate for the dwelling or unit charged on January 7, 2025. The bill would authorize the district attorney to enforce these provisions and subject a violation of these provisions to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000.
