Burbankers! Tell city council to enact a rent freeze between now and when statewide rent control kicks in

On Jan 1, 2020, Californians who rent will gain new protections under the law, thanks to AB 1482, which comes on the heels of the defeat of Prop 10, which was shattered by a lavishly funded dirty tricks campaign by the state's dominant private-equity landlords, who have snapped up much of the state's rental stock, driving up rents, evicting tenants, and slashing maintenance budgets.

With just months to go before rent controls kick in, tenants' rights groups are justifiably worried that landlords will sneak in massive rent-hikes before the law goes into effect.

In Burbank, where I live, the Burbank Tenants’ Rights Committee is calling on local tenants to ask the city council to enact a local moratorium on rent hikes to head that kind of gouging off at the pass. They're looking for supporters to attend a city meeting at 6PM on October 1 at Burbank City Hall council room (275 E Olive Ave, Burbank 91502).

Join us to ask City Council for an interim ordinance until June 2020 to protect Burbank renters from evictions & increases. New California law AB 1482 does not take effect until January 1st, so Burbank renters are vulnerable until then.

Bring your family, friends, and neighbors – the more that show up, the better chance we have to get on the council's agenda and help our tenants at risk.

Please arrive by 6:30pm and fill out a yellow comment card. Check the box "Non-agenda item" and fill in "tenant protections" as the subject matter.

In addition, you can email CityCouncil@burbankca.gov to voice your support.

– Currently, a Burbank renter can be evicted for any reason or no reason at all, at a time when all of our neighboring cities have addressed this issue:

In 2019:

LA COUNTY passed a permanent ordinance applying a rent cap and protecting renters against no-fault eviction in all unincorporated areas.

CULVER CITY passed an interim ordinance applying a rent cap and protecting renters against no-fault eviction.

INGLEWOOD passed a permanent ordinance applying a rent cap and protecting renters against no-fault eviction.

GLENDALE passed a permanent ordinance applying a rent cap and protecting renters against no-fault eviction.

– 59% of Burbank residents are renters, and Burbank's shortage of housing has resulted in an increasingly overpriced city that's pushing out valuable, long-term residents.

– 30% of Burbank renters pay over 50% of their income on rent, putting them in danger of becoming homeless if evicted. Burbank tenants deserve to live in a stable and healthy community, free from the fear of eviction motivated by a rental property owner’s desire to dramatically increase rents in a hot housing market."

Council Action – Interim Ordinance [Burbank Tenants’ Rights Committee]

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