An Apartment building on S. Eculid Avenue in Pasadena (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net).
PASADENA – ColoradoBoulevard.net:
The Pasadena Rental Housing Board released new forms to support property owners and tenants. Tenants who previously reported that their landlords have not honored the rent rollback authorized by the Pasadena Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment can now utilize forms created and approved by the Pasadena Rental Housing Board (PRHB) to request rent rollbacks and notify their landlords of rent withholdings.
By News Desk
The Charter Amendment, a voter-approved tenant protection measure that regulates rent increases and decreases for most apartments in Pasadena built before February 1, 1995, went into effect on December 1, 2022. Since that time, landlords of covered rental units were to charge no more than the Base Rent plus any lawful rent increases implemented pursuant to the terms of the Charter Amendment.
At its August 23, 2023, meeting, the PRHB adopted regulations creating a process whereby a tenant can receive the rent rollback, including a refund of any overpaid rent, and secure an
additional affirmative defense against an attempted eviction for non-payment of rent. The new forms will support both landlords and tenants in complying with these new regulations.
Request for Rent Rollback
The first form – Request for Rent Rollback – provides tenants with a template for asking their landlords to comply with the rollback requirement in the Charter Amendment. According to regulations approved by the PRHB, landlords have 10 days to comply with the request from tenants for rent rollback and refund of overpayment of rent from December 22, 2022.
Notice of Rent Withholding
The second form is a Notice of Rent Withholding which tenants can use to notify their landlord that they will be withholding rent in the amount of their overpayment. Options for the landlord include a check or money order payment to the tenant, rent credit applied to future months of rent. Tenants and landlords are allowed to make alternate arrangements. There is also a worksheet on the form for tenants to document the months and overpayment amounts
The forms are located on the Rental Housing Board website.
The Pasadena Rental Housing Board is able to clarify and streamline the process of rent rollbacks and overpayment for landlords and tenants to bring properties into compliance. To learn more about the new Charter Amendment, save the dates of two community workshops (Zoom links TBA):
- Landlord and Property Management Workshop
Tuesday, October 17, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. - Tenant Workshop
Wednesday, October 18, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm.
The Pasadena Rental Housing Board meets at 6:00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center, 1081 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103.
[This article has been updated to include the new workshop dates. Sept. 22, 5″30 pm]
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