California rent control law in effect
By Sam Catanzaro
With the new year, a sweeping rent control bill has taken effect in California offering much-needed relief for Los Angeles residents where rent has increased by over 60 percent the past decade. For some Westwood residents, however, where average rent is approaching $5,000 a month, this may be too little too late.
According to a recent study from Rent Cafe, rent in Los Angeles increased by 65 percent to $2,527 a month in the past ten years, the greatest increase in the United States. In addition, LA’s average home sale price increased by 96 percent over the decade to $774,000. These jumps in rent and home prices outpaced the increase in average income in LA, which only increased by 30 percent ($64,036) within the same period.
To address the rising rents in cities across the state, the California rent control law that went into effect January 1 sets a 5 percent annual cap on rent increases while requiring landlords to provide a just cause for eviction.
In Westwood, where rent is the highest of anywhere in California averaging $4,944 a month, the past decade of rent increases have been felt especially hard. Particularly impacted by rising rents have been UCLA students. In November, the North Westwood Neighborhood Council passed a resolution asking UCLA to create safe parking for homeless students in the face of a City of Los Angeles law banning people from sleeping in their cars overnight.
