LA Renters Fed Up Over Evictions as Rents and Complaints Rise

Los Angeles renters are filing more complaints over alleged evictions from rent-controlled properties, city statistics show. The spike comes amid growing concern by housing advocates over the loss of affordable housing for middle-income and lower-income residents across the city. It also comes as City Hall leaders acknowledge renters need more information about their legal rights.The city’s Housing and Community Investment Department received 34 percent more complaints last year from tenants living in rent-stabilized units compared with five years ago. More than 40 percent of complaints last year had to do with evictions, while another 20 percent dealt with rent increases. Anna Ortega, director of HCID’s Rent Stabilization unit, said department outreach and economic conditions bring in more protests.“As the economy improves, tenant complaints tend to increase,” she wrote in an email.Housing advocates say rent-stabilized housing, about 75 percent of the city’s rental stock, is an important asset amid skyrocketing housing costs from North Hollywood to Venice. Under the city’s rent-stabilization law, annual rent increases are historically capped at roughly 3 percent.In a booming real estate market, rental properties are often converted to condominiums or upscale rental buildings by developers seeking a profit. Under city law, property owners must provide protections for tenants in rent-stabilized units, giving them ample time to move out and offering compensation.A total of 6,803 complaints were filed by tenants living in rent-controlled properties last year, compared with 5,049 in 2011. All complaints are investigated, HCID’s Ortega said. Walt Senterfitt, co-founder of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, called the number of protests lodged last year “astoundingly high.” “But not surprising, given what we hear anecdotally on the street,” he said. Senterfitt hears complaints about landlords giving “cash for keys,” trying to buy out renters without fully explaining their legal rights. In other cases, landlords purposefully leave trash in apartment hallways, keeping the building inhospitable to renters, Senterfitt believes.Spanish-speaking tenants paying below-market rents are commonly targeted by developers, said Jennifer Ganata, an attorney who works in Inner City Law Center’s Homeless Prevention Unit. “The threat of eviction creates anxiety, particularly with older folks,” Ganata said. Koreatown resident Ezequiel Aguilar, 39, said he’s filed several complaints with HCID, alleging mistreatment by PK International. The developer last year told the Aguilars they had to be out their 1920s-era rent-controlled home on South Serrano Avenue by August. PK International then proceeded to use the family’s property to store vehicles and construction equipment, Aguilar alleges.Advertisement In a March incident witnessed by a reporter, mounds of dirt were dumped on the Aguilar’s front lawn by a construction crew working across the street, making access to the home’s front door difficult. The backhoe operator forwarded the Daily News an email showing the building’s owner PK International giving permission to use Aguilar’s property. PK International didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment. The developer sold the property to another group this year, property records show. “The worst part is not knowing what’s going to happen,” said Aguilar, whose family moved out this summer after reaching a deal with the new owner. “Or where you’re going to live.” At 240 Robinson St. in Pico-Union, tenants are working with Inner City Law Center. Sparking anxiety, the eight-unit rent-controlled Spanish-style building is listed for sale and advertising potential rents much higher than $400-$800 a month rents currently paid by tenants. “The potential upside on this beauty is huge with pro forma rents between $1,795 to $1,995 per month,” the ad reads. “This is an amazing opportunity for investors!”At least three complaints were filed with HCID over a lack of hot water and trash at 240 Robinson St., according to tenants. Separately, renter allege cameras were installed in the hallways, with the lens pointed towards each unit’s door. Better Real Estate LLC is listed on property records as the owner. David Bramante, founder of BRE Investment, which manages the property, declined to discuss the building’s ownership. Bramante said upgrades are being done to the property and cameras were put in because gang members have parties on the roof, a claim denied by tenants. “They are putting on a front that there’s stuff going on,” Bramante said of the renters. “They have attorneys that antagonize the situation.”Jim Clarke, governmental affairs consultant for the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, believes the number of tenants complaints filed with the city is low, given the more than 600,000 rent-controlled units in the city. “I take these numbers with a grain of salt,” said Clarke, who believes most landlords in L.A. follow city rules. “We don’t know how many complaints were frivolous.” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti last month launched a campaign to inform tenants of the city’s rent laws. Housing advocate Senterfitt called the initiative a start, but said City Hall leaders need to do more, such as requiring leases to contain information about rent control laws. “People don’t know what their rights are,” Senterfitt said.