West Hollywood

Landlords angered over the City Council’s stance on rent control continued their protest for a more moderate rent law this week by painting their apartment buildings red. John Parks, a real estate broker and landlord, said nine buildings have been repainted since the protest began on April 23.

Parks said that West Hollywood Concerned Citizens, a civic group dominated by landlords, sent out 3,000 postcard appeals this week urging the city’s apartment owners to join the paint protest. “We’re asking apartment owners to volunteer to paint their buildings red at a rate of one a day until we get full vacancy decontrol,” he said.

Parks and other spokesmen for landlords have said they want full vacancy decontrol and annual rent increases that would match the yearly rise in the consumer price index.

In recent discussions, council members indicated they preferred annual rent increases of 75% of the consumer price index and a 10% annual cap on vacancy decontrols.