Roberti Slams Door on Effort by Landlords to Weaken Rent Controls

For the second straight year, Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) on Friday slammed the door on a landlord-sponsored drive to weaken local rent controls.

However, Roberti said the bill by Assemblyman Jim Costa (D-Fresno), which passed the Assembly in June, will be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee after the Legislature reconvenes in January.

In order to get a chance for passage this year, Costa needed special permission to allow the Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing on the bill before the Legislature adjourns next week.

Refuses Permission

Roberti, as chairman of the Rules Committee, which could have granted the permission, declined to raise the issue at a committee meeting Friday, thus ending the proposal’s progress for this year.

Costa’s measure would allow landlords to raise rents without limit when vacancies occur and would exempt single-family and new-home construction, including mobile home parks, from rent controls.

Similar legislation died in the Senate Judiciary Committee a year ago after Costa and Roberti, whose Hollywood area Senate district includes many renters protected by rent control, were unable to work out a compromise.

Both bills were supported by the Deukmejian Administration, landlords and realtors and were opposed by tenant groups and cities with rent controls, including Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

Roberti criticized two provisions of the latest Costa bill.

First, he objected to the mobile home park exemption, saying that all renters should be treated in the same way.

Second, Roberti said the Costa bill would weaken rent controls without giving renters anything in return.

“For tenants to be asked to surrender the advantage that they have (with rent controls), there has to be movement in some other area on their behalf,” he said.

For example, Roberti has proposed that landlord groups provide funds to build “affordable” housing for low- and moderate-income renters.

Declines Definition

But he declined to say whether proposals submitted by Costa would satisfy him.

Costa and backers of the bill have suggested that a trust fund to build low- and moderate-income housing be created from three sources:

- A $25-million state general fund appropriation.

- Elimination of the annual $65-a-person tax credit for renters with a gross income of $35,000 a year or more.

A 2 1/2% surcharge on the sale of apartment buildings with five or more units.

Aides to Roberti said that the proposal was too general and was made too close to the end of the session to receive serious consideration this year.

Dugald Gillies, lobbyist for the California Assn. of Realtors, said he was disappointed that the measure did not reach the Senate floor.

He said the proposal for a housing trust fund may form the basis of a compromise when the issue comes before lawmakers next year.

“We achieved as much as we could have,” in the face of Roberti’s position, Gillies said.