Extra rent for dog is pet peeve

Question: I’m looking at renting a place for $1,400 a month with a $600 security deposit, $300 pet deposit (I have a 12-pound dog) and an additional $50 a month for pet rent. I understand that no matter what they call the deposits, they are legal as long as they don’t exceed two months rent in total (three months for furnished apartments). Since they are all refundable, I guess I can accept the deposits, but charging extra rent for my pet for space I already will be paying for seems wrong. Is pet rent legal or is the landlord dogging me?

Answer: The landlord is not dogging you by charging extra rent for your pet. Charging extra rent for extra rights (such as having a pet) or services is legal.

As you probably know after looking for an apartment, landlords are allowed to prohibit pets in apartments, and many do.

Even though it’s called “pet rent,” the extra money you are paying is really used more to compensate the owner for the extra wear and tear that most pets cause in an apartment. A little pet, just like a big one, can wreak havoc on carpets, subfloors, cabinets and the like, which makes for more expense for the owner when you move.

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Without manager status, rent rises

Question: My brother manages a rent-controlled apartment in Los Angeles. When he took over the management duties 10 years ago, his rent was reduced from $950 to $500 per month. If the new owner doesn’t want him as manager anymore, how would his rent be computed?

Answer: It would revert back to the original $950 rent he paid 10 years ago as a tenant, plus the annually allowed inflation rent increases authorized by the city since then.

Ten years ago, in 1992, the annual rent increase amount was pegged at 5%, which raises the rent from $950 to $997.50. For the next nine years, 1993 to 2002, the annual rent increase was reduced to 3% per year.

To arrive at the current rental rate, take the rent, which is now $997.50 after the first year’s 5% increase, and increase it by 3% per year for the next nine years -- $1,027.42 after the first 3% increase, and rising to the present rent rate of $1,340.55 after all nine years of 3% increases.

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Is this building rent-controlled?

Question: I live in a one-bedroom apartment in North Hollywood. I recently got a notice saying that my rent would be raised $50 a month starting Feb. 1. How can I be sure that my building is not under rent control? If it isn’t, is there any limit on how much they can raise the rent per year?

Answer: You can find out if your unit is covered by the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (North Hollywood is a part of Los Angeles) by calling the Rent Stabilization Department’s registration section at (213) 367-9136 or by visiting their offices at 111 N. Hope St. in Los Angeles.

Even though a building may be covered by rent control, some units within that building may be exempted from the law, so be sure to ask about your specific unit even if the building is rent-controlled.

Annual rent increases for rent-controlled units in the city are still limited to 3%. If the rental unit is not under rent control, the owner can only raise the rent up to the market level, which is equal to the actual rental value of the apartment on the open market.

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Manhattan Beach not under L.A. law

Question: After reading your previous column about relocation fees, I am wondering if I am eligible for relocation assistance as a renter in Manhattan Beach. I was contacted by my landlord six weeks ago because he wants the house back for himself. Am I entitled to relocation fees?

Answer: As the Dec. 29 column indicated, relocation fees under the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance apply only to rent-controlled apartment units in the city of Los Angeles. Since Manhattan Beach is a separate city, the law does not apply there. Also, even under the ordinance, most single-family homes are exempt from rent control.

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Postema is the editor of Apartment Age magazine, a publication of AAGLA, an apartment owners’ service group. E-mail your questions on any aspect of apartment living to AptlifeAAGLA@aol.com, c/o Kevin Postema, or mail to AAGLA, c/o Kevin Postema, 621 S. Westmoreland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005.