Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

Rent Control – Part 1 Carrie Speaks

Happy Labor Day, dear Voice reader.  Labor Day is the traditional start of the local election season.  If there were a city council race this year you would expect to see lawn signs sprouting up as you return from your weekend get away.  There is no council race, but this is an intensely important election nonetheless due to the rent control measure on the ballot.  It's important enough to have a new Voice category on the right side of your screen since we will hear plenty between now and Nov. 8th.  I was streaming the first season of Sex in the City over my getaway weekend and was taken by a thought Carrie Bradshaw had in S1 Episode 2:

"I began to realize that being beautiful is like having a rent controlled apartment overlooking the park.  Completely unfair and usually bestowed upon those who deserve it least."

After a moment of thought about Mr. Big, she continues

"I take that back.  Beauty is fleeting….but a rent controlled apartment overlooking the park is forever."

That certainly applies in B'game since one of the most egregious parts of the proposed ordinance forces a landlord who removes a tenant in order to live in the property to give the removed tenant first right of refusal to move back in for …. wait for it….up to 30 years.  Oh, and at the original rental price!  Just amazing.

Posted in ,

22 responses to “Rent Control – Part 1 Carrie Speaks”

  1. local motion

    How will voters get informed about this? the thing is really long so how will they get it all?

  2. Charlene

    How would this work if I am giving my tenant a discount for doing some of the maintaing of the property like cutting the grass and raking the leaves? I will still need to raise the rent at some point when my expenses go up.

  3. Jennifer

    Another oddity is that the base rent for tenancies on or before March 30, 2016, is set retroactively to March 30, 2016- the link is on the City webpage, click on “Impartial Analysis”-
    https://www.burlingame.org/index.aspx?page=3608

  4. hollyroller@gmail.com

    Thank you Charlene for bringing up the most important reason for Rent Control..
    Any other landlord please chip in..
    Dear Charlene, what are your increased expenses?
    Is it Regular maintenance?
    Taxes?
    Paint?
    Lawn Mowing?
    Isn’t that what you do you your own home?
    Do those Normal-regular maintenance issues add value to your home?
    Therefore, what is your reason for passing on the $60.00 per year increase in the MOW-BLOW & GO Gardener, to your renters?
    Do you refund your rental tenants your estate profit when your property values goes up?
    Shame.
    Charlene. Shame.
    How about the rest of you Multi-Millionaire’s?
    How do you folks reward your long term tenants?
    Mowing the lawn twice a week instead of once?

  5. Charlene

    Is my plumber working for the same amount as he did 5 years ago? How about my accountant? Is there another bond on the ballot for the schools? Do I still have to pay for my own sidewalk fixes that the city should pay for? You are the one who should be ashamed. You and the rent controllers are shameful.

  6. hillsider

    Holy is a socialist! Who knew.

  7. Mike

    Dear Holly-Let’s be clear–What are the ramifications of the 2 commissions proposed that work outside of taxpayer or government oversight with full assessment (taxation) rights? How is that going to effect the cities and the citizens? What about the property owner who has taken all the risk to buy a piece of property and takes on the liability of all expenses, litigation, and dealing with issues of not having a responsible tenant and its ramifications?
    Anyone who is clear thinking will know that “just cause eviction” are just words because trying to implement getting a bad tenant out isn’t just a matter of serving notice. It’s a long legal process that usually ends with the property owner taking a loss. Oh, and what about a landlord’s rights? Why is it a tenant can terminate and leave without any real recourse to the property owner?
    And let’s not forget the fabrications that folks at BARP state! Yes there are some injustices that occur with tenants as there are with many other aspects of society. That in and of itself is not justification to attempt to take over private property with the expressed intent to regulate rents, sales, improvements, or to recoup rising costs. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that an adjustment tied to CPI has much to do with local costs, taxes, insurance, and labor to keep property up. And lastly John, try writing something the the BARP folks that points out facts that are contrary to their stated position–one gets blocked and the statements removed. REJECT R&Q. It is not the solution.

  8. lulu

    It looks like some landlords are reacting just as any intelligent person would by clearing out their units now while they can. Who couldn’t see this coming?

  9. Joe

    Today’s Daily Journal has just such a story:
    Here is an excerpt, click through for the whole thing:
    Unintended consequences
    Jennifer Gilbert, of Gilberts Bayview Apartments, disagreed with that perspective.
    “It’s bad for everyone,” said Gilbert, of Measure R.
    Gilbert is a property manager for a company with units in Burlingame and San Mateo, where a similar rent control initiative will also go before voters in the November election.
    She said she would prefer advocates for rent control consider putting pressure on local politicians to loosen development regulations in an effort to build more homes, which she believes would go further toward addressing affordability concerns.
    The unintended consequences associated with the proposed rental protections, such as making it difficult for landlords to evict problematic tenants, will ultimately harm the quality of life in Burlingame, she said.
    “It will have such a bad effect and people aren’t looking at the long run,” she said.
    – See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2016-09-07/burlingame-divided-over-rent-control-while-opposing-political-factions-collide-future-of-residents-hangs-in-the-balance/1776425167903#sthash.UVyXHfxk.dpuf

  10. hollyroller@gmail.com

    Yes to all Charlene.
    In the last 5 years, how much Money did your properties appraise.
    Why not refund that to your tenants via rent reduction?
    I did not mean to offend you Charlene, but you really have no grasp on society as it is.
    Good example is Clinton vs. Trump.
    Living in Burlingame, has provided you and many others over 60+ years old with Proposition 13 benefits. You do not have to be concerned with a tax increase as you attempted to defend your POV with.
    Thank you for your response.
    FYI
    Rent Control is for Corporations, and the influence these people have with people who have no business voting.
    Lets face it folks, everyone of us know at least 5 people who should not be allowed to vote.
    FYI
    I just added a name to my list.

  11. Jennifer

    For all of the attention the rent control/just-cause lobby has attempted to focus on their plight, it is noteworthy that nobody bothered to show up, (much less comment), on the land-use proposals for the future General Plan during an important study session by City Council this evening. The main topic, not surprisingly, was housing, how much-and where can or should we plan for in the future.

  12. hollyroller@gmail.com

    With the exception of “Family Money.”
    Does anyone truly believe that people who rent apartments, homes, and yes-garage’s, in Burlingame do not want to put their hard earned wages towards their own future?
    Their own home?
    To some of you people, renters are just people who failed to plan for the future.
    Nothing could be further from the truth.
    Any takers on this POV.
    I dare you.

  13. Joe

    I’ll take that POV head on. I know plenty of people who choose to rent when they could buy. They aren’t sure where their job location will be over the long haul. Or they are saving for a bigger place to buy. They prefer exotic vacation or cars to real estate. They are convinced (but thus far wrong) that the market is overpriced. I even know a few people who inherited a home in B’game and sold it while continuing to rent. So your whole premise is wrong and a little myopic.

  14. Sue

    It’s hard to not feel bad for Mr Robertson… buying the building last year and now he *has* to raise the rent and evict his tenants. Ugh.. It’s business, just be honest.
    And to holly’s POV and Joe’s comment – there’s a difference between people who choose to rent and people who don’t have a choice. The area needs more housing in general but it is great to see options for people with low income.

  15. hollyroller@gmail.com

    That is a very good point Sue.
    However, I believe even with regulated growth, and whatever the term “affordable housing” means more homes/apt. whatever, the pricing will continue to rise.
    That is why I think Rent Control should be voted for.
    Maybe not for current tenants; the new ones that will surely follow.
    I do not believe the Rent Control measure will pass because most people do not vote.
    That is the reason it has never passed.

  16. Anne Pembroke

    Related to the cost of living in Burlingame and rent control… How many city employees can afford to live in Burlingame? During an earthquake, if they can’t make it into Burlingame they are advised to report to the nearest Police/Fire station. With bridges down for several days as they were in 1989, who do you think is going to rescue you or put out fires, or keep you safe, or clean up broken sewer lines? My rent in Burlingame has gone up 50% in 10 years. How many actual city employees, not department heads, can afford that?

  17. Joe

    You apparently have not followed the newspaper when the Daily Post publishes city salaries including overtime. The pay is quite generous. Firefighters also often hold a part time second job (in the trades or real estate) given the work schedule allows it pretty easily.
    The pensions are also quite good allowing for more of ones pay to go to current expenses:
    http://www.burlingamevoice.com/2012/08/friends-with-benefits-part-19-ick-time#comments
    Instead of asking questions that imply you know the answers supports your argument, you should just go investigate the answers. You will often find you are wrong.

  18. Anne Pembroke

    Response to Joe….I do know many of the answers…I worked for the City of Burlingame for many years and have lived in Burlingame since 1967. Apart from Police & Fire, many other employees are needed to keep the city going. Pretty hard to pay $36,000 in rent on an $80,000 (before taxes, etc) salary. Most City workers do work 40 hour weeks….no long days off for a second job. I do hope you are still living in Burlingame when the next earthquake hits, so you can have the joy of waiting several days for a city worker who lives in the east Bay to come to your rescue.

  19. Joe

    Nice attempt to revise your argument in the middle of the debate, but this ain’t sophomore debate class. You lost.
    Exactly which non-police and fire city employees do we need in the first 48 hours after 8.0?

  20. Anne Pembroke

    Hmmm…Joe – who do citizens need other than police and fire the first 48 hours?…dispatchers to answer the 911 calls(they are not part of the Police union), park dept. employees to clear fallen trees from streets, PW employees to clean up the raw sewage running down the streets, city electrician to restore electricity to traffic signals, city hall staff to coordinate response and get help from other agencies if needed, water dept. to fix pipes and provide running water to homes….in 1989 it was the PW employees that were turning off leaking gas meters, not the BFD… Only 6% of your BPD live in Burlingame….so don’t hold your breath for much help there…

  21. Joe

    Most of that isn’t going to happen fast regardless of where anyone lives. Thinking otherwise is putting too much faith in services instead of preparation. And to get back on topic, if they aren’t already living in B’game they won’t be coming back because of rent control since hardly anyone is going to leave. The whole market is going to freeze up and exacerbate the very problem it claims to cure. Wrong goal and wrong way to get to the right goal.

  22. Charlene

    Wouldn’t the dispatchers who are on duty when the quake hits just stay on duty?
    Wouldn’t the sewer guys who are on duty when the quake hits just stay on duty?
    Wouldn’t PG&E be on top of the electicity?
    Wouldn’t rent control be irrelevant to this discusson?

Leave a Reply

RECENT COMMENTS

RECENT POSTS

CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE VOICE

The Burlingame Voice is dedicated to informing and empowering the Burlingame community.  Our blog is a public forum for the discussion of issues that relate to Burlingame, California.  Opinions posted on the Burlingame Voice are those of the poster and commenter and not necessarily the opinion of the Editorial Board.  Comments are subject to the Terms of Use.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All content subject to Copyright 2003-2026

Discover more from The Burlingame Voice

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading