By Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

I sincerely hope that readers aren’t turned off by the title of this column. While most taxpayers aren’t directly responsible for paying unemployment insurance taxes, the truth is we all pay and, in California, we pay a great deal more than we should.

Last week I received an email from a dentist who operates a small dental office and is required to pay the unemployment insurance tax and, sadly, is paying much more than he should because our unemployment insurance program is insolvent. Like so many other measurements of California’s performance relative to other states, our businesses – both large and small – are paying a penalty for the incompetence of our elected officials and bureaucrats. Here’s what taxpayers should know about unemployment insurance.

The caretaker for our tenant in #3 called last week, asking if a ramp could be built down our

tenant’s 3 front stairs, so that he could get in-and-out of his unit using his wheel-chair. She said that Mr. William’s insurance company would pay for both the installation costs, and the costs of removing the ramp should Mr. Williams decide to move some time in the future.

Pick up the phone today to tell Supervisors Solis & Horvath “NO!”

At the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on February 7, 2023, Supervisor Solis proposed and Supervisor Horvath seconded a last-minute amendment that was not originally on the agenda to revise the Homeless Emergency Declaration (Agenda Item #16) to support using this new “emergency” to extend the eviction moratorium indefinitely to all rental housing throughout LA County. They requested a report back in 45 days legally instructing them how to do so.

By Ian Riley for Contemporary Information Corp.

A new year comes with a multitude of new things, and the rental housing industry is no exception. With the passing of California’s Assembly Bill No. 2559, effective January 1^st, 2023, an existing consumer report ordered by a landlord on a prospective tenant can now be redefined as a reusable tenant screening report.  So, what exactly does this mean?

Simply put, an applicant’s report can be reused for the application process within 30 days of purchase. The furnished report must comply with all state and federal laws pertaining to the use and disclosure of information used in the tenant screening process and must include all specified information as outlined, including, but not limited to: full legal name, verification of employment/income, previous addresses and last known address, the results of a housing record history check (consistent to applicable law), any records that may exist of the applicant’s criminal history, etc.

By Brittney Benz

Property management is a complex business, which means filing taxes can be challenging. Add outdated processes or paper records into the mix and it can cost your business in the long run, too.

While many property management organizations dread tax season, filing doesn’t have to be stressful when you have the right processes and technology solutions in place. As Steven Morgan, Group Product Manager at AppFolio, explains:

Contributed by the Livable Content Team

How can you get your tenants to use utilities more responsibly and reduce your property’s expenses? As a building owner or property manager, you can take steps to facilitate smarter utility use on your properties, and get your tenants involved in utility saving. Here’s how.

REPLACE OLD, INEFFICIENT APPLIANCES

There are simple changes you can make on your properties that will reduce utility bills. According to the Department of Energy, the average household saves about $225 in energy costs per year just by using LED lighting. It’s reported by the EPA that the average family can save $130 in a year by replacing inefficient toilets at home with WaterSense labeled models.

By David Crown, Los Angeles Property Management Group

I’ve found that many long-time rental property owners hold onto management of their property not because they prefer the control or because they think they can do the work more efficiently than a management company, but simply because they’re used to things being a certain way, and they’re averse to the idea of change. I promise this isn’t just an assumption being made by this professional property manager who can’t convince an owner to let go.

Managing the tragedy of a tenant passing away in the rental unit

By Daniel Bornstein, Esq.

Having a death occur in a rental unit is always a traumatic experience for landlords. Most of the experiences we have encountered are natural deaths. Yet with a raging drug addiction problem with fentanyl becoming the deadliest killer, it can become even more traumatic.

Discovering a tenant slumped over a toilet who passed away from an overdose or a landlord who hired a contractor to make agreed-upon repairs, only to find the tenant lifeless on the kitchen floor. Worse yet, a homicide or a meth-induced suicide occurs in the rental unit. We will spare you many horror stories that we hope and pray you will never encounter.

Before “going off” and writing my monthly editorial diatribe, I need to be in the right mood. Sometimes there’s this sort of “spark” that gets my heart racing and compels me to get to my laptop and pound away at its keyboard. That “spark” may be a line or two I have just read in a news article or something that “pops” into my head during a workout or while driving – it is usually the daily workout that does it.

For those of you brave souls that venture to the pages where my editorials appear, and then actually read some or all my monthly rantings, you should know that I often cannot control the timing of this catalyst that causes me to produce my writings, and at times I end up creating my compositions well in advance of the date your copy of Apartment Age lands on your front doorstep. So, please do excuse me if things or events may have transpired differently than I have portrayed or captured them here. I cannot predict the future, but I do see and can comment on trends.

Dwight Kay, Founder and CEO Kay Properties & Investments

There are a number of potential benefits associated with exchanging into a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) 1031 property.

However, it is important to note that these potential benefits should also always be carefully weighed with the potential risks that are possible with DST investments, and as with all real estate investments, investors should consult their tax attorney and or Certified Public Account before investing in DSTs. 

Still, DSTs continue to grow in popularity especially among aging baby boomers who are tired of managing their own properties and are looking for a way to transition into a passive income stream. DST investments not only provide investors the potential for passive income, but also the following six benefits as well: