City councilors in Washington D.C. have proposed a plan to throw out exemptions that allowed hundreds of landlords to evict residents with little or no notice so they could convert buildings to high priced condos.
"Vowing to crack down on abusive landlords, the council members said they will propose ending the blanket use of "vacancy exemptions," which allow landlords who empty their buildings to convert to condominiums without tenant approval or paying thousands of dollars in fees."
"The council members are considering whether developers who turn long-vacant, blighted properties into affordable housing could continue to claim exemptions."
"'The exemption is just too great an incentive for landlords to force tenants out of their homes by coercion or just by letting the building become uninhabitable,' Cheh said. 'The temptation appears too great. I don't want the law to provide that incentive anymore.'"
"The District has one of the strongest tenant-rights laws in the nation. It allows renters to vote on whether apartments convert to condominiums and requires landlords to pay a fee on the sale of new condominium units to help displaced families find homes. Vacant buildings are exempt."
"In the past four years, landlords emptied more than 200 buildings across the city. Using vacancy exemptions, they have drawn $328 million in condominium sales so far while saving $16 million in conversion fees, The Washington Post reported in a series of articles published this week."
FULL STORY: Landlords' Exemption Might Be Repealed
A Who’s Who of Bay Area Real Estate
An analysis from the San Francisco Chronicle identifies twelve of the biggest and most influential owners of rental properties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Study: Tenant Distance From Court Affects Eviction Risk
Renters with longer commutes to eviction courts, often located downtown, face higher eviction rates.
Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to L.A. Eviction Moratorium
With the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear the latest challenge to the city’s eviction moratorium, eviction protections in Los Angeles remain in place—for now.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
