From today’s Examiner,

A loophole in a 2002 piece of legislation may soon be closed and renters may be splitting the cost of future bond measures with their landlords.

Currently, if the cost of a bond is going to be split between tenants and a landlord, specific language stating that fact must appear on the ballot measure. A proposal submitted Tuesday by Supervisor Tom Ammiano would make the cost split of all bonds automatic.

Proponents of Ammiano’s amendment say it simply fixes legislation hashed out in 2002 between city officials, tenant groups and landlord advocates. The intent of that bill was to split the cost, but the language loophole allowed bond measures to pass that did not pass on the cost.

In 2000, city voters approved Proposition H, which prevented landlords from passing on to tenants the cost of building improvements. The San Francisco Apartment Association successfully sued The City, resulting in talks between city officials, the association and other interested parties, which concluded with new legislation.

As part of the new legislation, approved by the board in 2002, landlords could pass on 50 percent of the costs of building improvements to the tenants and 50 percent of the cost of bond measures, according to Janan New, the association’s executive director. However, the language had to appear on the ballot measure of the bond.

Proponents of the measure say it will make voters scrutinize bond measures more closely if the burden is carried by all citizens, not just landlords and homeowners. [more...]

Call me crazy, but if we’re all benefitting (owners and tenants alike) from city services, school bonds, better streets, etc., why shouldn’t the citizenry as a whole contribute to this? Or conversely, why should a property owner shoulder the entire burden of a voter-approved measure (in which tenants are allowed to vote)?

Renters may soon help pay for bond measures [Examiner]
Housing prices to blame for Mission deaths? [SFHomeBlog]
Proposition H Implementation Advisory #1- 11/8/00 [Rent Board/SFGov]

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