Santa Monica Rent Control Board affirms hearing decisions, grants removal permit and advances charter amendments

The Santa Monica Rent Control Board affirmed three hearing officer rulings, approved a removal permit for a previously unpermitted unit and directed staff to proceed with proposed charter amendments, the board said at its April 9 meeting.

The board, acting in its appellate capacity, affirmed a hearing officer’s rent-decrease findings in three separate appeals. In P2024-05878 (Unit B, 1028 10th Street) the board upheld decreases totaling $160 for deteriorated bathroom wall surfaces, insufficient hot water supply and a damaged window screen after staff concluded substantial evidence supported the hearing officer’s findings. Owner Sean Rod disputed post‑record observations and argued condensation and occupant behavior explained the stains, saying, “the root cause of the stains is the water condensation from excessive showering,” but commissioners emphasized they could only consider evidence in the closed record and voted to affirm.

In KSP2024-00062 (Unit 3, 2317 5th Street), the board upheld the hearing officer’s denial of a petition seeking a rent decrease for diminished landscaping service; staff said the record did not show landscaping as a base amenity of the tenancy and that trimming responsibility rested with the HOA after the unit’s conversion. Tenant Bruce Lahr testified the trees had grown to obscure much of his window and reduce light, and asked for a trimming solution rather than monetary relief; the board affirmed the hearing officer’s decision.

In P2024-00415 (1321 Centinella, Unit 1), the board also affirmed the hearing officer’s limited decreases—the hearing officer found $25 for kitchen tiles and $25 for kitchen drawers—after staff explained Regulation 4203 allows a hearing officer to award past decreases back to the petition filing date for conditions that remained deficient at the close of record. The owner’s representative asked the board to limit retroactivity given a 15‑month delay in issuing the decision; staff replied that the regulation permits retroactivity except where tolling or other statutory bases apply and noted owners could seek verification-of‑compliance while decisions were pending.

On a separate item the board granted a removal permit (2026-00134-C) for Unit 7 at 1445 26th Street. Staff told the board the unit had been registered but was a bootleg unit lacking a kitchen and adequate heating; code enforcement required conversion and the owner paid relocation benefits. Staff recommended granting the removal permit because the room was not habitable and could not be made so within its existing footprint. Vice Chair Ambreese moved to grant the permit; the motion carried.

The board also discussed proposed charter amendments developed by a subcommittee that would (1) align commission term limits with city charter practice, (2) clarify the financing framework for the annual registration fee and allow a CPI-based adjustment beginning in 2028 with a 5% cap, (3) clarify petition timelines with a general 120-day regulatory framework and good‑cause extensions, and (4) add tenant protections related to family‑member occupancy within lawful occupancy limits. Commissioners raised concerns about voter clarity on fee language and asked staff to prepare clear explanatory language for ballot materials. The board directed staff to present the proposed language for a public hearing at the board’s next regular meeting in May.

Staff presented a midyear budget report through Dec. 31, 2025, showing revenue essentially on target and projected expenditures about $69,000 below budget. Staff reported wage savings of about $106,000 and said the projected deficit was reduced from roughly $253,000 at adoption to about $185,000, which the agency expects to cover with reserves. The board set its next regular meeting for May 9 at 7 p.m.

Actions taken at the April 9 meeting were procedural and appellate in nature; no new policy was adopted on charter language at this session, and staff will return with public‑hearing materials in May.