Why You Should Vote NO on Prop. 10

Voting Season is Right Around the Corner; Let’s Take a Minute to Learn About Prop. 10

Right now, the state of California is in the midst of a housing crisis. This is causing current housing units to become less affordable and less available everyday. With this problem getting worse, one may ask how California citizens can help steer California away from this crisis. The answer? By voting NO on Proposition 10 on the November ballot.

What is Prop 10?

According to the California Attorney General and BallotPedia, Proposition 10 is an initiated state statute that would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, an act that limits the use of rent control in California, thus allowing local governments to adopt their own, possibly more extreme rent control ordinances—regulations that govern how much landlords can charge tenants for renting apartments and houses.

Why Is This Bad?

Proposition 10 will cause the amount of available housing to decrease, further plunging California into its existing housing crisis. This is a huge threat to low-income families. They will struggle to find housing that they can easily afford. This will cause California’s rate of homeless occupants to grow.

Let’s take a step back. You may be wondering at this point, “How will Prop. 10 do all of these things?” If the government repeals Costa-Hawkins, then each jurisdiction in California will be allowed to set their own rules and regulations regarding rent control. This will make it acceptable for government officials in each area to set what they believe is the best solution for the housing crisis, but just because one group of people believe that they have the best solution, that doesn’t mean that it is the best solution, and this could cause tension between citizens and officials in each area of California.

By leaving these decisions up to the state government, it is assuring that each jurisdiction is held to the same standards, thus maintaining equality for renters all over the state. By keeping Costa-Hawkins in tact, it maintains an equal playing field for everyone involved, including renters, building owners, and government officials. Keeping Costa-Hawkins means that there will be one statewide jurisdiction regarding rent control. Individual counties will not be able to take advantage of the rent control  system and create unfair housing situations for others.

How Can You Help?

Voting “no” on Prop. 10 would be a great place to start. By voting “no” on Prop. 10, you are telling the government that you do not support Costa-Hawkins repealed. To put it in simpler terms, you are telling the government that you don’t want each jurisdiction to set their own laws regarding rent control. You are saying that you want there to be one, statewide law. This way, no one area can put it’s citizens in an unfavorable financial situation. By doing so, you’re assuring that California remains equal for all, and that no one will be taken advantage of.

For more information about Proposition 10, and all of the other propositions on this year’s ballot, we encourage you to read the Official Voter Information Guide. Remember to stay informed, and get out there and vote!

Beta Version Online Calculator from ReLISTO Gives SF Landlords Easy, Accurate Refund Amounts @ReLISTO

San Francisco Interest and Rent Board Fee Calculator

                                                                         PRESS RELEASE

For Release:      Immediate                                      
Contact:    Eric Baird, ReLISTO                                 
(415) 236-6116 x101
 

Beta Version Online Calculator from ReLISTO Gives SF Landlords

Easy, Accurate Refund Amounts

 

San Francisco Bay Area residential leasing brokerage ReLISTO has launched a free online calculator for the local real estate rental industry. Now San Francisco  landlords and tenants can easily determine the interest on security deposits owed tenants and the reimbursement for annual Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board  fees owed landlords. The calculator, currently in its beta version, is the first of several technological solutions coming in the year ahead from ReLISTO. The launch was announced to coincide with Real Estate Connect® 2011 San Francisco, held July 27-29, 2011.

To make some very complicated math easy, provide an accurate number almost instantly, and reduce disputes with vacating tenants, the San Francisco Bay Area residential leasing brokerage ReLISTO has launched a beta version calculator on its website for area landlords. The SF Interest and Rent Board Fee Calculator is the first of several pioneering technological services for the rental housing industry that ReLISTO will be releasing this year to complement their professional leasing services while providing landlords a variety of management solutions and operational efficiencies.

San Francisco landlords are required to pay interest on security deposits as well as seek reimbursement for annual rent board fees.  These two different and quite complex computations can be a cause of significant deliberations and disputes between tenants and landlords. The beta version SF Interest and Rent Board Fee Calculator allows each party to easily run the complex calculus for free, in only moments, online, thereby helping foster better relations between landlords and tenants.  All that is required is for the user to enter a start and end date along with the initial principle. The ReLISTO calculator will then provide an amount due to either the landlord or tenant by factoring in multiple variables such as the changing interest rates and various rent board fees over the entire term or tenancy. By generating a precise figure with minimal effort, landlords can now easily manage this required step for each of their rental properties.

“Our free calculator is only the first example of ongoing releases by ReLISTO of several technological solutions in leasing and management that will help the entire real estate leasing industry, especially landlords,” said Jackie Tom, Managing Broker of ReLISTO.  ”We are excited that the first of our new tools has gone live in time for Real Estate Connect, since the focus of the conference mirrors our drive to give landlords management tools built on advanced technology.”

“The idea began after many of our clients sought assistance with calculating rent board reimbursement and interest. It’s a very complex process involving amounts, rates, and the exact periods of the lease, and must be completed within a very short time to meet legal requirements. We also found that many landlords did not realize the city’s rent board fee is something that can go on their side of the ledger which could reduce the amount they need to pay. Our free online calculator provides a comprehensive solution.”

 

The free online calculator to help San Francisco landlords determine security deposit interest refunds and the rental board fee reimbursement is now operational at http://relisto.com.

The debut of the beta version online SF interest and Rent Board Fee Calculator for landlords was announced to coincide with Real Estate Connect® 2011 San Francisco, a conference “Where real estate and technology connect,” produced by Inman News. It is an appropriate occasion for the announcement, as the name ReLISTO is an acronym for “Real Estate Leasing Innovations, Services and Tools Online” which reflects the firm’s commitment to utilizing advanced technology to improve clients’ ROI.

ReLISTO is a professional residential leasing agency providing leasing and management solutions to the San Francisco Bay Area including property tours and relocation, property management tools, as well as services for landlords and properties ranging from single apartments and single-family homes to large multi-unit buildings. As a software provider, ReLISTO is committed to create or utilize the most advanced technology assisting  clients to  efficiently manage their property while providing the services to manage the most critical and time-consuming phase of the tenancy cycle and  find and sign qualified tenants in the shortest possible time using highly trained leasing agents utilizing the most advanced marketing, productivity and communication tools available.

ReLISTO Managing Broker Jackie Tom has been recognized by the San Francisco Apartment Association as its 2009 Leasing Agent of The Year and 2010 Independent Owner of The Year. Founded on a core of individuals with considerable personal experience as rental owners and managers themselves, and with strong community and industry affiliations, it is also uniquely qualified to serve as a consultant on a wide range of compliance issues throughout the San Francisco, Peninsula and East Bay areas.

ReLISTO is located at 1318 Hayes Street, San Francisco, California, 94117. For more information call (415) 236-6116, email service@relisto.com or visit http://relisto.com.

 

#    #    #    #    #