Burbank City Council Meeting: Tenant Protections

Demand Strong Protections for Burbank’s Tenant Majority
October 28 Burbank City Council Meeting

📅 Tues, Oct 28 at 6:00pm
📍 Burbank City Hall (275 E Olive Ave, Burbank)
➡️ Subscribe to BTU’s email list or attend a meeting: www.tinyurl.com/BTUmeet

🙋 In Person: Arrive at 6:00pm to get a seat and prepare for public comment
- 🟨 Fill out a Yellow comment card to make a 1 public comment for either:
  - Initial Public Comment (around 6:30pm)
  - Speak on the Agenda Item (later in the evening)
📞 Call: 818-238-3335 by 6:30pm. You’ll have to wait on the phone line until your turn.
- 📺 Follow along online: www.youtube.com/@TheBurbankChannel
✉️ Email City Council at CityCouncil@burbankca.gov before 2:00pm on Tuesday
💻 Leave an e-comment on the online agenda
😨 Hesitant to speak publicly? Speaking in person is empowering and can move City Council to pass policies protecting you and your neighbors! BTU is always in the room for support. You can provide a fake name and wear a face mask for privacy.

Half of Burbank tenants are rent burdened (30% of paycheck to housing), almost a third of tenants are severely rent burdened (50% of paycheck to housing)
Current 8% rent cap is unsustainable, causing tenant turnover and displacing families every 2-3 years and doubling rent every 8-9 years.
A US GAO study found that $100 rent increases lead to a 9% increase in area homelessness. A rent cap will keep families housed and stabilize our community.
Salary increases are only 2-3% annually. When rent increases faster than that, housing quickly becomes unsustainable and unaffordable.
Landlords will still be able to make profits, while tenants will remain housed.

Provides the city with accurate housing data to make informed policy decisions.
Establish transparency in the rental market by tracking ownership, rental rates, vacancy rates, and compliance with law.
Enforce housing law and regulate habitability standards, rent increases, cash for keys offers, and evictions.

Only tenants in apartments and multiplexes less than 15 years old are protected with Just Cause eviction requirements, meaning the landlord must provide legitimate, documented at-fault or no-fault reasoning.
All tenants including those in houses, condos, ADUs, and new buildings deserve Just Cause protections against unfair evictions.
Demand Relocation Assistance for Economic Displacement. Even if the city passes Universal Just Cause, landlords still have no restrictions on rent increases for houses, condos, and new buildings. They could force tenants to self-evict with massive rent increases.

Demand a Habitability Plan requiring landlords who want to make significant repairs to house the tenants for the duration of the repairs, and return at their previous rental rate.
Prevent abuse of renovation claims to evict tenants and raise rents under misleading pretenses like plumbing, electrical, and cosmetic repairs.
Ensures renovations benefit tenants, not just investors.
Burbank will require Seismic Retrofits (earthquake-proofing) on certain types of apartment buildings. These retrofits will allow landlords to evict entire buildings unless we close the renoviction loophole.