The Rent Stabilization Program is responsible for administering the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance to ensure the rent stabilization guidelines are properly followed and to educate renters and housing providers about their rights and responsibilities. The Program is tasked with implementing the new amendments to the ordinance which include: carrying out the rental unit registration process; certifying allowable rent increases; processing all appeals and hearings for rent adjustment applications; and maintaining all records and information related to the City’s new rental unit data base. The Program works closely with other City programs, including Community Preservation, to follow-up on complaints of illegal rent increases, evictions and issues regarding habitability standards. The Program staff are available to answer questions, address concerns, and offer one-on-one assistance to renters and housing providers on all ordinance provisions. Staff also administer consultant service agreements for mediation services, hearing officer services, and rental unit registration system software.

The City of Beverly Hills first implemented rent stabilization in 1978.  Through a series of meetings with the Human Relations Commission in January and February of 2017, citizens expressed concern that existing regulations were ineffective and rapid rent increases were leading to displacement. The City Council responded by modifying key provisions of the original rent stabilization ordinance and in April 2017, the amendments were enacted under Ordinance No. 17-O-2729. 

One new provision requires owners of multifamily buildings to register their rental units with the City and provide information such as rent amount and tenancy. On July 10, 2017, the City of Beverly Hills mailed notices via U.S. Certified Mail to owners of units required to register and began accepting registrations on July 24th, 2017. The deadline to register was September 22, 2017. Some dwelling units are exempt:

• Single-family residences
• Hotels, motels, inns, and rooming houses rented primarily to guests for a period of 30 consecutive days or less
• Multi-family unit properties that received a certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995
• Condominiums (under state law [Civil Code Section 4200], a condominium is created when a map and other required documents have been recorded and a unit has been conveyed)  
• Non-profit cooperatives owned and controlled by a majority of the residents
• Dwelling units that are owned and operated by a governmental entity  or an agency or authority of a governmental entity

When the conditions qualifying a unit for exemption terminate, the owner is required to file a registration form with the City within thirty (30) days after the exemption ends.

What is required now?

All non-exempt multi-family properties of two (2) units or more must be registered with the City’s Rent Stabilization Program annually, following written notice from the City.  If you are an owner of a non-exempt property, please register immediately by visiting http://bhrent.beverlyhills.org. For a complete list of what information is required for registration, please review the Rental Unit Registration Package. Required information includes original and current rent. Once owners have registered, tenants will be notified and asked to confirm or appeal rent amounts given by the owner.

If you have questions please contact City of Beverly Hills Staff at (310) 285-1031,   bhrent@beverlyhills.org, or visit in person at City Hall: 455 N Rexford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Once registered, what is required in the future?

Owners who have registered are required to amend their registration when any of the following occurs:

1. Following a Vacancy. When a unit is re-rented following a vacancy, the owner must re-register with the City within thirty (30) days.
2. Change in Ownership or Ownership Contact Information. The seller must provide the City with written notice of the change in ownership including the date of transfer, and the name and address of the new owner, within thirty (30) days of the close of escrow. The new owner also must file a registration form with the City within thirty (30) days of the close of escrow. The new owner's registration will only be accepted by the City if it is accompanied by a copy of a written notification from the landlord advising all tenants of the change of ownership and providing the name, address and telephone number of the new owner and new property manager, and a declaration that the new owner served the written notification on all the tenants. 
3. Change in Building Management or Management Contact Information. The owner must file registration amendments with the City within thirty (30) days of a change of the property manager or authorized agent.