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Ord 1584 - URGENCY ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER.24 OF THE TOWN CODE AS RECOMMENDED BY RENT ADVISORY COMMITTEEORDINANCE NO: ' '1584 URGENCY ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER.24 OF THE TOWN CODE AS RECOMMENDED BY RENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Town Council of Los Gatos hereby ORDAINS: SECTION'l. Section 24.20.015 of the Town Code is amended to read as follows: " Sec. 24.20.015 Refital unit A "rental unit" is any building or part of a building which is used for residence, or land which is used for a mobilehome space, and which is rented to a tenant as a dwelling place, except: (1) Rental units, located in a building or group of buildings on the same premises, containing two or fewer dwelling -units; (2) A roam in an owner - occupied dwelling where under the lease provisions the tenant does not have the substantially exclusive use of a kitchen, (3) A single house, condominium unit or planned development (Business and Professions Code Section 11003.0) unit; (4) A hotel room or similar accommodation ordinarily let for occupancy by the same tenant for periods of less than fifteen days; (5) A hospital room, skilled nursing facility or similar .accomodation where the main factor in the rental relationship is the personal care given to the tenant; (6) A dwelling owned, operated or managed by a goverment agency or which is exempted by state or federal law from rent regulation." SECTION ' 2 . The extension of Chapter 24 to three units or more shall apply to rent increases in such units effective on or after June 20, 1983. The Council finds that this provision is necessary in order to avoid having landlords in such units make unreasonably high rent increases pending adoption of the ordinance. This section, being temporary in application, shall not be codified. ' SECTION "3, Section 24.30.030 i.s .amended to read as follows: "Seca 24.30.'030. ' Notice of 'corici riglits . No rent increase in excess of that allowed under Section 74.70.015(3) hereof shall be effective unless the landlord does the following: (1) Serves, with the notice of proposed increase, written notice advising the affected tenants of their right to petition for conciliation under Section 24.40.010, and giving the current phone number of the agency administering the ordinance for the Town; and (2) Provides in writing, to any tenant requesting in writing, the apart- ment numbers of all tenants receiving increase notices for the same month as the tenant making the request." SECTION 4.. Subparagraph (2) of Section 24.70.015 is amended to read as follows: "(2) Frequency of Rent Increases. Rent should not ordinarily be increased more frequently than annually, but it may be increased: (a) When the fee imposed under Part 6 hereof. is paid, it may be passed through at the rate of no more than 1 /12th of the fee per month. (b) At any time, with the written consent of all affected tenants, which shall be sought through conciliation or mediation." SECTION ' 5 . Any person who has signed a binding contract to purchase rental units prior to July 6, 1983, and in doing so relied on former Section 24.70.015, which allowed a new owner to raise rent upon taking title, may raise rents once within thirty (30) days of taking title under the contract even though such increase takes effect less than one (1) year from the last increase. This section, being temporary in application, shall not be codified. -2- SECTION ' 6 . This ordinance is for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, in that if it does not take effect immediately, both landlords and tenants will remain confused and uncertain about their rights for an additional 30 days, thereby leading to disputes and possible evictions that would otherwise be avoided. This ordinance shall therefore take effect immediately. Within 15 days after this ordinance is adopted, the Town Clerk shall cause it to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the Town. This ordinance was introduced at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos on May 16, 1983, amended on June 20, 1983, and adopted by the following vote as an urgency ordinance of the Town. of Los Gatos at a regular meeting of the Town Council on July 18, 1983. AYES: COUNCIIMRF BERS Joanne Banjamin., Terrence J.' Daily, Thmia.s J. Ferrito and Mayor Brent N. Ventura . ..... .. .. ..... .. NOES: COUNCILM MBERS None ABSTAIN: COUNCIIMR None ABSENT: COUNCIIMMERS MarLyn J. Rasmussen 6 4 1 MILIDI ATTEST: Clerk o he Town of Vs Gatos isle