This chapter shall be known as "mobilehome rent stabilization
and mobilehome owner protections."
(Ord. 1153 § 2, 2022)
The following terms shall have the meaning provided below when
used in this chapter, whether plural or singular:
"Base rent"
means the rent charged on October 13, 2020, when the city
council first introduced its intent to regulate rent for mobilehome
parks within the city.
"Capital improvement"
means the addition, substantial repair, or replacement of
any improvements to a mobilehome space within the geographic boundaries
of a mobilehome park which materially adds to the value of the mobilehome
park and appreciably prolongs its useful life or adapts it to new
uses, and which is of the same type of improvement as those allowed
to be amortized over the useful life of the improvement in accordance
with the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations.
"Code"
means the City of Pico Rivera Municipal Code.
"City"
means the City of Pico Rivera.
"CPI"
means consumer price index for all urban consumers of the
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, California area, or any successor
designation of that index that may later be adopted by the United
States Department of Labor. Calculation of the change in CPI percentage
will be determined by the department.
"Department"
means the Community and Economic Development Department or
any individual, organization, board or body, as designated by the
city council by adopting an appropriate resolution vesting the review
powers and/or other duties set forth in this chapter.
"Housing services"
means all services provided by a mobilehome park owner related
to the use or occupancy of a mobilehome space, including, but not
limited to, water and sewer, natural gas, electricity, refuse removal,
management and administration, maintenance and repairs, recreation
facilities (including pools), laundry facilities, storage space, parking
(including one or more automobiles), security services, insurance
and the payment of property taxes. The term "housing services" shall
not include legal fees, mortgage payments, whether for principal,
interest, or both, bonuses of any nature paid to mobilehome park employees,
penalties, fees, damages, or interest assessed or awarded for violations
of this chapter or any other law, or any expenses for which the mobilehome
park owner has been reimbursed by any security deposit, insurance,
settlement, judgment for damages, settlement, or any other method.
"Mobilehome park"
means any area of land in the City of Pico Rivera where two
or more mobilehome spaces are rented, or held out for rent, to accommodate
mobilehomes used as residences.
"Mobilehome owner"
means a person who owns a mobilehome and is also renting
a mobilehome space in a mobilehome park under a rental agreement with
the mobilehome park owner, or any other person entitled under the
terms of a rental agreement to the use or occupancy of the mobilehome,
which may include the use of the housing services of the mobilehome
park and any other amenities.
"Mobilehome space"
means the site within a mobilehome park intended, designed,
or used for the location or accommodation of a mobilehome and any
accessory structures or appurtenances attached thereto whether or
not the mobilehome space is permitted pursuant to state or local law.
"Mobilehome park owner"
means the owner, lessor, operator or manager of a mobilehome
park in the city who receives, or is entitled to receive, rent for
the use and occupancy of any mobilehome space, and the agent, representative
or successor of any of the foregoing.
"Rent"
means consideration paid for the use or occupancy of a mobilehome
space or for housing services provided, or both, but does not include
any of the following, each of which shall be separately listed and
identified in the rental agreement:
1.
Any amount paid for renting the mobilehome;
3.
User fees for services or facilities which may be utilized at
the option of the mobilehome owners and are expressly not included
as rent in the rental agreement;
4.
Utility charges for those mobilehome parks which bill the mobilehome
owner separately, whether or not the mobilehomes are individually
metered;
5.
Any rent discounts, incentives, concessions, or credits offered
by the mobilehome park owner; or
6.
Any pass-through authorized pursuant to this chapter.
"Rental agreement"
means a lease or other oral or written agreement between
the mobilehome park owner and mobilehome owner establishing the terms
and conditions of the tenancy.
"Service reduction"
means any decrease or diminution in the level of housing
services provided by the mobilehome park on or after the effective
date of this chapter, including, but not limited to, services the
mobilehome park owner is required to provide pursuant to:
2.
The Mobilehome Residency Law;
4.
The mobilehome park owner's implied warranty of habitability,
which cannot be contractually excluded or waived;
5.
A rental agreement between the mobilehome park owner and the
mobilehome owner;
6.
The level of service as implied by the condition of improvements,
fixtures, and equipment, and their availability for use by the mobilehome
owner at the time of execution of the rental agreement with the mobilehome
park owner; and
7.
Applicable rules or regulations of the mobilehome park.
"State"
means the state of California.
"Tenancy"
means the legal right of a mobilehome owner or any other
occupant who took possession of the mobilehome for the use or occupancy
of the mobilehome, to use a mobilehome space within a mobilehome park
on which to locate, maintain, and occupy a mobilehome, site improvements,
and accessory structures for residence, including the use of the housing
services and facilities of the mobilehome park, subject to the terms
and conditions of the rental agreement and Mobilehome Residency Law.
(Ord. 1153 § 2, 2022)
Except as hereinafter provided, a mobilehome park owner shall not demand, accept, or retain rent for a mobilehome space exceeding the base rent set forth in Section
9.48.020. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a mobilehome park owner shall be permitted to adjust the base rent from the date set forth in Section
9.48.020 by the amount allowed in Section
9.48.040(C).
(Ord. 1153 § 2, 2022)
The director of the department, or designee, may develop and
publish procedures and guidelines to aid in the implementation of
this chapter.
(Ord. 1153 § 2, 2022)
The department is authorized to take any and all appropriate
steps it deems necessary to enforce this chapter.
(Ord. 1153 § 2, 2022)