pages: RentReviewAdvisoryCommittee/2019-01-23.pdf, 9
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RentReviewAdvisoryCommittee | 2019-01-23 | 9 | Approved Minutes January 23,2019 Vice Chair Sullivan-Cheah motioned for an increase of $100 effective February 1, 2019. He amended his motion to an increase of $0 for January 2019, followed by an increase of $100 from February 2019 through December 2019. Motion seconded by Member Chiu. The motion passed as amended 4-0. 7-F. Case 1193 - 2121 Santa Clara Ave., Apt. 5 Tenant: Damu Sudi Alii Landlord: Edward Wong Proposed rent increase: $50.00 (4.8%), to a total rent of $1,100.00, effective January 1, 2019 Mr. Alii said he is a senior on fixed income and has been renting this unit from Mr. Wong since 2006. For the first three or four years, he said, there were no rent increases, but in the last five or six years the size of the requests had steadily increased. He said he has been supplementing his income by working part time as a teacher and musician, but his deteriorating health is making work difficult. He feels the amount is unreasonable given the living space, which is a converted garage. He has to pay additional money for storage space elsewhere on the site. He is now at a point where he cannot keep up with the increases. He said the ventilation in the unit is not good, and poor heat retention leads to higher utility bills. He stated Mr. Wong has been a good landlord but has not always addressed his requests, such as fixing the gap under his front door. Mr. Wong said the unit is 800 to 900 square feet and used to be a firehouse. He said he values Mr. Alii as a tenant. He said his other tenants are all Section 8, and the increases he is asking from them are double what he is asking from Mr. Alii. He said the building is old and requires a lot of maintenance, and n the last four to five years, he has had to replace the sewer and roof. He said he believes he is asking for a reasonable rate of return, adding that he and his wife are in their 80's and depend on income from the property. Mr. Alii said he intends to stop using the storage space to decrease his costs. Mr. Wong said he would reduce Mr. Alii's overall payments by $15 if he removes his items from storage. Chair Murray asked Mr. Alii if he could afford a $35 rent increase. Mr. Alii said it would still be a hardship. Vice Chair Sullivan-Cheah asked Mr. Alii to clarify his concerns about rising expenses. Mr. Alii said he is partly worried about absorbing future increases, but primarily he does not think the unit is worth the price Mr. Wong is asking. Member Chiu asked how many units the property has. Mr. Wong said Mr. Alii's unit is a small cottage behind four units. Chair Murray asked about Mr. Wong's income. He | RentReviewAdvisoryCommittee/2019-01-23.pdf |