California’s Multifamily Buildings Balcony and Deck Inspections Mandate.
Balcony and Deck Inspections are now the LAW Without regular inspections and maintenance, balconies are prone to a variety of structural problems and wood decay due to dry rot, termites, long term and regular exposure to moisture, and lack of drying mechanisms. When left unchecked, the balconies can become high risk and result in a […]
Soft Story Retrofit – How to hire the right Contractor
Are there trustworthy contractors out there, hell no! Yes of course there are some great ones and then again, perhaps not always! Working with a licensed contractor to obtain cost and time estimates, including special inspections and permits, all in a timely manner is of course best. https://www.cslb.ca.gov/consumers/ A few diligent ways to check is […]
Protecting Beverly Hills: The Soft Story Retrofit Program
Soft-story buildings are a common sight in many cities, and Beverly Hills is no exception. However, these buildings pose a significant risk to residents and property owners in the event of an earthquake. In January of 2019, the city of Beverly Hills implemented a mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit program (Ordinance 18-O-2767) to ensure that these buildings […]
Balcony and Deck Inspections in California: A Mandate for Safety
Following a series of balcony and deck collapses that resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, California enacted Senate Bill 721 (condos) & Senate Bill 326 (apartments)in 2018. This bill requires the inspection of all multi-family residential buildings with exterior elevated elements, with the most common being balconies, decks, stairways, and walkways. The mandate requires buildings […]
Add an ADU to your Multi-Family Property and Generate Additional Income
Do you own or manage a multi-family property and looking for a way to increase your rental income and add value to your property? Have you considered adding an ADU to your property? ADUs are self-contained living units that can be built on the same lot as a primary residence. They are an excellent way […]
Dangerous L.A. apartment buildings most at risk in an earthquake are quickly being fixed
The second and third floors of the Northridge Meadows apartment complex collapsed on the ground story in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. 3 AM An earthquake safety revolution is spreading along the streets and back alleys of Los Angeles, as steel frames and strong walls appear inside the first-story parking garages of thousands of apartment buildings. […]
West Hollywood landlords squarely on the hook for earthquake retrofit costs
City council denied surcharge plan that would have forced tenants to pay half West Hollywood Mayor John Duran and buildings damaged in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake Landlords of earthquake-vulnerable buildings in West Hollywood will completely shoulder the costs to retrofit their buildings. The five-member West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously on Monday against adding a […]
Why LA landlords are choosing to sell rather than retrofit
One word: Earthquakes Los Angeles may have lucked out in comparison to the East Coast this year, but there is one ominous natural disaster that is keeping landlords up at night. Property owners are now choosing to sell their buildings altogether, rather than deal with the cost of retrofitting older apartment buildings put at risk […]
Earthquake maps now show Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive at risk
Areas in fault zones could face limits on development Beverly Hills was thought to be in the safe zone when the draft maps of earthquake fault lines were released last year. Now? Not so much. The final version of California Geological Survey’s map shows the Santa Monica fault line extending a mile farther northeast throughout […]
West Hollywood considers earthquake retrofit costs to owners, renters
Property owners face a big bill, but tenants would also have to pay, the city says West Hollywood is considering how property owners will pay to retrofit their buildings to comply with new earthquake safety standards, while still turning a profit and keeping costs realistic for renters. That’s no easy task. The city estimates that […]