BEVERLY KENWORTHY

Executive Director

California Apartment Association, Los Angeles

No, the Ellis Act is one of the few laws that protect a landlord’s property rights. Without it, property owners would be forced to continue doing business as a landlord even if it poses financial or personal hardship.

KENNETH S. FIELDS

Partner

Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger

I believe that residential tenants in the city of Los Angeles already have sufficient protection in connection with a sale or conversion by their landlords.

CARL LAMBERT

Principal

Lambert Investments Inc.

I own rental properties in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, two cities with rent control. Any attempt on the state or local level to restrict our right to get out of the rental business would bring a challenge from the California Apartment Association and other apartment owners.

SETH WEISSMAN

Partner

Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell

Current law, as implemented in L.A., is already restrictive and probably goes too far by effectively preventing appropriate capital investment by landlords who can’t recoup their investment through reasonable rental increases. If the law more aggressively limits rights of landlords to relocate tenants or convert units to condominiums, then it should not also unduly restrict income to reflect market realities and encourage appropriate upkeep.

MICHAEL WIPPLER

Managing Partner, L.A. office

Dykema

No, there shouldn’t be more restrictions. There’s always this perspective that the landlord is a big company or fat cat, but a lot of landlords are individuals who made an investment.

NICOLE WOOL

Chief Executive 

Jones Social PR 

By taking away the expedited eviction procedure, these landlord-tenant disputes have the potential to wind up in the court system for years. Meanwhile, landowners are forced to hold on to property they no longer want and/or may no longer be able to afford to maintain.