Residential real property: tenancy: termination: withdrawal of accommodations.

Existing law establishes that a hiring of residential real property for a term not specified by the parties is deemed to be renewed at the end of the term implied by law unless one of the parties gives written notice to the other of their intention to terminate the tenancy. This bill would, until January 1, 2031, prohibit an owner of a residential dwelling from giving notice of their intention to terminate a tenancy in order to sell the property to new owners who will hold title to the property as tenants in common. Existing law, commonly known as the Ellis Act, generally prohibits public entities from adopting any statute, ordinance, or regulation, or taking any administrative action, as specified, to compel the owner of residential real property to offer or to continue to offer accommodations, as defined, in the property for rent or lease. Existing law authorizes a public entity acting pursuant to the Ellis Act to require an owner who offers accommodations for rent or lease within a period not exceeding 10 years from the date on which they were withdrawn, as specified, to first offer the unit to the tenant or lessee displaced from that unit by the withdrawal, subject to certain requirements. Existing law qualifies the Ellis Act prohibition on compelling owners to offer or to continue to offer accommodations by, among other things, permitting a public entity to require an owner to provide notice that the owner has initiated actions to terminate tenancies. If the owner fails to comply with this requirement, the owner is liable to a displaced tenant or lessee for punitive damages not to exceed 6 months' rent. This bill would, until January 1, 2021, prohibit an owner of residential real property upon which the constraints described above have been placed from withdrawing the accommodations from rent or lease in order to sell the property to new owners who will hold title to the property as tenants in common.