Cudahy Municipal Code Art. I Title, Purpose, Applicability and Definitions

This chapter shall be known as the tenant protections ordinance of the city. (Ord. 737 § 2 (Exh. A), 2023).

(1) The purpose of this chapter is to reasonably regulate just cause evictions so as to be more protective than California Civil Code Section 1946.2.

(2) This chapter shall apply to any tenancy after at least one tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a rental unit for 12 months or more.

(3) This chapter regulates evictions for certain tenancies. It requires landlords to provide relocation assistance for certain no-fault evictions, prohibits retaliation and harassment, and provides for the implementation and enforcement of this chapter. (Ord. 737 § 2 (Exh. A), 2023).

For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Buyout agreement” means a written agreement between a landlord and a tenant as provided in CMC 5.14.080 by which a tenant, typically in consideration for monetary payment, agrees to vacate a rental unit.

(2) “City” means the city of Cudahy.

(3) “Code” means the Cudahy Municipal Code.

(4) “Department” means the community development department of the city of Cudahy, or other department designated by the city council to administer the provisions of this chapter.

(5) “Director” means the director of the department, or their designee.

(6) “Ellis Act” means California Government Code Sections 7060 through 7060.7.

(7) “Housing services” means all services provided by the landlord related to the use or occupancy of a rental unit, including water, heat, utilities, insurance, maintenance, repairs, painting, elevator service, laundry facilities, janitorial service, refuse removal, furnishings, window shades and screens, parking, storage, security services, recreational areas, right to have specified number of tenants or occupants, allowing pets, communications technologies (internet, cable and satellite services), and any other benefit, privilege or facility that has been provided by the landlord to the tenant with use or occupancy of a rental unit. Services to a rental unit shall include a proportionate part of services provided to common facilities of the building in which a rental unit is contained.

(8) “Landlord” means an owner, lessor, sublessor, or any other person entitled to offer any rental unit for rent or entitled to receive rent for the use and occupancy of a rental unit, and the agent, representative, or successor of any of the foregoing.

(9) “Landlord’s family member” means a spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent, or grandparent of a landlord who is a natural person whose name is on the title of the property.

(10) “Mobilehome” means any mobilehome as defined under California Civil Code Section 798.3.

(11) “Mobilehome park” means an area of land located where two or more mobilehome spaces are rented or leased out for mobilehomes used as residences.

(12) “Rent” means the sum of all periodic payments and all nonmonetary consideration demanded or received by a landlord from a tenant for the use or occupancy of a rental unit or mobilehome park space located in the jurisdictional boundaries of the city of Cudahy, including tenant’s access to and use of housing services. “Rent” includes, without limitation, the fair market value of goods accepted, labor performed, or services rendered. “Rent” does not include any of the following: security deposits, utility charges billed separately to the tenant by the utility company, and pass-through fees and charges authorized pursuant to this chapter.

(13) “Rental agreement” means an agreement, oral, written, or implied, between a landlord and tenant for the use or occupancy of a rental unit and related housing services.

(14) “Rental unit” means any dwelling unit, as defined under California Civil Code Section 1940(c), located in the jurisdictional boundaries of the city of Cudahy and that is used or occupied for human habitation in consideration of payment of rent, whether or not the residential use is legally permitted, including mobilehomes rented by the owner of the mobilehome, and accessory dwelling units.

(15) “Residential real property” includes any parcel of land containing one or more dwelling units intended for human habitation.

(16) “Tenancy” means the lawful right or entitlement of a tenant to use or occupy a rental unit. This includes a lease or a sublease.

(17) “Tenant” means a tenant, subtenant, lessee, sublessee, or any other person entitled under the terms of a rental agreement to the use or occupancy of any rental unit. (Ord. 737 § 2 (Exh. A), 2023).