Governor signs helpful housing laws

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a couple of consumer-friendly laws related to housing.

The Senate bill 1145, written by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco), removes the sunset dates on renter protection laws enacted over the last several years.

It makes permanent the 60-day requirement for rent increases in excess of 10%, the prohibition against a landlord using a tenant’s source of income as a reason not to rent to him or her, and the prohibition against requiring each proposed tenant of a single unit to separately exceed a minimum income standard.

Senate bill 30 repeals existing law that defines a “home improvement contract” and requires that a contract be in writing, be legible and easy to understand, and inform a consumer of his or her right to cancel or rescind the contract.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont), also requires that a contract include various information, notices and disclosures for the protection of the consumer.