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Tenants say notices to vacate at 2200 South Coast Highway were defective under Laguna Beach tenant-protection ordinance
Summary
Multiple residents of a 9-unit complex at 2200 South Coast Highway told the council their landlords issued termination-of-tenancy notices claiming large remodels but the scope in the notices did not match permits. Speakers said city portal postings were incomplete and some units’ notices were never uploaded, leaving tenants vulnerable to unlawful-
Several tenants and neighbors used the city’s public-comment period July 29 to urge more proactive city oversight after termination-of-tenancy notices were issued at a 9-unit property at 2200 South Coast Highway.
What residents said: Lisa Nordholm said tenants received “termination of tenancy due to substantial remodel” notices dated July 14 whose listed scope exceeded the work shown on the city permits and in some cases included work that had no permits at all. Nordholm said only seven of the nine earlier notices were uploaded to the city portal and that the owner later told tenants the initial letters had been issued in error and replaced on July 21. Tenant Jewel Sawinski told council she is disabled, has lived in her unit 29 years and had not seen a notice posted to the city. Another commenter said 2 unit notices still did not appear in the public portal more than a week after the replacement letters were issued.
Requests to the city: Speakers asked the council to direct staff to check that notices uploaded to the city match permitted work; to ensure all posted notices are complete and accurate; and to use the city’s new tenant-protection ordinance as intended rather than a checkbox. Several tenants said they had been told by building-staff or planning to treat the matter as a civil dispute and advised to seek counsel.
What staff said: Council members and staff said the city’s ordinance was intended to provide an administrative check on compliance with state law and to produce a public record of termination notices. Councilmember Whelan said the city did not build in enforcement but agreed staff should follow up to confirm notices on city-issued permits match landlord notices and to contact affected tenants to advise them of what the city can and cannot do.
Next steps: Councilmembers directed staff to follow up with the Planning/Code Enforcement team and to contact the tenants who spoke, and to report back on whether the notices submitted to the city matched permits and how the city will help ensure the portal is complete and accurate.
