Havenhurst Tenants Secure Larger Rent Reductions in Landmark Appeals

On April 24, 2025, the West Hollywood Rent Stabilization Commission granted significant rent reductions for tenants at 1301 Havenhurst Drive, addressing landlord failures in two appeals that underscored the city’s commitment to tenant protections. The decisions, tackling maintenance neglect and the absence of a required on-site manager, carry weight at a property known as the birthplace of West Hollywood’s rent control movement. Long-term tenants, led by Michael Russnow, successfully argued for fairer compensation, highlighting the real-world impacts of substandard housing.

In the first appeal, Russnow, a 35-year resident of Unit 114, challenged a $121 monthly rent reduction for outdated paint, carpeting, and linoleum, deemed insufficient by tenants facing diminished living conditions. The Commission raised the linoleum reduction from $18 to $40, citing visible damage, and adjusted paint to $84.50 and carpeting to $117.50, totaling $242 monthly, effective November 1, 2024. “How dare staff presume how I feel inhabiting an apartment with diminished quality, embarrassed when guests come over,” Russnow said. The cumulative effect on habitability, coupled with the landlord’s failure to contest claims, justified the increases.

The second appeal addressed the lack of an on-site resident manager, a mandated service for the 40-unit building, absent since November 2024. Russnow, representing all tenants, argued the initial $14 reduction undervalued the service’s importance. The Commission raised it to $85 per unit, citing reliance on managers for safety and convenience in a large building. “There’s nothing in the law requiring a manager to address specific catastrophes,” Russnow emphasized. Jai Lyn Schoenfeld, a Unit 110 resident, recounted evacuation fears during January 2025 wildfires, worsened by no manager to open the garage, while Richard Deason of Unit 217 described past emergencies, like a toilet tank overflow, swiftly handled by managers.

The Commission, led by Chair Adam G. Bass, relied on the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, factoring in quality of life, safety, and building size. Notably, 1301 Havenhurst LLC did not appear at either hearing, a pattern tenants linked to ongoing neglect. Eugene Maysky, a tenant outreach organizer, highlighted the building’s historical role, noting it as the site where activists launched rent control efforts in the late 1970s, paving the way for West Hollywood’s incorporation.

The rulings aim to compel landlord compliance, with reductions ongoing until services are restored. Tenants can contact the Rent Stabilization Division at (323) 848-6450 or [email protected] for further action. These decisions reinforce West Hollywood’s tenant-focused legacy, ensuring fair living conditions for long-term residents.