CEB Contributor
Thomas Y. Lee
Content Attorney at N/A
Thomas Lee is a Content Attorney at the CEB in the Real Property Department. He is responsible for editing various Real Property titles, such as “California Landlord-Tenant Practice;” “California Eviction Defense Manual;” “California Mortgages, Deeds of Trust, and Foreclosure Litigation;” and “Mechanics Liens,” among others. Mr. Lee also contributes to CEB's Daily News articles.
Mr. Lee received his BA from UC Berkeley and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He has worked for various nonprofits, mostly focused on housing and eviction defense, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Lee was also a careers counselor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He has been at the CEB since 2022.
Mr. Lee is a member of the California State Bar and part of the CLA Real Property Section.
CEB Region:
Bay Area RegionPractice Areas:
Real PropertyContent by Thomas Y. Lee
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Prop. 45 Will Test Voters' Appetite for Continued CEQA Reform
November 2, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, CEQA & Other Environmental Regulation, State & Local Government
Aside from the measures on the California ballot dealing with the proposed "billionaire tax," another seemingly innocuous and technically dense proposition is perhaps the most controversial in tomorrow's general election: Proposition 45 would further amend the uniquely Californian set of laws and regulations known as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (
Newly Enacted Santa Barbara Ordinance Is Case Study for California Local Rent Control Measures
October 12, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant, State & Local Government
On
Bill to Reform 2002 Law Inhibiting Condo Construction Mysteriously Dies in Legislative Session
September 21, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Construction , Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
As this year's California legislative session came to a close, AB 1903
Prop. 37: Potential Lifeline for Middle-Class Homebuyers, or Ineffective and Unequal Program?
August 31, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
Proposition 37 has successfully qualified for California's Nov. 3, 2026, ballot and will be decided on by California voters at that time. The
Plug-In Solar Bill Could Lower Utility Costs for California Renters – If Lawmakers Add Tenant Protections
August 10, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Administrative Law, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
Plug-in solar devices, while widely used in Europe, are
The Landmark Federal Housing Bill May Not Immediately Ease California’s Affordability Crisis. But It's a Step in the Right Direction
July 20, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
Over the weekend of July 11, the federal
State-Level Housing Reforms and Local Projects in California Continue to Face Opposition From Familiar – and Varied – Interest Groups
June 30, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, CEQA & Other Environmental Regulation, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
As California continues it bid to create more housing and ease the affordability crisis, state-level reforms and mandates continue to receive pushback from a variety of familiar groups. Resistant local officials, trade unions, NIMBY groups and environmentalists are just a few examples of these local groups that have openly advocated against broad, statewide action as well as local development projects. While these groups may play an important role in protecting local interests, California state lawmakers should focus on creating simpler, better-crafted legislation and executive actions to avoid unnecessary delays in implementing crucially needed housing development reform.
City of Los Angeles Releases New Database of 'Top 100 Problem Rental Properties', With Landlords' Names Attached
June 8, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant, State & Local Government
Does your landlord have a history of violating LA's housing laws? Does the unit you’re thinking about renting have a history of code violations? Is there even a way to find out? Before, you had to rely on word of mouth and websites of varying reputation and accuracy. Or you could weed through endless, unorganized, publicly available data from the Los Angeles Housing Department (or other city agencies) without much hope of discovering these answers.
Huntington Beach Fined $160K, Faces Future Fines of $50K a Month for Failing to Comply With Housing Element
May 18, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
In the latest demonstration of its commitment to enforce state housing goals, the State of California has pushed for the City of Huntington Beach to be fined $50,000 per month – beginning in January 2025 - for failing to comply with California's Statewide Housing Plan and refusing to submit a housing plan element as required. On May 15, a San Diego County Superior Court judge
California Lawmakers Propose Bills To Clear the Way for Factory-Built Housing
April 27, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Construction , Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
There have been endless proposals to help solve or at least mitigate the ongoing housing affordability crisis in California. While not all of them may be successful or cost-beneficial, the simple fact is that the more ways to build faster and cheaper housing the state explores, the better. One method that is suddenly gaining traction and interest, after it failed all the way back in 1971, is factory-built housing.
California Governor and HCD Call Out 15 Cities and Counties, Give ‘Final Warning’ on Housing Element Plans
April 6, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
One of the most visible and in-depth ways that California has attempted to mitigate its housing affordability crisis is through a state-mandated
California's Growing Local Rent Control Movement Meets a Proposed $25B Housing Bond for Middle Class Homebuyers Statewide
March 16, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Construction , Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
Recently, the City of Santa Barbara announced it would implement a
Santa Barbara Rent Freeze Signals That California's Rent Control Fight Will Play Out in Cities and Counties
February 23, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
On Jan. 14, the
Lawmakers in Sacramento Are Still Pushing Pro-Housing Measures in 2026, But They're Running Into More Entrenched Opposition
February 2, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
In the first month of 2026, California saw the usual frenetic legislative and regulatory implementation activity, as well as lawmakers' drive to kick-start new bills. This activity has shown that while much progress has been made to encourage construction and identify smaller changes to tenant protections amid the state's housing affordability crisis, lawmakers may now be running up against entrenched opposition to continued fundamental changes to rent control and zoning laws.
New California Law Protects Tenants Who Rely on Social Security During Federal Shutdowns
January 12, 2026
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, tenants in California will have an additional protection against nonpayment eviction cases if the nonpayment is due to an interruption of Social Security benefits. This applies only when the interruption is not due to any fault of the tenant, and the loss of the benefit prevented the payment of rent. Although not explicitly stated, the timing does seem to be a response to the federal government shutdown in late 2025, when many people's Social Security benefits were under threat of being delayed or otherwise interrupted.
Recent Settlements With RealPage, Landlords Suggest Bipartisan Support for Legal Limits on the Use of AI in Rent-Setting
December 22, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Privacy & Information Security, Real Property
For several years, and under both Democratic and Republican presidential administrations, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has
City of Los Angeles to Proceed With Rent Control Reform Amid Affordability Crisis
December 2, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
On Nov. 12, the Los Angeles City Council
Is the City of Los Angeles About to Change How It Calculates Rent Control?
November 10, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
The Los Angeles City Council is considering whether it should change the way it calculates its rent control figure, following concerns that the current 3-8% annual range isn't enough to limit housing insecurity and is out of step with other local jurisdictions in California.
AB 628 Will Require Apartments in California to Have Refrigerators and Stoves
October 20, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, California landlords will have to make sure the apartments they rent out have working refrigerators and stoves to meet the state's legal habitability requirements.
With Rising Temperatures, More Local Governments Are Enacting Cooling Ordinances for Housing Units
September 29, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
In the context of the housing affordability crisis, climate change and the environment has tended to be an indirect influence. People have spoken at length about the
Abandoned Shopping Malls: A Possible Housing Solution in California?
September 8, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
Over the years, numerous strategies have been undertaken to solve California's housing affordability crisis. One that has been getting more attention lately is the possibility of converting empty or underused office towers/buildings into housing, a strategy called
Los Angeles Doubles Down on Adaptive Reuse
August 18, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
Converting underutilized
City of Los Angeles Sues Airbnb, Alleging Rampant Price Gouging in SoCal Wildfire Aftermath
July 28, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California wildfires earlier this year, both state and local officials quickly declared states of emergency, which brought into effect
LA County Extends Rent and Price Gouging Protections for Wildfire Victims, As Advocates Complain of Lackluster Enforcement
July 7, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Criminal Law, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property, State & Local Government
With the state of emergency related to January's LA-area wildfires set to expire on July 1, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Accessory Dwelling Units in California: Affordable Housing Solution – or Loophole?
June 16, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Construction , Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
A new bill proposed in the California Legislature seeks to close a loophole by which cities and counties can comply with state affordable housing laws by promising to build accessory dwelling units, regardless of whether those units will actually be affordable -- or even constructed in the first place.
AB 306 and the Case for a Temporary Building Code Freeze
May 27, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Construction , Private Commercial, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, CEQA & Other Environmental Regulation, Housing
In a new effort to combat the housing affordability crisis,
RealPage Sues City of Berkeley in Ongoing Dispute Over 'Algorithmic Rent-Pricing' Software
May 5, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation, Constitutional Law, Privacy & Information Security, Real Property
On April 2, RealPage filed a
LA Files $62 Million Lawsuit Alleging Price Gouging, Short-Term Rental Violations After SoCal Fires
April 14, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Criminal Law, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
On March 27, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto
ACC's Settlement With FSU, Clemson Signals Prioritization of Short-Term Stability in College Sports
March 24, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation
On March 4, the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State University, and Clemson announced they had
Southern California Wildfire Rebuild Raises Complex Construction and Development Issues
March 3, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
As the cleaning and recovery efforts continue in the aftermath of some of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, questions are beginning to be asked about the nature and method of rebuilding. Faced with both a crisis and an opportunity to rebuild, residents and civic leaders must balance safety and environmental concerns with residents’ rights to rebuild in the face of an ongoing, and now most certainly exacerbated, housing crisis.
After SoCal Fires, California Acts Quickly to Tweak Price Gouging Rules That May Have Actually Limited Housing Supply
February 10, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
In the wake of the destruction caused by the numerous wildfires in the Los Angeles area last month, concerns began to rise about possible
Southern California Wildfires Show Efficacy and Necessity of Strong Price Gouging Protections
January 14, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Transactions, Criminal Law, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
As the devastation continues to unfold in many Southern California communities from multiple wildfires, many people are seeking emergency shelter and supplies, as well as beginning longer term recovery efforts from destroyed and damaged homes. Unfortunately, this type of emergency sometimes also spurs the worst kind of social behavior, such as looting and price gouging. However, the state of California, along with many local jurisdictions, has strong price gouging protections to prevent and punish this exploitative behavior.
EPA Approves Final Rule Streamlining Section 404 Assumption Program, But Questions Remain
January 2, 2025
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its
ClimateBrief: EPA Approves Final Rule Streamlining Section 404 Assumption Program, But Questions Remain
December 30, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Administrative Law, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, State & Local Government
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its
Barry Bonds, Shohei Ohtani, and King Solomon: Equitably Dividing a Home Run Baseball
December 9, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Litigation Practice & Procedure
On September 19, 2024, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers made Major League Baseball history, becoming the first player to
ALI and ELI: Identifying and Assisting Those Most At Risk for Homelessness with California's AB 3093
November 18, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
This past legislative session, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law
The Commercial Tenant Protection Act (SB 1103): Bringing Residential Protections to Commercial Tenancies?
October 17, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Commercial Leasing
On September 30, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 1103, sponsored by State Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley). The bill creates new protections for certain commercial tenants, and is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. While the state has been embroiled in attempting to mitigate and solve the residential housing crisis by reforming residential tenancy regulations, this is the first major change to commercial tenancy regulations in quite some time.
Contracts, Competition, and Ongoing Litigation in College Football
October 7, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation
College sports, and football in particular, continue to see dramatic upheaval and shifts as conferences and schools remain mired in realignment issues. While early issues such as grant-of-rights and economic considerations took center stage, more recently, the drama has begun playing out in the courts via litigation -- the latest installment of which is a federal lawsuit by the Pac-12 conference challenging the Mountain West's "poaching penalty."
AI, Rent, and Antitrust Suits: Local, State, and Federal Governments Take on 'Revenue Management Software'
September 16, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Privacy & Information Security, Real Property
In late July, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
LA's Action Plan for Skid Row Encampment Shows Progress in Wake of Supreme Court's Grants Pass Decision
August 26, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Constitutional Law, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing
On the heels of the decision by the Supreme Court in
Grant of Rights: The Next Seismic Change in the Legal Landscape of College Sports
August 5, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation
In the last few years, the world of college sports in the United States of America has been upended by major changes. These include drastic changes to the way college athletes are allowed to be compensated (such as
The Jontay Porter Case and Professional Sports' Growing Gambling Problem
July 15, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Criminal Law
On July 10,
Amid Ongoing California Housing Crisis, LA County Moves Forward with Proposal to Cap Rent Increases to 3%
June 24, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
The LA County Board of Supervisors has moved to advance a proposal to
New Player in MLB Gambling Scandal Foreshadows Potential Professional Sports/Sports Betting Conflict
June 3, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Criminal Law
Earlier this month,
SB 9 Litigation Saga Demonstrates Difficulties of California Housing Legislation
May 13, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
On April 22, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin ruled in favor of several charter cities by striking down SB 9 as unconstitutional in
Game Over for Mizuhara. Extra Innings for Ohtani and MLB?
April 22, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Criminal Law
After several days of intense speculation, federal authorities on April 11
A Rose By Any Other Name? What to Watch in the Gambling Case Involving Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter
April 1, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Criminal Law
There is still much uncertainty, both factual and legal, surrounding the circumstances of the firing of Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
'Supersized' Density Bonus Shows California's Desperation to Solve Housing Crisis
March 11, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property
California has passed a lot of new legislation in recent years to try to control the state’s housing crisis. Some of these bills focus on increasing incentives for developers to build new affordable housing, whereby developers receive certain bonuses or incentives to set aside units for affordable housing. One such incentive is the State Density Bonus Law (
Clean Water Act Litigation Continues to Flow
February 20, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
The fight over the new 2023 Environmental Protection Agency Rules regarding Section 401 of the Clean Water Act is ratcheting up. After eleven states and industry groups sued in Louisiana district court, last month, seventeen states (as well as the District of Columbia and some state agencies) filed a motion to intervene on the EPA’s behalf.
ClimateBrief: Clean Water Act Litigation Continues to Flow
February 20, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
This article is co-published with ClimateBrief, a forthcoming DailyNews vertical devoted to coverage of climate and environmental law for California practitioners. If you’d like us to keep you updated on ClimateBrief, use
'Minor' Change to Costa-Hawkins Act Shows Complexity of California Housing Law
January 29, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
The
New Limits on Security Deposit Amounts Will Further Affordable Housing Goals in California
January 8, 2024
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property
Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved
ClimateBrief: Clean Water Act Section 401 Under Fire
December 18, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
This article is co-published with ClimateBrief, a forthcoming DailyNews vertical devoted to coverage of climate and environmental law for California practitioners. If you’d like us to keep you updated on ClimateBrief, use
Clean Water Act Section 401 Under Fire
December 18, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
As the Environmental Protection Agency continues to grapple with the fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court's decision this year in
City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Set New Rent Increase Caps
November 27, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
Starting February 1, 2024, units covered by the City of Los Angeles’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) will be eligible for
Continuing Controversy in Water Regulation: The Fallout of Sackett v. EPA and the Section 404 Proposed Final Rule
November 6, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
Earlier this year, some major developments occurred within the field of water rights. Now we are beginning to see the reactions to the fallout of the
EPA Finalizes New Rule Expanding State and Tribal Authority Under CWA
October 13, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
On September 14, 2023, the EPA announced the new final 2023
Revised EPA Definition of WOTUS Doesn't Clear the Muddy Waters of Sackett
September 25, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
After the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in
The California Eviction Cliff is Here -- and It's More Like a Flood
September 5, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
As COVID-19 tenant protections began to expire and phase out in California, the end of eviction moratoriums sparked a worry that there would be an eviction cliff. With tenants still recovering from COVID-19 losses, mounting back rent, and soaring inflation in the meantime, a lifting of the ban on evictions related to COVID-19 debt could well mean that the eviction cliff might be even worse than imagined. As one housing judge in the Bay Area
Streamlining State and Tribal Assumption of Clean Water Act Programs
August 21, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
Recent developments including the U.S. Supreme Court's decision this year in
The Spread of Right to Counsel Programs for Tenants
July 24, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
The housing crisis currently brewing in California (as well as the rest of the United States) has motivated both the Governor and the California Legislature to pass reforms and measures aimed at increasing housing construction. This is of course one of the most effective ways to bring about an end to this crisis – more housing stock. But perhaps an even more effective way is to help tenants stay in their homes, avoid eviction, and prevent homelessness in the first place. One of the tools being increasingly used throughout the United States toward this end is the Right to Counsel for tenants.
Office to Housing Conversion in California: Ideal Solution or Economically Impractical?
July 3, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing
There is an ongoing and seemingly endless debate about the state of California’s housing supply. Recently, there appears to be general agreement that there simply isn't enough housing. But where this housing is going to come from has become an extremely contentious issue, raising debates around environmental protection, parking requirements, and zoning permits, just to name a few.
WOTUS and SCOTUS: 'Wetlands' Redefined
June 12, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Water Supplies , Wetlands & Other Protected Lands
A major controversy has been brewing for decades over what constitutes "waters of the United States" (WOTUS). A seemingly uncontroversial
Fraud in Conservation Easements: A $1.3 Billion Scheme Revealed
May 22, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Easements & Boundaries, Conservation Easements
Conservation easements seem to be an easy win-win for all involved. Typically, a private landowner donates an "easement" to a nonprofit or public agency in order to preserve the land or otherwise restrict development of certain parcels or structures. A type of conservation easement in California is the "greenway easement," which seeks to restore and preserve the natural character of land in its scenic, forested, recreational, or open-space condition. (
What is a Hotel?
May 1, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property
There have been some recent cases where different states’ different definitions of "landlord", "tenant", and "guest" have been at issue.
As California's COVID-19 State of Emergency Ends, Is an Eviction Cliff Coming?
April 10, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
On March 1, 2023, after nearly three full years, California Governor Gavin Newsom officially announced the
The New Just Cause Ordinance of Los Angeles: A Signal of Change?
March 20, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic was the amount of emergency legislation passed to protect tenants from eviction – it would not only be inhumane but a public health disaster if thousands of tenants were suddenly forced from their homes due to a health emergency. In California specifically, measures such as the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act and the COVID-19 Rental Housing Recovery Act protected thousands, if not tens of thousands, of tenants from eviction, while also creating a path for rental assistance and eventual repayment of rent to affected landlords.
Beware the Unlicensed Contractor in California
February 27, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property
California has been hit with several disasters in recent years: Fires, earthquakes, and atmospheric rivers have taken their toll on the Golden State. Most recently, a series of rainstorms caused mudslides, downed trees, and otherwise damaged homes and buildings. As Californians take stock and assess possible and potential damage, it is important to carefully consider who to hire to repair the damage.
New Eviction Protections for California Tenants Who Are Victims of Abuse or Violence
February 6, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Family Law, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
In California, there has been a push to dramatically decrease barriers to new affordable housing development in order to address the ongoing housing crisis. However, it is important to focus on the other side of the equation as well – to keep people housed and prevent homelessness.
Parking Minimums Reconsidered: Housing Against a Ubiquitous California Feature
January 17, 2023
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing
In the last few years, and especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing crisis in California has grown. Fortunately, this has finally spurred a series of measures aimed to curb this crisis, and both residents and legislators are taking increasingly drastic and once-unthinkable actions to do so. This space has discussed legislation and policies which have changed and or taken on some of California’s most important issues in the name of affordable housing: Sports stadium construction, environmental regulation, labor policies. But now legislators have taken aim at one of California’s most ubiquitous features:
Affordable Housing and Trade Unions
December 27, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property, State & Local Government
As the California housing crisis continues, legislators are trying new ways to expedite the creation of affordable housing. Previously, some efforts included
Hotel Guest or Tenant? Comparing State Laws
December 5, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant, State & Local Government
Recently, the Georgia Supreme Court
Is Housing Being Prioritized Over Environmental Regulation in California?
November 14, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, CEQA & Other Environmental Regulation, Housing, State & Local Government
There has been much turbulence in recent years as the wildly shifting administrations of former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden have created a somewhat
Surplus Land and Affordable Housing: Legislative Updates
October 24, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
A few months ago, CEB
Anyone Can Be an Environmental Regulator: The Role of Local NGOs in Enforcing Environmental Rules
October 3, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources
A few months ago, this author wrote an
Two Different Cases But Two Similar Outcomes: Sheen and Makras
September 12, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property
Recently, a prominent San Francisco real estate investor was
Money, Antitrust, Golf -- In That Order
August 22, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Litigation, Employment Law, State & Local Government
The California federal court battle that is
The Confusing Environment of Current Environmental Regulations
August 1, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Real Property
Regardless of one’s view of the role and position the United States government should take when it comes to environmental regulation, there has undoubtedly been much uncertainty over a myriad of environmental rules and policies, given the drastic difference in approaches between the Trump and Biden administrations. This has led to much confusion over which rules should be enforced against which parties -- especially in the real property development context, where projects can regularly span multiple presidential terms. In these uncertain times, it's crucial to note that local and non-government organizations play an effective role in advocating for enforcement of environmental regulations and should be included in any development project's calculus.
No Negotiating With Criminal Developers?
July 11, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Business Transactions, Criminal Law, Real Property, State & Local Government
In securing a guilty verdict in the case against Dae Yong "David" Lee, a real estate developer, and the company he controls (940 Hill LLC), the federal government has sent a strong message to persons considering or attempting fraud or bribery to advance their development plans. The first of three related trials regarding corruption in several Los Angeles real estate development deals, the prosecution team (the United States Attorney's Office of the Central District of California) has undoubtedly strengthened its case and perhaps has shown it can be a powerful deterrent against corruption.
No Angels in the Surplus Land Act
June 21, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources, Housing, Real Property, State & Local Government
Recent controversies in the sale/non-sale of the property on which Anaheim's Angel Stadium and its surrounding parking lots sit have put into the headlines a somewhat obscure set of legal procedures governing how agencies can sell or dispose of real property: The Surplus Land Act. (
The Warranty of Habitability in the Time of COVID-19
May 31, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Litigation Practice & Procedure, Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant
It's unclear what the future holds, but for the time being, eviction moratoriums
COVID-19-Related Eviction Protections: Round 3
May 9, 2022
Thomas Y. Lee
Real Property, Residential Landlord-Tenant, State & Local Government
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the issue of how to deal with unpaid back rent resulting from the effects of COVID-19 has been a complicated one. While the intent of the Legislature and State to mitigate this crisis fairly is laudable, sometimes that intent can translate into uncertainty in the law and in practice.
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