Sego

Introduction

Appellant landlords challenge a local rent control board’s refusal to issue a requested certificate of permissible rent. The landlords seek the information for purposes of resolving a rent dispute with a tenant. The tenant has ceased paying rent. Without the requested information, the landlords are unable to bring an unlawful detainer action and under the applicable local rent control regulations they have no adequate remedy available.

We find the Petris Act, Civil Code section 1947.8, requires the local agency to provide the requested certificate.

Petitioners and appellants Peter Segó and Gisele Legrand (appellants) appeal from an order which denied their petition for writ of mandate pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1085. Appellants are the owners of an eight-unit apartment building in Santa Monica, California. They contend (1) the trial court committed prejudicial abuse of discretion by refusing to enforce the duty of respondent Santa Monica Rent Control Board (the Board) to issue a certificate of permissible rent levels required by the Petris Act (Civ. Code, § 1947.8, subd. (c)); (2) it was reversible error to uphold the Board’s requirement…