Does SMRR have a line?
Yes indeed! It’s not a party line, but a neighbor-helping-neighbor
SMRR hosts this line to assist tenants with questions, concerns, or requests for a referral. Sometimes it’s just a need for reassurance or the answer to a question, but sometimes it’s something as serious as the threat of an eviction. Volunteers take turns a few weeks at a time responding to calls from tenants.
Please Note: When you call, please leave a message with your name, phone number, and the time(s) when you can be reached. A volunteer should call you back within 24 hours.
If you want a callback, you personally (not an answering machine or voicemail system) must answer your phone during the times you said you could be reached. The people staffing the Hotline are volunteers giving of their time to help you and other callers. As volunteers they are reluctant to give their name and phone number to someone who is a stranger to them.
In the 29 years that the SMRR Hotline has been in existence, we’ve answered 50,000+ calls and emails and thousands of tenants have been helped. If you follow the procedure outlined above, you will be part of that group.
Of course, tenants who are under the protection of Santa Monica’s Rent Control law can also call the Santa Monica Rent Control Board (310) 458‑8751 for information from its very capable staff.
Since not all tenant issues are covered by Santa Monica’s rent control regulations, SMRR volunteers can and do offer referrals to other sources of assistance. SMRR volunteers do not give legal advice as such, but by the time you hang up, you will know what your next steps should be.
Every volunteer who has served on the Hotline has found the experience rewarding. SMRR members who might be interested are urged to call (310) 394-0848 to discuss further details with a volunteer and SMRR’s organizer.
Please note: Laws and regulations regarding tenant issues vary greatly by state and by cities within a state. Consequently, we can only provide information affecting Santa Monica tenants.