A tax-season note to CA landlords

A suggestion from a part-time poverty lawyer to managers of subsidized residential buildings in California:

If your building is exempt from property tax because of, for example, government ownership -- or due to one of these famously controversial non-profit managing partners -- then your tenants probably won't qualify for California renter assistance unless the building has made "PILOT" payments in lieu of tax, and they probably won't qualify at all for the separate state non-refundable renter's credit. At this time of year, it could be a real public service for you to post a notice in the lobby describing the building's tax status and its implications for renter assistance and the renter's credit. (Do consult your attorney or tax accountant first.) As you know, a lot of low-income tenants have limited educations and hence not much patience with paperwork, so it may be a genuine help if you can save them the trouble of applying for a benefit they can't receive.