West Hollywood Rent Official Announces His Resignation

Adam Moos, who has run West Hollywood’s controversial Rent Stabilization Department since its creation last year, said this week that he plans to resign from his post, probably by July.

Moos, 25, organized the department after the City Council passed its rent control law last June, and worked with the council in creating the city’s Rent Stabilization Commission and devising its hearing process. The council appointed Moos full-time director of the department last December.

Moos, who has a graduate degree in urban planning from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, said he was resigning to pursue a career in urban policy.

“I’d like to get out of the administration side of municipal government and find something involved with policy development,” he said. “I’m not that interested in day-to-day management.”

His tenure as director came during a period marked by frequent conflict between landlords and tenants. Moos attempted to keep both groups involved in the administration of the rent law, apprising them of policy changes and soliciting their advice. “I wanted a rent administration that recognized everyone’s dignity,” he said.

At times, that has been a losing proposition. Although landlords have praised department personnel for their willingness to listen, they have also criticized the department as inflexible. And though tenant activists have been largely satisfied with the growth of the department, they have occasionally expressed impatience with the city’s efforts to educate the public about the rent law.

Moos said he had considered resigning for some time, but wanted to wait until a number of departmental plans had been finished. “We’re about to present our new budget and the hearing process is under way,” he said.