My first-person column about being surprised with a 21-percent rent increase appears on April 14, 2022, in "SpeakEasy."
Now would be a good time to subscribe to SpeakEasy, the premium newsletter affiliated with the San Diego Sun.
Subscribers will get a blow-by-blow account of how Vantage Pointe apartments (pictured, above), a subsidiary of Brookfield Properties, takes advantage of AB-1482 (The Tenant Protection Act of 2019) to more than double state law on rent increases.
It's a pretty surprising tale. You can also read how Brookfield is falling out of grace as a developer for a huge city project in the Midway District.
A monthly subscription to SpeakEasy is just $4.99. Sign up for one-year at the bargain price of $49.99. Here's the subscription link.

Subscribe to SpeakEasy to read about Vantage Pointe's 21-percent rent increase.
It's been seven months since the San Diego Sun launched as a free source of news features that focus on the city's downtown core.
SpeakEasy is a twice-monthly effort containing opinion pieces, attributed news with a point of view, and deals on goods and services. Patronage helps support my work on both efforts and gives a boost to the Independent Journalist Project. More voices create better choices!
Here's what stays the same. The Sun will continue to provide free, twice-weekly stories about issues that matter to downtown San Diegans. Stories like:
Living In The City. These are Q&As with residents who weigh in on safety and infrastructure as well as the best restaurants and bars in the city. How about Sin Bosier, the Mysterious Queen of the Gaslamp?
Homelessness. Did you see our list of 2022's Homelessness Influencers? Or read about new affordable housing in East Village from Father Joe's Villages? And Project Street Vet, which provides medical care for pets of unsheltered people?
Where to Go and What to Do. The Sun has provided lists of Romantic Eateries, Top Pizza Places and updates on the Padres Home Opener. More service journalism to come.
The Sun's 5,500-plus current subscribers will continue to get free coverage delivered by email about big-ticket news and events, including Comic-Con, the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival and music concerts at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.

Project Street Vet's Dr. Kwane Stewart and San Diego Sun Editor Ron Donoho in East Village.
SpeakEasy is Phase 2 of the San Diego Sun journey. It's a business model aimed at helping writers rise up and compete in local media markets.
The San Diego Sun is produced by Ron Donoho (RonDon SD News on Facebook) under the umbrella of the Meta-Bulletin Project for Independent Journalists.
More than 25 local Bulletin writers like me are spread around the country. National Bulletin writers include futurist Malcolm Gladwell, sportscaster Erin Andrews, activist Malala Yousafzai, bestselling author Mitch Albom and journalist Jessica Yellin.
The San Diego Sun is a one-person, local endeavor.
I'm a downtowner who walks and bikes the city nearly every day.
My resume includes a decade-long stint as executive editor at San Diego Magazine. I also served as the top editor at San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles and alt-weekly San Diego CityBeat.
My byline has appeared in the two dozen national publications and websites, including Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Maxim, Glamour, huffpost.com and popsugar.com.
Locally, I've written for The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Business Journal, Ranch & Coast, Pacific San Diego and sandiego.com.
I once taught a magazine class at Point Loma Nazarene University, served as chief content officer for Ballotpedia.org, and run a travel blog called Junkets & Jaunts.
My background is writing and media. Now with SpeakEasy, I'm stepping into the entrepreneurial side of journalism.
Thank you for your support. Please help spread the word. Your paid subscription will help me continue to inform, enlighten and entertain. In the modern era of news, every voice matters. SDSun
🌞 Help rebuild local news! SUBSCRIBE today at the premium level! The San Diego Sun is produced by Ron Donoho under the umbrella of the Meta-Bulletin Project for Independent Journalists.🌞