Do you rent your home in the City of Los Angeles? As renters — or, tenants — you have rights and protections against certain rent increases, evictions, and more. 

The landscape is constantly changing, and it can be confusing to know what protections apply to you — but we’re here to help.


IMPORTANT DATES FOR RENTERS

On February 1st, 2024 all COVID rent debt accrued from October 1st, 2021 to January 31st, 2023, is due in full. 

*If you are unable to pay back your rent in full, the City is here to help! See resources below. 

Helpful tip: For all payments made toward rent debt, it is very important to secure a receipt of some kind for your payments. 


Emergency Renters Assistance Program

From September 19, 2023 at 8am through October 2, 2023 at 6pm, the City of Los Angeles United to House Los Angeles (ULA) Emergency Renters Assistance Program was open and is now CLOSED. The program provided six months of rental arrears to low-income residential renters who are at risk of homelessness due to unpaid rent as a result of COVID-19 or other financial hardship. 

The priority was given to households with income at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and meet all of the following criteria:

  • Households with minor children and/or seniors aged 65 and above or people with disabilities.
  • Households that are extremely rent burdened, paying more than 50% of total household income for rent each month.
  • Households that are at high risk of becoming homeless (include, but is not limited to households with past due rent or an eviction notice, unsafe or unhealthy living conditions; or any other evidence of such risk.
  • Households for whom up to six months’ rent in its entirety will satisfy their entire debt for the unit they currently inhabit; or who have entered into an agreement to repay the remaining balance affordably

If you applied to the program when it was open, you are able to look up the status of your application HERE

All of the available funding right now is anticipated to be spent by early 2024. If you have any questions, please feel free to email lahd.erap@lacity.org.


Rent Increases

Annual rent increases for rental units subject to the City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) are prohibited through January 31, 2024. City Council approved a 4% rent increase for properties subject to RSO from February 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Additional 1% for electric and 1% for gas services is allowed to be added if the landlord provides service to the tenant. Your landlord is required by state law to provide a 30 day written notice for rent increases of less than 10%.

If you are living in a Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) unit:

  • You CAN now receive an allowable rent increase on February 1, 2024 of up to 4% from February 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024.
    • An additional 1% for gas and 1% for electricity can be added to the 4% if your landlord provides these services. 
    • Your landlord is required to give you a 30-day written notice.
  • You CANNOT be evicted without a reason or just cause.
  • Helpful tip: to find out what type of unit you live in click HERE! Look under the Housing tab and the RSO status will be indicated for the property.  

If you are living in a non-RSO unit:

  • You CAN receive a rent increase. If your unit is protected under State Bill AB 1482, you cannot receive an increase of more than 10% of your current rent.
  • You CANNOT be evicted without a reason or just cause.

NEW RENTER PROTECTIONS 

Last January, City Council passed the strongest tenant protections in more than 40 years since the Rent Stabilization Ordinance.

Universal Just Cause  

*All* units in LA now officially have “just cause” protections, meaning a landlord cannot evict a tenant without declaring a cause from a designated list. 

In non-RSO units, these protections kick in after six months or at the end of the first lease term, whichever comes first. If you’ve already been in your apartment for six months today, you’re protected.

Protection For Tenants With Pets & Unauthorized Occupants 

Your landlord CANNOT evict you for adding an additional person or pet to your household during Covid, or up to January 31, 2024.

Protections Notice

All landlords of residential properties must provide a Notice of Renters’ Protections to tenants who begin or renew their tenancy. This notice must also be posted in an accessible common area of the property.

Click HERE to download the Protections Notice. 

Threshold For Eviction 

City Council approved a minimum threshold for evictable rent debt, which means tenants who owe less than one month of rent cannot be evicted.  

The threshold is one month Fair Market Rent – currently $2,006 for one-bedroom units and $2,544 for two-bedroom units in Los Angeles. Please refer to LAHD’s website for full information. For example: If a tenant rents a 1-bedroom unit and owes $1,500, the landlord cannot evict the tenant because the rent owed is less than the FMR for a 1-bedroom unit ($2,006).

Your landlord CANNOT evict you for adding an additional person or pet to your household during Covid, or up to January 31, 2024.

Relocation Assistance

Tenants who receive a rent increase of more than 10% within 12 months and are unable to afford the rent increase have the option to receive relocation assistance to move out of their rental unit. 

This means that if landlords enact large rent increases – raising rent by more than 10% in a year or by the current level of inflation plus 5%, whichever is lower – they must pay relocation assistance equal to three months fair market rent plus moving fees to tenants.The relocation amount is based on the bedroom size of the rental unit. Please refer to LAHD’S website for full information on the amount. 

Filing Requirements For Landlords

If you receive an “at-fault” eviction notice, your landlord must file with LAHD within three business days, including stating legal reasons for eviction. 

For all no-fault evictions, landlords must file with LAHD, submit required fees, and pay the tenant relocation assistance.


WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE AN EVICTION NOTICE 

1. DO NOT SELF-EVICT

Stay in your unit and reach out to the City immediately to help navigate what your options are. 

2. Call the Los Angeles Housing Department Hotline: 866-557-7368

3. Identify what kind of notice you received.

Here is a breakdown of common types of notices:

  • 3-DAY NOTICES: If you receive a 3-day notice you are typically not required to file an answer but you should reach out to LAHD. In order for the eviction process to be initiated after a 3-day notice, you will still need to receive an Unlawful Detainer (UD) notice. You should not self-evict if you receive a 3-day notice. Please be on the lookout for a UD, which does have a five-day deadline to respond. 
  • UNLAWFUL DETAINER (UD): If you receive a UD, you MUST file an answer within 5 days. If you respond late you can automatically lose your case. You should not self-evict if you receive an UD, but it is important that you read all notices very carefully and seek legal advice. Please be attentive to any deadlines.
    • Stay Housed LA has resources that walk tenants through how to respond to UDs, how to represent themselves in court and will also connect low-income tenants to free legal services. If you don’t qualify for the free legal services, please refer to the list of other legal resources available to tenants at the bottom of this page. 
  • ANY OTHER TYPE OF NOTICE: Please refer to LAHD resources. If you live in an RSO unit, file an RSO complaint in order to get an RSO investigator to review the case and to create a paper trail for the City. The State of California also has a helpful breakdown of these processes and explanations of different types of eviction notices. 

*Reminder: If you don’t respond to formal notices, you can automatically lose your case. Going through the eviction process in court can take 30 days or longer and provides time to access additional resources available to you. 

4. Reach out to StayHoused LA 

5. Contact your Council Office 

If you have questions about any of the above, they should be able to help you. Council District 4 residents can reach out to contactCD4@lacity.org or call (213) 473-7004.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING HARASSMENT FROM YOUR LANDLORD

Renter harassment can take many forms, including refusal to complete required repairs, threatening physical harm, or asking about immigration status.

*To see a full list of what qualifies as renter harassment in the City of LA, click HERE.  

Reach out to: 


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES 

More information on the City’s Renter Protections: 

Legal Resources for LA City Renters: 

Stay Housed LA

Stay Housed LA is a partnership between the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and local community and legal service providers. The Stay Housed LA website explains current renter protections, hosts renter workshops, and refers renters facing eviction to legal service providers.

Los Angeles Housing Department Legal Resources

List of agencies providing a variety of assistance on landlord/tenant issues, rent stabilization, code enforcement, housing matters, and evictions.

Los Angeles Tenants Union Locals

The LA Tenants Union is a diverse, tenant-led movement. Locals organize against landlord harassment, mass evictions, and displacement.

Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) Renters’ Rights Clinics

CES hosts weekly virtual clinics to advise on COVID protections, evictions, rent control, getting repairs, security deposits, and more. 

Tenant Power Toolkit

The Tenant Power Toolkit is a collaborative effort between The Debt Collective, The LA Tenants Union, The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, anti-eviction lawyers and legal service providers. The toolkit has a step by step on how to respond to an unlawful detainer and even submits it for you. The toolkit is designed to keep people in their homes, fight evictions, fight rent debt, and build the collective power of tenants.

California Courts Self-Help Guide

The State offers a clear breakdown of the eviction process for tenants, including step-by-step guides for how to represent yourself in court 

Eviction Defense Network Video Series

Comprehensive series covering EDN’s Tenant Empowerment Program intended to prepare people for more in-depth webinars and resources. 


File an RSO or Just Cause Eviction Protection Complaint

Reasons for complaint may include the following: 

  • Unit not registered
  • Illegal Eviction
  • Non-Payment of Relocation Assistance
  • Illegal Rent Increase
  • Reduction of Services 
  • Failure to Post Notice
  • Illegal Buyout Agreement 
  • Required Online Payment/Electronic Fund Transfer 
  • Harassment 

REPORT A CODE VIOLATION

Reasons for complaint may include the following: 

  • Leaking shower
  • No hot water
  • Broken countertop 
  • Flooding 
  • Issues regarding unsafe living conditions and code violations at multifamily rental properties 

* Doesn’t need to be RSO or AB1482. Any apartment complex needs to file a complaint with LAHD (LADBS is responsible for investigating any complaints filed in condominiums)