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Renter Rights & Protections

Last updated: February 17, 2023

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. 

This guide can help to determine: 

  1. What kind of unit you live in: RSO or non-RSO. Renter protections vary drastically for units that are covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance and those that are not. 
  2. What your current protections are: for rent increases, for evictions due to  non-payment of rent related to COVID, and more.
  3. Who to contact if your landlord has filed an eviction, raised your rent, or intimidated or harassed you.

1) WHAT TYPE OF UNIT DO YOU LIVE IN?

What is an RSO unit? 
RSO stands for “Rent Stabilization Ordinance.” Renter protections vary for units that are covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance versus those that are not. 

If your unit is under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, there is a limit to how much your rent can be increased. Your landlord must also provide the legal reason for eviction, and is required  to pay relocation assistance for no-fault evictions. 

How can you find out if you're an RSO renter in the City of LA? 

Just text “RSO” to (855) 880-7368. 

  • You will receive a text from LAHD asking for your address. 
  • Send your address.
  • You will receive a text letting you know if you live in an RSO unit.

You can also visit bit.ly/rsosearch to see how to enter your address into the ZIMAS database, which can also confirm your unit’s status. 

2) WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT PROTECTIONS AS A RENTER?

The City of Los Angeles COVID-19 Emergency Renter Protections have ended as of January 31, 2023. Beginning February 1, 2023, tenants must pay their full current monthly rent to avoid eviction for non-payment of rent. However, under the County’s extension, low-income renters with income at or below 80% AMI that can’t pay rent due to COVID-19 hardship have protections through March 31, 2023.

Renters MUST notify their landlord within 7 days of the rent due date, unless extenuating circumstances exist, and can do so by filling out the County’s Self-Attestation Form: 

If you do receive an eviction notice from your landlord after providing this Self-Attestation Form, you can file a complaint with LAHD to make sure they have records of your case and can contact you and the landlord directly.

Property owners cannot raise the rent for RSO units through January 31, 2024. However, starting April 1, 2023, landlords can collect LAHD-approved cost recovery surcharges (capital improvement, seismic retrofit, primary renovation & rehabilitation work), as long as a 30-day written notice is given to the tenant. 

Renters in non-RSO units may see rent increases. If your rental unit is covered by State Bill AB 1482, the maximum rent increase allowed is 10%. Other rental units — including buildings built within the last 15 years, mobile homes, duplexes with owners inhabiting the other unit, and single-family homes and condos NOT owned by corporations — may receive rent increases above 10%. However, if a tenant who receives a rent increase of more than 10% decides to move out rather than pay the increased rent, the landlord will be required to pay their tenant a set amount of relocation expenses.

Renters who owe rent that was not paid due to COVID-19 impacts will need to pay back their rent, in addition to the current rent due every month, with separate deadlines depending on when the rent was owed: 

  • If you owe back rent from March 1st, 2020, to September 30th, 2021, that back rent will be due in full by August 1st, 2023. 
  • If you owe back rent from October 1st, 2021, to January 31st, 2023, that back rent will be due in full by February 1st, 2024.

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

No-Fault Evictions

  • Notice of “No-Fault” evictions for reasons such as owner occupancy, move-in of a resident manager, for compliance with a government order, or for demolition or permanent removal under the Ellis Act process, may resume for all rental units on or after February 1, 2023. 
  • Landlords are required to submit a Declaration of Intent to Evict with LAHD for all no-fault evictions for rental units subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). Landlords may begin filing these notifications with LAHD on or after February 1, 2023.
  • Tenants who received a notice to terminate their tenancy based on an Ellis Act eviction prior to March 4, 2020, will receive an additional 60 days and cannot be evicted until April 1, 2023. 

Universal Just Cause Tenant Eviction Protections (New)

  • Effective January 27, 2023, eviction protections now apply to most rental properties in the City of Los Angeles, including single family homes, condominiums, and newly constructed units that are not currently protected under the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). No-fault evictions for all units now require the payment of relocation assistance to tenants facing eviction in cases such as owner occupancy, government order, demolition, or withdrawal of the rental property from the rental housing market. 
  • Under the new protection, all residential tenants in the City of Los Angeles have the right to Just Cause for Eviction. This means that approximately 650,000 additional tenants will be covered by Just Cause rules going forward. The new protection applies after the first 6 months of the tenancy (or at the expiration of the initial lease term, if it is shorter than 6 months).

Relocation Assistance for Tenants Displaced by Large Rent Increases (New)

  • The City Council also approved an ordinance requiring the payment of relocation assistance to tenants displaced by large rent increases. This protection will mainly apply to tenants living in units built in the last 15 years (84,000), which are not protected by the RSO or State Tenant Protection Act. It will apply to rent increases that exceed 5% + CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower.
  • Tenants faced with a notice for a large rent increase have several options:
  1. Accept the increase: If the tenant is able to budget for and afford the rent increase, they may accept it and begin paying the new amount when the increase takes effect.
  2. Take the relocation assistance: If a tenant cannot afford to pay rent given the increase, they can notify the landlord that and take the relocation assistance instead - refer to the chart above to figure out how much that would be. Tenants should give written notice that they intend to vacate and will require relocation assistance.
  3. Negotiate: If the tenant could make a smaller increase work, it may make sense to negotiate a smaller rent increase with the landlord.
  • This policy will also apply to tenants who live in buildings where affordable housing covenants are expiring.

Summary

If you are living in an RSO unit: 

  • You CANNOT be evicted for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 impacts if you pay any back rent owed in full before the deadlines below: 

    • If you owe back rent from March 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2021, that back rent is due in full by August 1st, 2023. 

    • If you owe back rent from October 1st, 2021 to January 31st, 2023, that back rent is due in full by February 1st, 2024.

AND

  •  You CANNOT receive a rent increase until at least February 1, 2024

If you are living in a non-RSO unit:

  • You also CANNOT be evicted for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 impact if you pay before the deadlines below:  

    • If you owe back rent from March 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2021, that back rent is due in full by August 1st, 2023. 

    • If you owe back rent from October 1st, 2021 to January 31st, 2023, that back rent is due in full by February 1st, 2024.

      BUT

  • 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.

    • To see if you’re protected under AB 1482, visit zimas.lacity.org, enter your address, and click the “Housing” Tab on the left. 

    • If it says ‘YES’ next to AB 1482, your unit falls under the bill’s 10% rent increase cap. 

3) WHO CAN YOU CONTACT FOR HELP? 

For both RSO and non-RSO renters, it’s important to know who to contact if you receive a rent increase, receive an eviction notice or are experiencing harassment. 

In all cases: our office ([email protected]) and our partners at StayHoused LA are here to help answer questions and navigate whatever problem you may be experiencing together. 

StayHoused LA also regularly hosts Tenants Rights workshops reviewing your rights and protections — we encourage you to attend an upcoming workshop!

Finally, LAHD has also opened public counters for direct assistance (by appointment only).

The closest locations to District 4 are: 

Valley
6400 Laurel Canyon Blvd #610,
North Hollywood, CA 91606

Central LA
1910 Sunset Blvd Ste 300
Los Angeles, CA 90026

To see a full list of locations and make an appointment, click HERE, or call (866) 557-RENT [7368]. 

If you receive an illegal rent increase for your unit type: 

* See #1 for your unit type, and #2 for allowable rent increases per unit type. 

RSO Renters should:

Non-RSO Renters protected under AB 1482 should:

If you receive an eviction notice: 

RSO Renters should: 

Non-RSO Renters should: 

If you are experiencing harassment from your landlord: 
*Renter harassment can take many forms, including refusal to complete required repairs, threatening physical harm, asking about immigration status, and more. To see a full list of what qualifies as renter harassment in the City of LA, click HERE.  

RSO Renters should reach out to: 

Non-RSO Renters should reach out to: 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES 

More information on the City’s Covid Renter Protections: 

Legal Resources for LA City Renters: 

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