Council Adopts Amendments To Strengthen Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance

For Immediate Release: September 25, 2024

Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a set of amendments introduced by Councilmember Nithya Raman and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez to significantly strengthen the City’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance. 

The Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance was first passed in Council in June of 2021, after widespread reports from tenants regarding harassment from landlords. The legislation was a critical component of a broader package of renter protections passed in response to the COVID pandemic that, taken together, have significantly reinforced the rights of Angelenos who rent their homes. However, lawyers working on housing issues, tenants’ rights advocates, and tenants themselves have continued to report that harassment remains commonplace.

In response, Councilmember Raman introduced a motion earlier this year to strengthen the language of the ordinance and ensure that tenants are protected from pervasive harassment by landlords. After passing through the Housing & Homelessness Committee, the City Council voted yesterday to adopt the recommended amendments to the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, including clarifying and expanding the definition of harassment and ensuring that landlords must accept rental assistance payments being made by the City. Additionally, updates were made to the language around compensatory damages to require that tenants receive compensatory damages, thereby much more strongly incentivizing lawyers to take up these cases, as they are more likely to get paid for their work. 

“Today’s vote is an indication of how much renters matter to this Council,” said Councilmember Raman. “We took the feedback we received from tenants, lawyers, advocates, and community groups over the past several months and we introduced substantive amendments to address their concerns. The majority of people who live in this City rent their homes and with this strengthened ordinance, we are enacting legislation that actually protects tenants on the ground, not just on paper.”

Yesterday’s legislation instructs the City Attorney to amend the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance with the approved changes and submit the Ordinance to Council for a final vote. 

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