DISTRICT 4 Initiatives
Renters Rights and Protections
Last Updated: July 31, 2024
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.
United to House LA ERAP
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
The program no longer has funding available. All applications will remain in the system until we know if more funding will become available.
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.
If you applied to the program when it was open, you are able to look up the status of your application HERE!
Rent Increases
In the City of Los Angeles, rent increases vary depending on what type of unit you rent. Please see below to accurately determine what your allowable rent increase is.
If you are living in a Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) unit:
- You CAN receive an allowable rent increase of up to 4% in a 12-month span, from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
- 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 if you live in an RSO unit, 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 8.8% of your current rent in a 12-month span.
- To see if you’re protected under AB 1482, visit HERE.
- You CANNOT be evicted without a reason or just cause.
NEW RENTER PROTECTIONS
Last year, the City Council implemented the most extensive tenant protections seen in more than 40 years, following 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, which you can find HERE.
For non-RSO units, these protections take effect after six months or at the end of the first lease term, whichever comes first. If you have already been in your apartment for six months as of today, you are covered.
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.
Filing Requirements For Landlords
If you receive an “at-fault” eviction notice, your landlord must file with LAHD within three business days, including legal reasons for eviction.
For all no-fault evictions, landlords must file with LAHD, submit required fees, and pay the tenant relocation assistance.
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).
Economic Displacement (More than 10% Rent Increase)
Starting March 27, 2023, tenants facing a rent increase of over 10% within a 12-month period and who cannot afford the increase may choose 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. For detailed information on the exact amounts see below or visit LAHD’S website for full information on the amount.
STEPS TO TAKE 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 Mayor’s LA Fund at (213) 584-1808 if you received an Unlawful Detainer or the Los Angeles Housing Department at (866) 557-7368 if you received a 3-day notice to pay or quit.
3. Identify what kind of notice you received.
Here is a breakdown of common types of notices:
- 3-DAY NOTICESTO PAY OR QUIT: If you receive a 3-day notice you are 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 “Summons and Complaint – Unlawful Detainer (UD)”. 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 “Summons and Complaint – Unlawful Detainer” 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.
- Please reach out to the Mayor’s LA Fund at 213-584-1808 as they can help you respond to the court and help with any legal representation/advice.
- 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 such as “Summons and Complaint – Unlawful Detainer,” you can automatically lose your case. The court eviction process can take 30 days or longer, providing time to access additional resources available to you.
4. Reach out to the Mayor’s LA Fund hotline at 213-584-1808
We Are LA, an initiative of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, is focused on preventing evictions and connecting families to resources that can help them stay in their homes.
- If you received a UD, call the Mayor’s LA Fund hotline for help 213-584-1808 or visit their website HERE .
- Please review their resources on what steps to take and refer to a list of other resources such as the Tenant Power Toolkit, Eviction Defense Network’s comprehensive video series, and workshops and clinics hosted by a variety of community-based organizations.
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 for assistance.
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:
- The LA Housing Department.
- A legal assistance group like Coalition for Economic Survival. Find a list at bit.ly/LAlegalservices.
- Your Council Office. Council District 4 residents can reach out to contactCD4@lacity.org or call (213) 473-7004.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES
More information on the City’s Renter Protections:
Legal Resources for LA City Renters:
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.
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.
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.
Neighborhood Legal Services Of Los Angeles County:
NLSLA offers free legal representation, advice and education to combat poverty in our community.
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
* Please note: LADBS is responsible for investigating any complaints filed in condominiums.