On January 20th, 2023, the Los Angeles City Council passed new protections for LA tenants. The vote occurred on a Friday, just 10 days before the end of a three-year eviction moratorium. The tenant protections apply to all Los Angeles residents, including those living in single-family homes.
Starting February 1, 2023, renters must pay their full rent or risk eviction. Most COVID-related tenant protections have been lifted.
All Los Angeles tenants are now protected from no-fault evictions, including those living in single-family homes and condominiums.
Evictions for non-payment of rent must exceed the “fair market value” for that unit.
Renters who can’t afford a 10% or more rent increase will be entitled to substantial relocation payments.
COVID-19 protections from evictions for illegal roommates and pets are extended until January 31, 2024.
Important Disclaimer – The information on this page was curated from council meetings, news articles, and publicly available online sources. The official language of the new tenant protections in Los Angeles has not yet been codified into law. This page will be updated once the final legal text becomes available.
Is the Eviction Moratorium in Los Angeles Extended?
No. As of February 1, 2023, tenants in the City of Los Angeles can no longer claim a COVID-19 hardship to avoid eviction for unpaid rent. However, tenants will have a few months to repay rent that was deferred during the pandemic. For more details, read our updated blog post on the Los Angeles eviction moratorium.
Eviction Rules in Los Angeles: What Tenants and Landlords Need to Know
Ban on “No-Fault” Evictions in the City of Los Angeles
The only allowed reasons for evictions in Los Angeles per the new rule:
- Non-payment of rent
- Creating a Nuisance
- Violations of the Lease Agreement
- Owner Move-in
- Removal of Building from Rental Market
The City of Los Angeles now requires “Just-Cause” for all residential evictions, even after a lease expires. These protections apply to all tenants—including those in single-family homes and condominiums. If you are already covered under rent control, your protections remain unchanged. However, this marks a significant shift for all other tenants. Under the new rules, every residential tenancy is effectively open-ended, meaning tenants can only be evicted for legally defined reasons, not simply because a lease term ends.
It remains unclear how single-family homes can be legally removed from the rental market under the new rules. Additionally, landlords who pursue an owner move-in eviction are required to provide relocation assistance to the displaced tenants.
New “Threshold” Minimum in Evictions for Non-Payment of Rent
Eviction for non-payment of rent will only be allowed when the owed amount is larger than the “fair-market” rent for that unit. Fair market prices are determined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development:
- Studio – $1,534
- 1BR – $1,747
- 2BR – $2,222
- 3BR – $2,888
- 4BR – $3,170
So a tenant renting a 1-bedroom apartment can only be evicted if they owe more than $1,747 in unpaid rent. The goal of the new protection is to avoid evictions for small dollar amounts.
New Relocation Award for Tenants Who Can’t Afford Rent Increases
This is another protection for non-rent control tenants. If your rent is increased by more than 10% and you cannot afford it, the new LA law will require landlords to pay tenants:
- 3 months of “fair market rent” (see amounts above)
- $1,411 in moving expenses for economic displacements
If you are in a rent control unit, no increase is allowed until February 2024. Any housing rental built more than 15 years ago is only allowed a rental increase of 10% by state law.
This new rental assistance applies to single family homes and condos.
The city council extended two specific protections against evictions from the moratorium. These protections from eviction will remain in place until January 30, 2024:
- Unauthorized Occupants/Roommates
- Unauthorized Pets
Who is Protected Under the New Rules?
Residents in the city of Los Angeles are protected by the new rules. These rules do not apply to residents of other cities, like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Skilled Real Estate Lawyer
At Sinai Law Firm, we assist tenants and landlords in navigating the eviction moratorium and the new tenant protections in Los Angeles. Whether you’re facing eviction or need help understanding your rights under these changes, our skilled real estate attorneys can help.
You can contact our office at any time on our contact page. We provide free initial case evaluations for new clients.
