Los Angeles City Council passed on January 20th, 2023 new protections for LA tenants. The vote was passed on Friday, just 10 days before the end of a three year eviction mortarium. The tenant protections apply to all Los Angeles residents, including tenants in single family homes.
Renters have to pay full rent on February 1, 2023 or face eviction. Most covid protections are lifted.
All LA tenants are protected from no-fault evictions. That includes single family homes and condos.
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 contained in this page was curated from the council meeting, news articles, and information available online. The actual language of the new tenant protections in LA are not written in law yet. Once they are made available we will edit the text in the page.
Is the Eviction Moratorium in Los Angeles Extended?
No. Tenants in city of Los Angeles who cannot pay rent after February 1st, 2023, cannot claim a covid-19 hardship in order to avoid eviction. Tenant will have a few months to pay back the landlord rent that was owed during covid-19. To read about the City of Los Angeles Eviction Mortarium, read our updated blog post.
Ban on “No-Fault” Evictions in City of Los Angeles
The only allowed reasons for evictions in Los Angeles per the new rule:
- Non payment of rent
- Nuisance
- Violations of the Lease Agreement
- Owner Move-in
- Removal of Building from Rental Market
City of Los Angeles is now a “Just-Cause” eviction jurisdiction. This protections applies even after the lease expires. This protections applies to everyone – including single family homes and condos. If you are a tenant under rent control, nothing changes. But this is a major change for all other tenants. The new rules turn every single residential tenancy to a potential life tenant, with no expiration date.
It is unclear how single family homes can be ‘taken out’ of the rental market. Landlords who enforce an owner move-in will have to pay relocation assistance to the 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.
Protections for Unauthorize Occupants and Pets
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 no apply to residents of other cities, like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood.
Schedule a Free Consultation with an Expert Real Estate Lawyer
Sinai Law can assist you to navigate through the eviction moratorium, and the new protections for LA tenants, regardless if you are a landlord or a tenant. We can assist you in turning a problem into an opportunity.
You can contact our office at any time on our contact page. We provide free initial case evaluations for new clients.
Avi Sinai, Esq.
Avi Sinai started to practice law in 2011, focusing on business and real estate transactions. Through aggressive representation of his clients mainly in the commercial real estate field – he helped solved clients needs outside the court and helped them avoid future litigation. Need help with a real estate matter. Contact Avi today.
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