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Rent Stabilization or Just Cause Ordinance
Not sure if your unit is covered by the city's tenant protection laws? Go to zimas.lacity.org, enter your address, and then click the HOUSING section in the left-hand menu (near the bottom). The information will help you understand what protections apply to your home.
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Understanding Rent Increases
- The maximum rent increase for rental units subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, is 4%. If the landlord provides the tenant with gas and/or electric service, an additional 1% can be added for each utility.
- The maximum rent increase for units subject to the Just Cause Ordinance (JCO)/ State Law AB 1482 from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, is 8.9%.
- If neither the RSO nor JCO applies, there is no cap on how much your rent can be raised, but tenants who receive a rent increase of more than 10% within 12 months and are unable to afford the rent increase have the option to receive relocation assistance to move out of their rental unit. More information is here under the section “Rent Increases More Than 8.9%.”
If you receive an illegal rent increase, please report it to LAHD here and contact our office at Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or 213-473-7001.
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Eviction Protections
All units in the City of L.A. now officially have “Just Cause” protections, meaning a landlord cannot evict a tenant without declaring a cause from a designated list.
In non-RSO units, these protections kick in after six months or at the end of the first lease term, whichever comes first. If you’ve already been in your apartment for six months today, you’re protected.
If you feel you’re being illegally evicted, please report it to LAHD here and contact our office at Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or 213-473-7001.
If You Receive an Eviction Notice, Start Here
- Do not self-evict: Stay in your unit and contact the City immediately to help navigate your options.
- Identify the notice you received: Understanding what kind of notice you received is key to knowing your next steps. If you’re unsure, don’t wait. (See the "common types of eviction notices" section below.)
- Call the Los Angeles Housing Department Hotline: 1-866-557-7368
- Reach out to StayHoused LA: If you received an Unlawful Detainer(UD), use their step-by-step guide to respond. Check whether you qualify for legal assistance through StayHoused LA.
- Explore Additional Resources: If you don’t qualify for legal assistance through Stay Housed LA, refer to other resources such as the Tenant Power Toolkit, Eviction Defense Network’s comprehensive video series, and workshops and clinics hosted by various community-based organizations.
- Contact Us: If you live in Council District 1, contact Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or (213) 473-7001.
Types of Eviction Notices
Remember, if you don’t respond to formal notices, you can automatically lose your case.
- Notice to pay or quit
If you receive a notice (usually 3 days) demanding you pay or quit the premises, you are typically 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 Unlawful Detainer (UD) notice. You should not self-evict if you receive a 3-day notice. Please be on the lookout for a UD, which does have a 10-day deadline to respond.
- Unlawful Detainer (UD)
If you receive a UD, you MUST file an answer within 10 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. Going through the eviction process in court can take 30 days or longer and provides time to access additional resources available to you.
Example of Unlawful Detainer (UD) - Other Type of Notice
For any other type of notice, please refer to LAHD resources. If you live in an RSO unit, please 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 eviction processes and explanations of different types of eviction notices.
Types of Evictions
- Evictions for Non-Payment of Rent
Threshold for Evictions: City Council approved a minimum threshold for evictable rent debt, which means tenants who owe less than the below amounts of rent CANNOT be evicted:
Studio - $1,856
1 bedroom - $2,081
2 bedroom - $2,625
3 bedroom - $3,335
4 bedroom - $3,698
Please refer to LAHD’s website for more information.
Rental Assistance: The following organizations may be able to assist with loans and grants to reduce rent debt:
- No-Fault Evictions
For all no-fault evictions (when the tenant has done nothing to cause the eviction), landlords must file with LAHD, submit required fees, and pay the tenant relocation assistance.
- For Rent Stabilized (RSO) units, here is a list of reasons of legal reasons for a no-fault eviction.
- For Just Cause Ordinance (JCO) units, here is a list of reasons of legal reasons for a no-fault eviction.
Not sure whether your unit is RSO or JCO? Check here
Relocation Assistance: When landlords file for no-fault evictions, they are required to pay relocation assistance. The amount of money you are owed depends on whether you are an eligible or qualified tenant, the length of your tenancy, and your income.
For Rent Stabilized (RSO) units, here are the amounts of assistance your landlord must legally pay
For Just Cause Ordinance (JCO) units, here are the amounts of assistance your landlord must legally pay
Not sure whether your unit is RSO or JCO? Check here
“Cash for Keys”: If your landlord is offering you money to move out (“Cash for Keys”), you have the right to refuse the offer and stay in your home. Refusing compensation (money, free rent, etc.) to move out is NOT a legal reason for eviction. The city has a program to support tenants which comes with critical protections. Please go here for more information, and contact our office at Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or 213-473-7001.
Eviction Noticing: For any and all evictions, landlords must file the notice with LAHD within three business days of its service on the tenant, including stating legal reasons for eviction. Want to see if your landlord did their mandated filing? Put in your address here and check if anything is listed in the “Eviction Notices” section.
Example of LAHD "Eviction Notices" Section If you have received a notice, but don’t see it listed at the above website, please contact us at Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or (213) 473-7001.
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Unresolved Living Conditions
- Repair problems: Do you have a plumbing leak? Broken windows? Any unsafe conditions in your unit?
Animal, insect, and mold problems: Do you have rats? An insect infestation? Mold? For any of those issues, please report them to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health here and contact our office at Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or 213-473-7001.
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Landlord Harassment
Is your landlord harassing you? Tenant 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). Please reach out to any of the following resources for help:
- If you live in an RSO unit, file a complaint with the Housing Department here.
- If you don’t live in an RSO unit, please contact the Housing Rights Center.
- Find a list of legal resources here.
Contact our office at Councilmember.Hernandez@lacity.org or 213-473-7001.
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Additional Resources
- Stay Housed LA: a partnership between the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, and local community and legal service providers. Their 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.
- 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.
- Tenant Power Toolkit: 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 is designed to keep people in their homes, fight evictions, fight rent debt, and build the collective power of tenants.
- 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.