What Types of Properties Are Covered Under the New Rent Control Ordinance?
First, the Los Angeles County Rent Stabilization Ordinance applies only to unincorporated areas of LA County. The chart below lists many of LA County’s unincorporated areas. If you are unsure whether your property is in an unincorporated are of LA County, we recommend that you call our offices.
| • Acton | • East Whittier | • Mayflower Village | • Valinda |
| • Agua Dulce | • Elizabeth Lake | • North El Monte | • Vincent |
| • Alondra Park | • Florence-Graham | • Quartz Hill | • View Park-Windsor Hills |
| • Altadena | • Green Valley | • Rose Hills | • Walnut Park |
| • Avocado Heights | • Hacienda Heights | • Rowland Heights | • West Athens |
| • Castaic | • Hasley Canyon | • San Pasqual | • West Carson |
| • Charter Oak | • La Crescenta-Montrose | • South Monrovia Island | • West Puente Valley |
| • Citrus | • Ladera Heights | • South San Gabriel | • West Rancho Dominguez |
| • Del Aire | • Lake Hughes | • South San Jose Hills | • West Whittier-Los Nietos |
| • Desert View Highlands | • Lake Los Angeles | • South Whittier | • Westmont |
| • East Los Angeles | • Lennox | • Stevenson Ranch | • Willowbrook |
| • East Pasadena | • Leona Valley | • Sun Village | |
| • East Rancho Dominguez | • Littlerock | • Topanga | |
| • East San Gabriel | • Marina del Rey | • Val Verde |
If your property is in an unincorporated are of LA County, it may be subject to rent control and just cause eviction requirements, unless it falls under one of the following exemptions listed below.
- Dwelling Units that are expressly exempt under State or federal law. This includes any Dwelling Unit that has a certificate of occupancy or equivalent permit for residential occupancy issued after February 1, 1995. For this purpose, a certificate of occupancy is the certificate issued before the property is used for any residential purposes.
- Occupancy of Hotels, Motels, or Other Facilities by Transient Guests. Housing units in hotels, motels, inns, tourist homes and boarding houses, and rooming houses, or other facilities, for which the County’s Treasurer and Tax Collector has received or is entitled to receive payment of transient occupancy tax pursuant to County Code, Chapter 4.72 (Transient Occupancy Tax) and California Civil Code section 1940 subdivision (b), and for which tax is applicable to the entire term of the Tenancy.
- Institutional Facilities. Housing accommodations in any hospital, convent, monastery, extended medical facility, asylum, fraternity or sorority house, licensed residential treatment or care facility, interim housing facility as defined in California Health and Safety Code section 1250, any facility managed by a bona fide educational institution for occupancy by its students, or any other facility licensed by the State to provide medical care for residents.
- Government Owned. Housing accommodations which the County or another public agency or authority owns or operates, or which are specifically exempted under State or federal law or administrative regulation.
- Any Dwelling Unit that is alienable separate (i.e., separately transferable) from the title to any other Dwelling Unit, including, single family residences and condominiums, but excluding mobilehomes offered for rent by a Tenant; or is a subdivided interest in a subdivision, as specified in California Business and Professions Code section 11004.5 subdivisions (b), (d), or (f).
- Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). An accessory dwelling unit for which a certificate of occupancy or equivalent permit for residential occupancy was issued after February 1, 1995, is exempt, unless it was occupied on or before February 1, 1995, and a Tenant provides evidence indicating as such, regardless of the legal or permit status of the Dwelling Unit.7.
- Rooms Rented to Boarders. A Dwelling Unit in a single-family residence, condominium, or stock cooperative where the Landlord owns the residence and shares kitchen or bath facilities with the Tenant and where the Landlord or Landlord’s Family Member also occupies a Dwelling Unit in the residence as his or her principal residence.
If your property does not fall under any of the above exemptions and it lies within an unincorporated are of LA County, then you are likely subject to the LA County Rent Stabilization Ordinance. This means that the property must be registered, that the amount the rent can be raised annually is limited, and that a tenant can only be evicted for one of the just cause reasons delineated by the law. If you have any questions about whether your property falls under any of the above exemptions, we recommend that you call our offices immediately.
How Much Can the Rent Be Raised If My Property Is Subject to the LA County Rent Stabilization Ordinance?
If your property is subject to the LA County Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the rent cannot under any circumstances be raised more than the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers of the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, California area, or any successor designation of that index that may later be adopted by the U.S. Department of Labor. You must register your unit with the county and submit an application prior to the rent being increased.
Rent increases are permissible as follows. Annual Rent increases shall be limited to reflect the percentage change in the average CPI over the previous twelve (12) month period ending in September with a maximum of eight percent (8%), as specified below:
- If the change in CPI is eight percent (8%) or higher, the maximum allowable annual Rent increase will be eight percent (8%).
- If the change in CPI is between three percent (3%) and eight percent (8%), the maximum allowable annual Rent increase will be equal to the change in CPI.
- If the change in CPI is between one percent (1%) and three percent (3%), the maximum allowable annual Rent increase will be equal to three percent (3%);
- If the change in CPI is between negative two percent (-2%) and one percent (1%), the maximum allowable annual Rent increase will be equal to the change in CPI plus two percent (2%); or
- If the change in CPI is less than negative two percent (-2%), no annual Rent increase is permitted
If you have any questions about the above and how it may apply to your property, please call our offices immediately.
What Are The Just-Cause Reasons For Eviction Under The County Of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization And Tenant Protection Ordinance?
A landlord must have a just-cause reason to evict a tenant covered by the County of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
The following are the for-fault reasons for eviction:
- Failure to pay rent.
- Violation of a material term of the rental agreement if the tenant has not fixed the violation within 10 days of receiving a notice to do so from the landlord.
- Creating a nuisance or using the unit for illegal purposes.
- Failure to sign a substantially similar lease agreement.
- Failure to move out of the unit as required by an approved relocation application.
- Household exceeds the income limits in a government regulated unit.
The following are the no-fault reasons for eviction:
- The owner or their relative will be moving into the unit (Owner or relative move-in).
- Removal of all units in the property from the rental market (Ellis Act).
- Government order. Id.
Within five days after the service of the notice to terminate, landlords must file a copy of the notice and proof of service with the Department.
If you are subject to the LA County Rent Stabilization Ordinance, we highly recommend that you call our offices immediately. Proceeding with an eviction in a manner that is not compliant with ordinance can subject you to civil penalties of up to $5,000.00 per violation of the ordinance, plus any relevant attorney fees.
*****The information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. If you seek to pursue an eviction, please call our offices. We will be happy to provide legal advice and to assist you with the eviction process in any way that we can.