How Rent Control Works in Los Angeles

Rent control in Los Angeles covers most of the rental property in the city, provided the property was built before November 1978 or a certificate of operation was issued before that date. Coverage is applicable to any property with two ore more rental units. The following information shows you how the program works and what considerations must be met.

Property not Considered Under Rent Control

Certain properties and situations do not fall under the jurisdiction of rent control in Los Angeles.

• Any single family home built on a lot
• Property built after November 1978
• Tenants residing in hotel properties for less than 60 days
• Certain HUD properties
• Units with Section 8 certificates
• Certain RVs
• Mobile Homes
• Buildings operated by non-profits that provide housing and have a tax exemption status from the city

Primary Benefits

There are particularly distinct advantages that are attributed to rent control in Los Angeles:

The rent assessed for any one year lease you sign can only be increased a certain percentage if you renew your lease, and the landlord can only evict you for the following reasons:

• Nonpayment
• Violation of a rule in the rental agreement
• Allowance or creation of a nuisance or something deleterious to the health of others
• Illegal use of a unit
• Refusal to sign a new agreement that replicates the old agreement
• Refusal to allow the landlord access to your unit for repair or to show the property to buyers or lenders
• Allowing an illegal sub-tenant to occupy your unit
• The landlord wishes to use your unit for housing a child, spouse, parent or resident manager
• The landlord plans to extensively remodel the building or demolish it, therefore requiring that you leave in 45 days time
• The landlord chooses to remove the building you’re residing in as a residential structure
• The landlord is complying with an agency’s mandate to vacate the premises

Other Stipulations

In addition, eviction must be specific. In other words, the landlord must give you the exact details for your removal from the property. Also, two particular rules apply  that are helpful to most renters.

• The landlord can’t evict you for nonpayment if the 3-day “pay or quit” notice is given and the property is not registered with “Rent Control.”
• Eviction can’t be enforced either for having a pet under a “no pets” policy if said policy was implemented after you acquired the animal. Therefore, you can stay as well as keep your pet. You just can’t purchase or adopt a new one.

Relocation

If you are forced to leave without cause your relocation costs must be paid by the landlord. For instance, if the landlord asks you to leave the premises due to remodeling or if he wishes a family member to live in the unit, your relocation costs are covered. The payment must be made within 15 days of serving the notice to terminate. In such an event, the landlord may opt to open an escrow account instead of direct payment or you can collect the relocation remittance when you leave.

Cities Covered by Rent Control in the Los Angeles Area

The following cities are also covered by rent control in LA:

• Beverly Hills
• Santa Monica
• West Hollywood

The above material gives you a general overview of your rights under rent control in LA. There may be areas that are unclear to you. The aforementioned information should give you a clearer picture of the overall advantages.