Los Angeles City

For rental units built before October 1, 1978.

More info on Los Angeles Rent Control Ordinances:
One-Pager
Website

How rent control &
tenant rules affect you

Whether you are renting out your property to a tenant or are a renter, you can find resources on what the rent increase process is like, pass-throughs and surcharges, security and move-in transactions, legal assistance, and vacancy and eviction issues.

Resources

Enforcement Agency:

Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD)

lahd.lac@lacity.gov
(866) 557-7368

Section 8 Assistance:

Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles

voucherinfo@hacla.org
(833) 422-5248

County
Resources:

LA County Consumer Business Affairs

rent@dcba.lacounty.gov
(833) 223-7368

Rent Control

Any Rent Cap?	Yes, if the CPI exceeds 8%, the maximum rent increase will be capped at 8%. If the CPI is 3% or less, the minimum rent increase will be set at 3%.
Current Maximum Rent Increase?	151.06. D Currently: 3%
Rent Increase Process	Without permission of the rent adjustment commission, the rent may be increased once every 12 months. The increase is calculated based on the CPI and published by the department before May 30th each year. If the landlord covers all electricity and/or gas costs, they may increase the rent by an additional 1% for each service, up to a maximum of 2%.
Rent Adjustments	The Just & Reasonable Program lets landlords raise rent above the Maximum Allowable Rent (MAR) if their Net Operating Income (NOI) hasn’t kept up with inflation since their first recorded year. The increase is calculated by comparing past and current NOI, adjusting for inflation, and allowing a rent hike to make up the difference—but not to market rate.

Pass-Through Fees

Pass-through and Surcharge definition	A pass-through is when the landlord passes on specific operating costs to the tenant as part of their rent. A Landlord may file an application with the Department, on a form approved by the Department, to pass-through costs to Tenant in a Fully Covered Rental Unit. A surcharge is a general term for any additional charge added on top of the base price, which could include passthrough costs but also other fees.
Registration Fee Pass-through	A landlord may collect a rental surcharge of 50% annually after serving a proper notice. May only be collected in August of the year in which the payment was due for.
Capital Improvements Pass through	The landlord may impose a temporary rent increase of 1/60th of 50% of costs (up to $55/month) for up to six years.
Utility Cost Pass through	The RSO does not contain a section discussing a pass-through for utility costs.
Expenditure Mandate Pass-through	Tenants have the option to participate in a Utility Maintenance Program which costs $50 and covers the monthly water and power fee. The payment goes directly to an escrow account and not the landlord. There are no additional pass-through ordinances mentioned.
Additional Tenant Pass-through	There are no additional pass-through ordinances mentioned.
Water service Penalty Pass-through	Pursuant to EWC Plan, the landlord may pass through 50% of assessed penalties. For mobile homes, the landlord may pass through 75% of the penalties. Landlords cannot shut down coin-operated laundry facilities during the EWC Plan.
Refuse Fee Pass-through	The RSO does not contain a section discussing a pass-through for Refuse Fees.
Government Mandates Pass-through	The RSO does not contain a section discussing a pass-through for Government Mandates.
Rehabilitation Work Pass-through	Add a temporary increase of 1/60th of costs, capped at $75/month or 10% of MAR, for up to five years.
Primary Renovation Pass-through	Landlords can apply a permanent rent increase, capped at costs or 10% of MAR. The rent increase must be applied over two years in 2 equal increments.
Relocation Assistance Pass-through	The landlord is fully responsible for paying both permanent and temporary relocation costs when tenants are displaced due to Primary Renovation Work. Tenants will continue to pay rent but not any of the relocation costs.
Application Fee Pass-through	The RSO does not contain a section discussing pass-through for Application Fees.
Replacement Key or security Card Fee Pass-through	The RSO does not contain a section discussing a pass-through for Replacement fees.
Systematic Code Enforcement Fee	Collect 1/12 of 50% of the annual Systematic Enforcement Code from tenant monthly.
Smoke detector fee	Charge $0.50/month per battery operated detector or $3/month for permanent ones.
Bounced check Fee Pass-through	The RSO does not contain a section discussing a pass-through for Bounced Check Fees.
Late Fee	The RSO does not contain a section discussing a pass-through for Late Fees.
Seismic Retrofit	RSO allows for a temporary surcharge of 50% of the cost amortized over 10 years (max $38/month).
Additional Pass-through details	It is unlawful for the landlord or landlord’s agent to require a specific payment method for rent, security deposit, surcharges, or any other housing service fees.

Registration

Registration	Landlords must register their units on or before February 28.
Security Deposits at transaction	Security deposits are capped at one month’s rent. However, small landlords, defined as those owning fewer than two residential properties with no more than four total units, may collect up to two months’ rent as a security deposit. Landlords must provide itemized documentation for any administrative fees charged, which must align with the county’s regulatory framework.
Tenant move-In at transaction?	Tenant protection pass through: For apartments built after October 1, 1978, landlords must pay a landlord may pass-through up to 50% of the fee to tenants, which is about $1.61.
Shared Legal Assistance for all Tenants?	While there are no universally shared tenant legal assistance programs across all jurisdictions, many cities and the county participate in collaborative efforts like Stay Housed LA, which offers legal services for tenants facing eviction or housing disputes.
Does the City pay for legal assistance for tenants?	Yes, the city has passed Measure ULA, which funds United to House LA, a government program that uses its resources in affordable housing and homeless prevention. They also provide funding for a right-to-counsel program to provide housing-related legal services to lower-income households threatened with eviction.
Relocation Assistance	Tenants evicted under RSO protections may receive relocation assistance, which ranges from $8,000 to $23,000 based on income, length of tenancy, and unit size.

Eviction

Vacancy Decontrol?	Yes, if all of the tenants vacated voluntarily or were evicted legally, then the landlord may increase the rent to any amount upon re-rental.
Costa Hawkins	Passed in 1995, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act was created to limit how far California cities can extend rent control policies by doing the following: Single-family homes and condominiums are exempt from rent control policies. Any property built after February 1, 1995 is exempt of rent control policies. Landlords can set the initial rent for new tenants, a policy known as vacancy decontrol.
Just Cause eviction	No Fault Eviction: A landlord is evicting a tenant for a reason that is not the tenant's fault. At Fault Eviction: Occurs when the landlord is evicting a tenant due to a specific action or inaction by the tenant.
Failure To Pay Rent	The tenant has failed to pay rent, but only if the unpaid amount is more than one month's fair market rent for a similar-sized unit in Los Angeles, set by HUD each year. The notice must also state how many bedrooms the tenant’s unit has.
Violations Of Obligations	The tenant has failed to follow his legal obligations after receiving a written notice. The problem cannot be not moving out after proper notice, adding one adult or the first or second dependent child to the household (the landlord can’t unreasonably deny an extra adult), or new rules added to the lease unless the tenant agrees in writing, or the change is required by law.
Maintenance Of Nuisances	The tenant is causing a nuisance or damage to the unit or property within a 1,000ft radius from the rental complex.
Illegal Uses	The tenant is using the rental unit or property within a 1,000ft radius of the rental complex for illegal activity.
Refusal To Execute Leases	The tenant, whose lease ended on or after the effective date, refused to sign a requested lease extension or renewal with legal terms.
Refusal To Provide Access for Making Repairs	The tenant has refused the landlord reasonable access to the unit for the purpose of making repairs, improvements, inspection as permitted by the lease or by law, or for the purpose of showing the rental unit to any prospective purchaser or mortgagee.
Unapproved Subtenants	The person in the rental unit at the end of the term is a subtenant not approved by the landlord.
Use By Landlords	No Fault: The landlord seeks in good faith to live in the rental unit themselves, spouse, grandchildren, children, parents, grandparents, or a resident employee required by law. The occupant must reside there for a minimum of two consecutive years.
Change Of Building Managers	The Ordinance does not have any provision involving a change in building managers.
Demolition	The landlord in good faith, in accordance with the Ellis act, plans to demolish the building, not just one unit.
Condominium/Hotel Conversions	The unit is in a residential hotel, which the landlord would like to convert or demolish the unit for.
Affordable Housing	A landlord can evict tenants to convert the property into affordable housing under a government exemption. If the landlord doesn’t record the required agreement within six months and decides to rent the unit again, they must offer it at the same rent as when the exemption was filed, plus allowed annual increases. The landlord must also first offer the unit back to the displaced tenants, who has 30 days to accept the offer after being notified by certified mail. The tenant must keep the landlord updated with their current address to receive the offer.
(Ellis Act)	Under state law, landlords may withdraw units from the rental market: Tenants must receive at least 120 days’ notice before withdrawal. Tenants who are 62 years or older or disabled are entitled to a 1-year notice period, if they have lived in the unit for at least one year and properly notify the landlord of their status. If the property is returned to the rental market within 5 years, the landlord must offer the unit back to the displaced tenant(s) at the same rent-controlled rate they previously paid. If the property is returned to the market within 10 years, the landlord must still offer the unit back to the former tenant(s) (right of first refusal), but may charge market rent if it’s been more than 5 years since withdrawal.
Withdrawal from The Rental Market	The landlord in good faith, in accordance with the Ellis act, plans to remove the unit from the market. In addition, Landlords are forbidden to re-rent for 3 years. Relocation fees required.
Disruptive Tenant	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering landlord refusal.
Income Limits	The ordinance does not cover the following topic, please follow the county instructions.
Employee termination	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering employment termination.
Renovation Work	The landlord in good faith, who has complied with the Tenant Habitability Plan accepted by the Department, plans to undertake primary renovation and the tenant is interfering with the plans by failing to temporarily or permanently relocate.
Refused by landlord	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering landlord refusal.
Government order	The landlord seeks in good faith to recover possession of the rental unit in order to comply with a governmental agency’s order to vacate, order to comply, or order to abate. If secretary of Housing and Urban Development is both the owner and plaintiff who has met federal notification requirements to recover the property.
Additional Tenant	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering additional tenants.
Temporary Absence	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering landlord temporary absence.
Foreclosure	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering foreclosure.
Medical	The Ordinance does not have any provision covering medical termination.
Approved Relocation Application	The ordinance does not cover the following topic, please follow the county instructions.
Additional Eviction Information	Any action to recover possession of a rental unit, the landlord shall serve on the tenant a written notice setting forth the reasons for the termination.
Shared Unlawful Detainer	An unlawful detainer is a lawsuit filed by a landlord to evict a tenant from a residential or commercial property in Los Angeles, California. Unlawful detainers are handled by the superior court in Los Angeles County. The legal process for an Unlawful Detainer is the same in all jurisdictions: The landlord must give a written 3, 30, 60, or 90-day notice for a just cause eviction. If the tenant does not take action, the landlord may file a lawsuit against the tenant. Tenants have 10 days, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and all judicial holidays, after receiving a UD to file a written answer to the court. If a tenant does not respond to a UD, a default judgement will be entered against the tenant. Once entered, a sheriff will post a 5-day eviction notice on their door. If the tenant still has not left the property,