The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted April 9, 2019 to expand and extend the terms of the Interim Rent Stabilization Ordinance until the end of the year. Only affecting the county’s unincorporated cities and unincorporated sections of cites, the County’s website describes the ordinance as:
- An annual cap of 3 percent on rent increases
- Rent increases must be based on the legal “Base rent” a renter was paying on Sept 11, 2018
- If you believe you are not receiving a fair return on your property, a process is in place for you to request to increase rent above the annual cap
- You may only evict renters for specific “just cause” reasons
- If you own 50 or fewer rental units, you are able to pass additional costs associated with the Measure W parcel tax to renters (approved by voters in the November 2018 election)
Rent increases over 3 percent in effect after September 11, 2018 are voided by the ordinance. If a landlord has already received rent from a tenant over this 3 percent limit, they must either return the over payment or give the renter a credit on rent due over a six-months.
The Board of Supervisors has the option of either extending the temporary ordinance or replacing it with a permanent ordinance. The ordinance has been expanded in two significant ways:
- Just Cause Eviction will now apply to all rental units constructed before 1995, and includes Single-family homes and condominiums.
- In addition to extending the renter protections, money will be allocated by the County through the creation of a Rental Registry System to oversee the rent stabilization program and the enforcement of its policies on tenant protections and mobile home regulation.
The original ordinance was originally set to expire on June 18, and will now remain in effect through December 31.
To find out if a property is in unincorporated Los Angeles County, visit the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website at lavote.net/precinctmapand select “District Map Look Up By Address”.
If you want to determine if a specific rental unit is eligible or have questions about the temporary Rent Stabilization Ordinance contact the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs:
- Phone: (833) 223-RENT (7368)
- Email: Rent@dcba.lacounty.gov
- For more information, visit lacounty.gov
