LA County Has Approved Permanent Just Cause Eviction Ordinance

The Los Angeles City Council has approved the implementation of a permanent just-cause eviction ordinance which will affect most rental units in the city, effective January 27, 2023. 

This will replace the eviction protections afforded to tenants by the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, but properties rent-controlled by this act will continue to be rent-controlled by state law. 

Under the new ordinance, landlords may not terminate a tenancy unless it is based on specific reasons enumerated in the LAMC section 165.03. Additionally, landlords are prohibited from changing the terms of a tenancy to prohibit pets that were previously allowed prior to the change, and they cannot evict a tenant for the presence of one additional adult occupant or minor dependent children. 

Most notices of termination must now include specific facts to allow the tenant to determine the reasons for eviction, and all legal notices must be sent to the Los Angeles Housing Department within three business days of service on the tenant. Certain types of residential properties are exempt from the new ordinance, including rental units subject to the LARSO, housing accommodations in hospitals, religious facilities, and institutions of higher education, among others. 

Single-family residences are not exempted from the new regulations, regardless of the owner’s status as a natural person or corporate entity. Relocation assistance will be provided to tenants for “no-fault” terminations, and the amount varies based on the length of the tenancy and the tenant’s circumstances.