Skip to main content

Renter Protections: What You Need To Know

Posted on 02/11/2023
Hugo Soto Martinez, LA City Councilmember District 13

ONE BIG THING: RENTER PROTECTIONS

Los Angeles City Council recently passed the most comprehensive renter protections in a generation. Here are the three new tenant protections and what they will do:

1. JUST-CAUSE EVICTION PROTECTIONS

What it is: This means that landlords will be prohibited from evicting tenants for no reason. Rent-Stabilized Units already have these protections -- but in non-Rent-Stabilized Units (single-family homes or buildings constructed after 1978), these protections will kick in after six months, or at the end of the first lease term, whatever comes first.

Why it Matters: Right now, renters who live in non-Rent-Stabilized units can be kicked out of their homes for no reason. That's just plain wrong: nobody should lose their home through no fault of their own.

2. RENT DEBT THRESHOLD

What it is: This protection prevents renters from being evicted for being a day late or a dollar short. Under this protection, after the COVID eviction protections end, tenants cannot be evicted for owing less than one month of “fair-market rent.” 

What is Fair-Market Rent? Fair market rent is the estimated cost of an average unit, as determined by the federal government. 

Here are the fair market numbers for LA: 

  • 1 bedroom - $1,747
  • 2 bedroom - $2,222 
  • 3 bedroom - $2,888 
  • 4 bedroom - $3,170

Why it Matters: This might be the most important new protection because it applies to ALL renters in the City of LA, and it will prevent hardworking tenants from falling into homelessness when they are just a bit short on rent.

It also addresses the exploitation by corporate landlords (who own over 70% of rental units in LA) without harming mom-and-pop landlords. That's because studies show that corporate landlords are much more likely to evict renters for minor infractions. In fact, corporate landlords file evictions 186% more often than small landlords. Now, hardworking families will have a period to catch up on rent regardless of where they live or who their landlord is.

3. RELOCATION ASSISTANCE TO PREVENT PRICE-GOUGING

What it is: This requires landlords who raise the rent by over 10% to pay a relocation fee equivalent to 3 months “fair-market rent.”

Why it Matters: No one should have to choose between buying groceries and paying rent. Some of the most heartbreaking stories we've heard since taking office are from seniors and folks living on fixed incomes who received rent increases of over 10%.

Under this new protection, tenants who experience an unreasonable rent hike are entitled to a relocation fee that will help them find a new apartment and get back on their feet.

3 Highlights From This Week at City Council!

Click here to check out our weekly recap video

1. A New Approach To Homelessness – Hiring Our Full Homelessness Team

This week, our full homelessness team got to work, marking the beginning of the transformation of how CD13 and the City approach homelessness. Before we took office, CD13 had zero staffers dedicated full time to the biggest crisis facing our city -- homelessness. Now, we have three team members with decades of experience combined dealing with homelessness, and coordinating with trusted service providers.

With this structure, we will be able to treat this crisis with the sophistication, humanity and compassion all residents of this city deserve -- instead of responding to our problems with incarceration and wasteful spending.

2. Standing in Solidarity with Armenia and Artsakh

Yesterday, we co-sponsored a resolution endorsing legislation that condemns Azerbaijan's illegal aggression and blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only land route connecting Artsakh to the outside world. 

This is a growing humanitarian issue, and Los Angeles has the largest Armenian population in the country. We were proud to see the resolution pass unanimously through City Council.

3. 11th Annual Los Silver Lake Invitational

On a lighter note, we had a blast at the 11th Annual Los Silver Lake Invitational, where schools from across the Silver Lake and Los Feliz areas competed in soccer games and mascot dance competitions.

As you can tell from the photo below, we had a nice time making new friends, and we can't wait to play some fútbol for CD13's Micheltorena Elementary at next year's event!

Meet Our Team

Chief of Staff Patricia Castellanos

Patricia Castellanos’ career embodies the values we fight for. She’s a true organizer, rooted in LA institutions like SCOPE and LAANE. Most recently, she crafted policy centered on economic justice for Supervisor Kuehl.

Patricia brings incredible leadership experience to our team, and we couldn’t be happier to have her as our Chief of Staff.

District Director Alejandra Marroquin

Born in Guatemala, and raised in Los Angeles, Alejandra has lived in Echo Park and its surrounding communities for over 30 years. She brings over 20 years of community organizing, public policy, public service experience to our office.

With a career built on social justice and civic engagement in LA, we are so proud to have her on our team.