Los Angeles City Council Update

Newly elected City Councilmembers are seated, City Council President and President Pro Tempore are duly appointed and local emergency is extended for another 30 days with the end date set for February 1, 2023.

As we are fast approaching the end of the year, there has been several twists and turns in the City of Los Angeles related to the City’s local emergency and as a result the interconnected moratoriums on evictions and rent increases.

One week ago, the Association shared the news about then Mayor, Eric Garcetti’s December 6th issuance of a Notice of Status of Local Emergency in which he recommended that the City Council terminate the City’s local emergency effective February 1, 2023, and the City Council action that followed in which the Council extended the local emergency for 30 days and established the definitive end to the local emergency on February 1, 2023.   

This week, on December 13^th, the Los Angeles City Council held their last meeting of the year, prior to adjourning for the Council’s annual winter recess. It was also the first meeting of the newly configured City Council as the newly elected City Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Traci Park, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Tim McOsker were seated.

During the meeting several significant actions occurred. The new City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Councilmember Krekorian as City Council President and Councilmember Price as President Pro Tempore. The City Council also adopted another 30-day extension of the City’s local emergency.  Although the Council had just extended the local emergency for 30 days a week ago, on December 7^th, the need for another extension was prompted by the timing of the City Council recess, as without the extension, the local emergency would expire during the Council recess and prior to the approved February 1, 2023 end date. In conjunction with the vote on the 30-day extension, at the meeting, an amending motion was advanced by Councilmembers Hernandez, Soto-Martinez, and Raman that attempted to undo the Council’s previous week’s action which had established February 1, 2023  as the end date for the local emergency.  The amending motion failed with Councilmembers Blumenfield, Lee, McOsker, Park, and Price voting in opposition to the amending motion. As a result, the City’s February 1, 2023 termination of the local emergency remains in effect.

To review the failed amending motion, please click on the button below:

AMENDING  MOTION

The significance of Council’s actions to end the City’s nearly three-yearlong COVID-19 local emergency is that it also establishes a clear end date for the termination of the City’s eviction moratorium and rent increase freeze, as both of the related ordinance’s expiration is tied to the expiration of the local emergency. On February 1^st, with the expiration of the City’s local emergency will arrive the end of the City’s eviction moratorium with limited exceptions, and a date certain for the end of the City’s rent increase freeze, which will occur on February 1, 2024.  

In January, the City Council will resume meetings. It is anticipated that at that time, the Council will extend the City’s local emergency for the last time and bring the long-awaited end to the City’s COVID-19 local emergency.

We encourage members with property in the City of Los Angeles to review the moratoriums as certain provisions, including rent repayment of deferred rent owed will remain in effect into 2024 and to seek guidance from an attorney related to specific tenancy questions.

 The Association will continue to closely monitor these critical matters, vigorously advocate for our members interests, and provide updates.

This article is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions regarding your property or specific tenancies and the requirements of any local law changes described herein, please consult with an attorney.