Victory Alert: L.A. City Holds Off on Eviction Moratorium & Rent Increase Freeze

Victory Alert

L.A. City Holds Off on Eviction Moratorium & Rent Increase Freeze

Janet M. Gagnon, Esq.

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer & SVP, Government Affairs

Victory, TWICE!  Let’s Make it a third and final time!  First, we were successful in getting the motion at L.A. City Council authored by Council Members Eunisses Hernadez and Hugo Soto-Martinez (both Democratic Socialist of America members) seeking to impose an eviction moratorium and rent increase freeze sent back to the Housing and Homelessness Committee for further discussion. Next, we had a tremendous response and outpouring from AAGLA members emailing and calling the full City Council (including those on the committee) to oppose this motion. As a result, Council Member Nithya Raman as Chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee (another Democratic Socialist of America member) did not put this item on the agenda for the committee meeting this week knowing that she did not have the votes to have it pass.  

We need to keep the pressure up with more emails and phone calls to the full City Council exposing this motion as a blatant attempt by radical tenant activists to protect bad actor renters at the expense of wildfire victims and rental housing providers.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Please take 5 minutes to either write an email to the full L.A. City Council or call their offices to voice your strong opposition to a new eviction moratorium and rent increase freeze. In particular, please reach out to Council Members Bob Blumenfield, Adrin Nazarian, Curren Price, Chair Nithya Raman (DSA) and Vice Chair Ysabel Jurado (DSA) who are members of the Housing and Homelessness Committee.  Click here to send an email.

If the above link does not work, please see the attached document for emails and phone numbers for the full L.A. City Council.

REASONS TO OPPOSE

COVID-19 actively prevented ALL residents throughout the state of California and Los Angeles Country from working. This was the basis for a blanket rent freeze and eviction moratorium imposed in L.A. City for several years.  The wildfires are devastating for those directly impacted. However, they are limited to the areas of Pacific Palisades, Malibu and West Hills (as well as Altadena, which is outside of L.A. City) and impact a much smaller segment of the total population of L.A. City.  As such a new blanket eviction moratorium and rent increase freeze are inappropriate and unjustified.

Eviction Moratorium

An eviction moratorium will HARM wildfire victims by allowing professional squatters refusing to pay rent and other bad actor renters to monopolize needed housing. Owners cannot evict current occupants without reason due to Just Cause restrictions at both the local and state levels.  Further, the eviction process is very costly and takes up to six months to complete, so owners do not conduct evictions unless current occupants are committing serious violations or are long-term non-payers.  To allow such bad actors to continue monopolizing needed housing is wrong and particularly heinous during the current emergency when wildfire victims are in urgent need of housing. An eviction moratorium shrinks the supply of affordable rental housing.  It will prolong the difficult process of finding new housing for wildfire victims.

Executive Orders from Governor Newsom issued over the last two weeks already provide additional protections for wildfire victims.  An Executive Order issued on January 12^th prevents raising the rent after an eviction.  This is to address any lingering concerns that an owner may file a false unlawful detainer action in order to wrongly increase rental rates for wildfire victims.  Another Executive Order issued on January 17^th prevents owners from evicting a current renter or terminating a tenancy due to an unauthorized person being in the unit that has temporarily been taken in due to the fires.  Both Executive Orders are immediately in effect until March 8, 2025 and could be extended.

Rent Increase Freeze

A rent increase freeze will similarly HARM wildfire victims by forcing many mom-and-pop owners already financially struggling from years of unpaid back rent due to COVID-19 eviction moratoriums completely out of business.  This will shrink the already severely limited supply of naturally occurring affordable housing during one of the largest natural disasters in California history. 

A rent freeze will prevent owners from keeping up with increasing costs for trash hauling, sewer, water, repairs, maintenance as well as monthly mortgage payments and property insurance premiums that will continue to skyrocket due to the fires. Small owners will face bankruptcy similar to the Skid Row Housing Trust and occupants will face continued dilapidation of the properties.

An Executive Order by Governor Newsom issued on January 12^th extends existing state law under Penal Code 396 that prohibits drastic increases in prices for goods and services, including housing until January 7, 2026 (an entire year from the start of the emergency).

FINAL THOUGHTS

We also urge all AAGLA members and non-members with available rental units to list them on our website at aalga.org/listings where we have compiled a live listing for wildfire victims.  Additions will be added in real time.

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

MOTION

To view all Los Angeles City Council, please click the button below:

TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL EMAILS AND PHONE NUMBERS, PLEASE CLICK HERE