Victory Alert: L.A. County REJECTS Countywide Eviction Restriction
Victory Alert
L.A. County REJECTS Countywide Eviction Restriction
By Janet M. Gagnon
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer & SVP Government Relations
On Tuesday, February 10th, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors rejected a motion by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath to create a countywide eviction threshold equal to three months of Fair Market Rent (FMR) (as by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) past due before a rental housing provider could file an eviction.
In a stunning defeat for Supervisor Horvath, she was unable to obtain even a second for her motion, which is required prior to official vote. Thanks to hundreds of rental housing providers flooding the Supervisors offices with emails and calls ahead of the meeting and many showing up in-person to speak at the meeting in response to AAGLA’s Red Alert, Chair Solis, Supervisor Barger, Supervisor Hahn, and Supervisor Mitchell clearly showed their strong objection to the motion by failing to second the motion necessary for a formal vote. This shows that rental housing providers can succeed in defeating harmful policies when they speak out collectively in large numbers. Thank you to all those who took the time to email, call and attend the Board meeting. Your efforts made this victory a reality!!!
For anyone with renters that are behind on their rent, the County has created an Emergency Rent Relief Program (ERRP) that is currently accepting applications through March 11th. Eligible renters are anyone that can claim they have been impacted by an emergency, including the January 2025 wildfires or recent federal immigration activities. It is still ILLEGAL under the County’s and several cities’ anti-harassment ordinances to ask a renter about their residence or citizenship status. However, renters can now go online themselves to complete an application. Rental housing owners can also apply if they are aware of other emergencies faced by the renter. Please be sure to note that you do NOT have to check the box asking whether you agree to give up your right to evict the renter to have a higher priority for the County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) to process your application. It is your choice and you should give considerable thought to the pros and cons of doing so. For more information, please visit https://www.lacountyrentrelief.com/
We urge all rental housing providers to stay actively engaged in advocacy efforts. The Board will come back sometime within the next few weeks with a draft ordinance that will DOUBLE the existing eviction threshold under the Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance (RSTPO) for unincorporated areas to two months of FMR. We know that if passed, this bad County policy will spread to local cities, including the City of Los Angeles, Culver City, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and others. Rental housing providers must continue to vocally oppose any increase in an eviction threshold based on the additional financial damage that it will cause to rental housing providers already struggling due to non-payment of rent and huge attorney’s fees to file necessary evictions.
In addition, the Board still has countywide emergency price restrictions in place through February 27, 2026. Rental housing providers must argue against any additional continuation of these price restrictions as they have been continuously in place since January 2025. These restrictions are keeping needed rental housing off the market as vacant residential units of any kind are unable to be brought up to full market rate due to the 10% maximum increase limit.
THANK YOU to everyone that took action to help defeat the countywide eviction threshold. The fight is not over, we still need your voices to get rental housing back on a stable path without countywide “emergency” restrictions and RSTPO increased eviction thresholds. Stay Alert, Stay Active!!!
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.