Do you know if you live in a rent control property?
Affordable and rent control dwellings in neighborhoods attractive to tourists are the most likely to fall prey to short-term rental abuses.
Rental property in Los Angeles is subject to the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Rent Control) if:
The property is in the city of Los Angeles, AND
There are 2 or more rental units on the property, AND
The property was built (or certificate of occupancy issued) before November of 1978.
How do I find out if my property is supposed to be under Los Angeles rent control?
1. Go to the Rent Stabilization office at 111 N. Hope Street, 1st Floor between 8:00 a.m.and 4:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. Ask for a certified copy of the Declaration of Registration. You have to give the lowest address on the property. For example. If you live in a duplex at 3345 and 3347 Main Street, use the 3345 address number.
2. If the Housing Department says the building has never been registered, go to the Building Department located at 201 N. Figueroa Street, 4th Floor. Ask for a certified copy of the certificate of occupancy. If there is no certificate of occupancy, ask for something certified that shows the building was built before 1979 and there are 2 or more units on the lot. You are doing this because the unit might be required to be registered, but no one ever bothered to register it.
RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE INFORMATION
Bearing some similarities to other cities' "rent control" programs, the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA) administers the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) of the City of Los Angeles, which protects tenants from excessive rent increases while allowing apartment owners a reasonable return on their investments. The RSO covers rental properties of two or more units on a lot that were built before 1978.
IS MY RENTAL UNIT SUBJECT TO THE RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE?
If you rent in the City of Los Angeles, your rental unit may be subject to the City's Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) if the property was built on or before October 1, 1978. Newly constructed units that replaced demolished RSO rental units may also be covered under the RSO. For more information, visit the Los Angeles Housing & Community Investment Department.
Additional Resources
Tenants Together is a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of California tenants to safe, decent and affordable housing. As California’s only statewide renters' rights organization, Tenants Together works to improve the lives of California’s tenants through education, organizing and advocacy. Tenants Together seeks to galvanize a statewide movement for renters’ rights.
Housing Rights Center HRC provides free telephone and in-person counseling to both tenants and landlords regarding their rights and responsibilities under California law and local city ordinances. Housing Counselors are trained in landlord/tenant law and are able to inform clients of a wide-range of actions they can take to enforce their rights. Toll free: 1 800 477-5977
L.A. Tenants Union We fight for the human right to housing for all. Luchamos por el derecho humano a la vivienda para todos y toads "It's raining, it's pouring! Evictions are soaring!" Connect with L.A Tenants Union on Facebook.