26 Oct LA County’s Permanent Rent Stabilization Ordinance (10-27-21)
Posted at 16:59h
in Insights
The County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors approved a Permanent Rent Stabilization Ordinance for eligible rental units in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County which became effective on April 1, 2020. Rent stabilization is a local law that standardizes the amount of rent increases and extends eviction protections.
Here’s what the permanent ordinance means for landlords like you:
- An annual cap of up to 8 percent (tied to Consumer Price Index) on rent increases. Some exemptions apply. (The allowable increase is 3 percent until June 30, 2022. Click here for more details about the Annual Allowable Rent Increase.)
- Rent increases must be based on the legal “base rent” a tenant was paying on September 11, 2018.
- A process for you to request to temporarily or permanently increase rent above the annual cap, if you believe you are not receiving a fair return on your property. (Click here to fill out the application for rent adjustment for fair return. You can submit it by email to rent@dcba.lacounty.gov.)
- You may only evict tenants for specific “just cause” reasons.
- An annual requirement to register your rental units including changes of tenancy, rental rate, and amenities.
On May 20, 2020 the Board of Supervisors adopted a Fees Ordinance giving authority to DCBA to collect registration fees, as required by the Mobile Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
Property owners must register each rental unit in unincorporated County and pay the applicable fee by September 30 of each calendar year:
- Fully Covered Units: $90
- Just-Cause Only Units $30