On Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 the L.A. City Council will vote on a revised rent freeze and eviction moratorium introduced by Council Members Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Adrin Nazarian – which will have tremendous impacts on rental housing providers and renters alike.
The motion, amending motion, and communication from the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) address actions related to tenant protections following the January 2025 fires. Key recommendations include:
- Eviction Protections: Prohibit certain evictions for tenants experiencing economic or medical hardship due to the fires, including:
- Evictions for non-payment of rent
- No-fault evictions (except for government orders to vacate)
- Evictions for unauthorized occupants, pets, or nuisance related to displaced tenants
- Rent Increase Pause: Implement a pause on rent increases for all residential units until January 31, 2026, and suspend specific provisions related to rent increases for additional occupants.
- Reports on Price Gouging: The City will provide monthly reports on rental price gouging complaints, investigations, enforcement actions, and recommendations for improvement during and six months after the local emergency.
- Temporary Legal Services: Authorize LAHD to contract with Partners in Diversity to hire temporary paralegals for tenant protection enforcement.
- Amended Motion: Add a requirement for LAHD to present a process to verify protected tenants within seven days.
UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, 1/29/25
Results from The LA City Council Meeting
- The LA City Rent Freeze and Eviction Moratorium was sent to vote by the LA City council this morning (Wed, 1/29/25). The City Council decided to send the proposal back to the Housing and Homelessness Committee for further research and deliberation.
- Some speculate that there will be a compromise, removing the rent freeze from the equation, while keeping the eviction moratorium in place.
