News and Events

Rent control bill resurfaces after stalling last year

A statewide proposal that would sharply tighten California’s existing rent cap law is again in play as the Legislature enters the second year of the session. On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Assembly member Ash Kalra will again attempt to move AB 1157 from the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which he chairs.

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LA Lowers Rent Increase Cap For 74% Of Multifamily Housing Stock

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to put a 4% ceiling on annual rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments in the city. The decision would affect roughly 651,000 units, or nearly 74% of the city's total. More than 60% of residents in LA are renters, and more than half of them are considered rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their household income on rent.

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Residential Rental Units Must Now Offer Refrigerators and Stoves

AB 628 (McKinnor) was recently signed into law by the governor and will require every residential rental unit, for leases entered into, amended, or extended, on or after January 1, 2026, to have a working stove and refrigerator, with certain exceptions, to be deemed habitable. The law provides that a dwelling is deemed untenantable, in relation to an owner’s duty to ensure that the premises is intended for human habitation and fit for occupancy, if it lacks either:

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LA County Board approves emergency declaration over immigration raids

Oct 14 (Reuters) - Los Angeles County moved a step closer on Tuesday to enacting an eviction moratorium that would protect renters who have been financially harmed by President Donald Trump, opens new tab's immigration crackdown. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a 4-1 vote declared an emergency in response to federal immigration raids, a move usually reserved for natural disasters or other conditions beyond the control of local officials.

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Should You Treat Your Onsite Managers as Employees or Independent Contractors?

Question: Should You Treat Your Onsite Managers as Employees or Independent Contractors? Avoid One of the Costliest Mistakes Made by Employers: Misclassification of Employees

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New City of Los Angeles Notice Posting Requirement: Right to Counsel Program Ordinance

The City’s RTC provides qualifying tenants with access to free legal representation in eviction and administrative proceedings that may result in the termination of tenancy or rental housing subsidy. Under the RTC, landlords in the City of Los Angeles are required to post the RTC notices at their properties and provide notices to tenants at various times informing them of their rights.

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CAUTION: Extra Time May Be Necessary When Notifying Tenants About Rent Increases

An apparently new issue has come up recently that has tenant defense lawyers arguing over the timing of rent increase notices (a/k/a, “change of terms”) that landlords have served on their tenants by both posting (but not personally handing to tenants) and mailing.

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Bill to extend late notices from 3 days to 14 days derailed in committee

The California Apartment Association has helped derail a bill that would have extended California’s notice period for nonpayment of rent from three days to 14. On Tuesday, June 24, SB 436 by state Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, failed to garner enough votes to pass out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Following the failed vote, Wahab asked for reconsideration — a procedural move that allows the committee to potentially vote on the bill again at a future hearing — though the measure is stalled, at least for the time being.

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City of L.A.: Security Deposit Interest Requirement

Landlords of properties located within the City of Los Angeles that are subject to the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO), also known as Rent Control, are required to pay tenants interest on their security deposits, pursuant to specific regulations. Recently, tenant attorneys have increasingly and successfully used landlords’ non-compliance with these security deposit interest requirements as a defense in eviction proceedings.

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LA Apartment Owners Brace For ‘Horrendous’ Fallout Of Section 8 Cuts

Los Angeles multifamily landlords and tenants are girding for yet another blow on the heels of January’s historically destructive fires that tore through a city still recovering from the pandemic. The latest challenge for the city’s apartment industry comes in the form of a budget shortfall, projected to be up to $118M, that could force the local housing authority to cease payments to landlords later this year. The deficit has been exacerbated by existing and potential federal-level cuts to Section 8 housing vouchers.

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