Photo by Raquel Baranow is licensed under CC BY 2.0
What is the Urgent Repair Program (URP)?
The Urgent Repair Program (URP) was established to ensure that rental property owners make immediate repairs of hazardous conditions that affect the health and safety of the building’s occupants. If hazardous conditions that cause a building to be uninhabitable exist, the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) may be forced to vacate these units and/or buildings. URP is a valuable tool for the City to use in gaining compliance by abating hazardous conditions when property owners have failed to comply in a timely manner. This program has prevented tenants from being forced to vacate and relocate due to conditions that threaten their health and safety. URP is not a program that will make all necessary repairs to a building, thereby bringing the building up to building codes and standards.
Two-Day Order to Repair
Only habitability violations that are determined by the appropriate agency to violate California Civil Code Section 1941.1 and/or Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 57.107.6 and constitute a present, imminent, extreme and immediate hazard or danger to life or limb, health or safety are addressed by URP through urgent repair order commonly known as a Two-Day Order to Repair. A two-day order to repair requires the owner to commence required repair work to correct the cited violation within two days.
Examples of conditions which requires the issuance of a two-day order to repair are:
- Leaking gas pipes
- Sewage overflows
- Unprotected swimming pools
- Loose or missing guardrails
- Blocked emergency openings
- Exposed live electrical wiring
- No hot water
The inspection/field staff, after considering the totality of the circumstances of a particular site, makes a final determination for the issuance of a two-day order to repair.
URP Process
URP complaints may be initiated by residents or any city departments or governmental agencies by referral to the LAHD. To file a complaint click here.
- Upon verification of the hazardous condition by the inspector, a Two-day Order to Repair is issued.
- The building is posted with a copy of the order and a copy is forwarded to the owner via overnight mail.
- A compliance inspection is conducted after two days or soon thereafter.
- If the inspector verifies that the owner has commenced repair work to abate the hazardous condition, the two day order is closed, however, if no work has commenced, the non-compliant condition is documented.
- If the owner has not commenced repair work to abate the hazardous condition the URP staff will contact the designated City approved contractor to respond to the location, conduct a bid walk, and provide a proposal.
- The URP staff reviews and approves the proposal, and then directs the contractor to begin the work.
- Inspector verifies satisfactory completion of the work.
Cost to the Owners
If the Two-Day Order to Repair, including any extensions, expires without compliance, LAHD may refer the property to the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) for the purpose of recovery by the City of all costs incurred. The landlord may request a hearing before the General Manager to appeal any decision placing a unit or building into REAP.
All costs incurred pursuant to URP are a personal obligation against the owner of the property, recoverable by the City in an action before any court of competent jurisdiction. These costs shall include an amount equal to 40% of the cost to perform the actual work to cover the City’s costs for administering any contract and supervising the work required. LAHD may file a lien with the County Recorder’s Office for the recovery of any costs incurred.
Contact information for URP
If you have received a Two-Day Order to Repair and have questions, please contact us at (213) 808-8562.
