Residents, Renters|

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. Units constructed after July 15, 2007 that replace demolished RSO rental units may also be covered under the RSO. The RSO regulates rent increases and evictions.

To find out if your unit is subject to the RSO, click here. Enter your address, click the Housing Tab, and RSO status will be indicated for the property.

There are approximately 624,000 units in 118,000 properties throughout the City of Los Angeles that fall under this ordinance, including apartments, condos, co-ops, rooming houses, and hotels and motels. Mobilehomes in mobilehome parks are also covered by the RSO.

Generally, the RSO applies to rental properties that were first built on or before October 1, 1978 as well as replacement units under RSO Section 151.28 and if any of the following:

  • Apartment
  • Condominium
  • Townhome
  • Duplex
  • Two or more single family dwelling units on the same parcel
  • Rooms in a hotel, motel, rooming house or boarding house occupied by the same tenant for 30 or more consecutive days
  • Residential unit(s) attached to a commercial building
  • Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
  • Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

Your rental unit is not subject to the RSO if:

  • You live in a single-family home (that is the only residential structure on the parcel)
  • You live in affordable housing or luxury housing units exempted by LAHD
  • The rental unit was built after October 1, 1978 (in most instances)
  • You live in hotel or motel rooms that were occupied for less than 30 days
  • You rent a unit in a converted commercial building that converted to rental units after October 1, 1978

Even if the rental unit is not covered under the RSO, you may be covered under the City’s Just Cause Ordinance (JCO).

What the RSO Covers

Rent increases

Rent increases that do not require LAHD approval

  • New rent levels established after a tenant:
    • voluntarily moves out;
    • does not pay rent and is evicted;
    • violated the lease agreement and is evicted;
    • is evicted for failure to comply with a Tenant Habitability Plan; or
    • is evicted per a City Attorney order.
  • Rent may be increased once every 12 months by the allowable rent increase percentage.  This increase may be added to the rent and security deposit. The landlord can add an additional 1% per utility paid by the landlord (gas and/or electricity).
  • If an additional tenant moves into a rental unit landlords can increase the rent within 60 days of learning about the additional tenant.  There is no increase for the first minor dependent child added to an existing rental unit.
  • The registration fee is $38.75 per rental unit. Fifty percent (50%) of this fee can be passed on to the tenant as a monthly surcharge of $1.61, as long as the tenant is provided with a 30-day advance written notice to pay.  There is no longer the option to request the funds in one lump sum in one month.
  • Effective January 1, 2022, a landlord may collect 1/12 of 50% of the annual Systematic Code Enforcement Fee from the tenant of the rental unit per month. (Added by Ord. No. 187,108, Eff. 8/6/21.)
  • A $3.00 surcharge may be added to the rent for the installation and cost for a hard-wired smoke detector or a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector.

Rent increases that require LAHD approval

How to Calculate Rent Increases and Surcharges.

Required Registration and Posted Notification of RSO Rental Units

Legal Reasons for Eviction

Tenant is at-fault

Under the RSO, the landlord may recover possession of a rental unit under specific situations. Below is a list of reasons for which a tenant could be evicted and the tenant would be considered at-fault. If the tenant is at-fault for the eviction, then the tenant will not be entitled to relocation assistance.

  • Failure to pay rent
  • Failure to fix or address a violation of the rental agreement
  • Creating a nuisance or causing damage to the rental unit
  • Using the rental unit for an illegal purpose
  • Failure to renew a similar rental agreement
  • Failure to provide the landlord reasonable access to the rental unit
  • The person at the end of the lease term is a subtenant not approved by the landlord

Tenant is not at-fault

Situations in which the property owner wishes to regain the use of the rental unit, as the result of a personal or business decision, and not the fault of the tenant may be cause for eviction, but the property owner may have to pay the tenant relocation assistance. These reasons include:

What Documents will a Renter Receive for a No-Fault Eviction ?

To Learn More About the Rent Stabilization Ordinance

View the Department’s calendar of events which includes dates and topics of RSO Workshops & Webinars.

If you need additional information or to file a complaint, call the toll-free hotline at (866) 557-RENT (7368)  or visit one of our public counters.

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