In the wake of devastating wildfires, the Los Angeles City Council is poised to implement a comprehensive package of tenant protections to prevent evictions and mitigate the impact on displaced residents. The proposal includes a one-year freeze on rent increases and a ban on certain types of evictions, including those related to non-payment of rent, no-fault evictions, and evictions based on having additional tenants or pets.
The Los Angeles City Council will consider a comprehensive package of tenant protections to prevent evictions following the devastating wildfires that swept through the city. Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Adrin Nazarian introduced the motion, urging a one-year freeze on rent increases and various eviction safeguards.
If approved, the City Council would instruct the city attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting certain evictions and implementing a rent-hike moratorium until January 31, 2026, for all apartments in Los Angeles.The proposed measures aim to protect fire survivors and those who have accommodated them. The ordinance would prohibit evictions for non-payment of rent, no-fault evictions except in cases of government-mandated vacating, evictions related to additional tenants or pets, and evictions based on failure to obtain renter's insurance. The L.A. Housing Department would be tasked with establishing a process to verify if a tenant or occupant was displaced or economically impacted by the fires. Landlords would also be restricted from increasing rent for additional occupants in a unit for the same one-year period.The recent wildfires, particularly the Pacific Palisades Fire, caused widespread destruction, burning 23,448 acres and claiming at least 12 lives. As of Wednesday, containment stood at 96%. The City Council's proposal seeks to prevent a surge in rental prices, similar to what was observed in Lahaina, Hawaii, following the 2023 wildfires, where the median rent increased by 44% within a year. The motion highlights the concern that unscrupulous landlords might exploit the situation by waiting for the state of emergency declaration to expire and then implementing exorbitant rent hikes. The City Council is stressing the urgency of their proposal, stating that Los Angeles must act swiftly to protect residents from eviction and financial hardship during this critical time. Soto-Martinez, Hernandez, and other organizations will hold a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday to discuss their proposal in detail.
Real Estate Disaster Relief Los Angeles City Council Rent Freeze Eviction Protections Wildfires Disaster Relief Tenant Rights Pacific Palisades Fire
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