The Los Angeles City Council recently voted to tackle an urgent issue affecting renters across the city: tenant harassment and “renovictions.” The council approved two separate motions aimed at strengthening tenant protections by expanding anti-harassment laws and limiting a landlord’s ability to evict tenants for so-called substantial renovations. Together, these measures reflect growing concerns about tenant stability amid an ever-intensifying housing crisis, and they reveal a rift between tenant advocates and landlords over housing rights, property maintenance, and profitability.
Tackling ‘Renovictions’: Defining Tenancy Rights During Remodeling
One of the motions, passed on October 29, specifically targets the use of "substantial remodels" as a reason to evict tenants. Under Los Angeles’s 2023 just cause eviction ordinance, landlords have been able to evict tenants for renovations expected to last more than 30 days. This exception, tenant advocates argue, has been used as a loophole, allowing landlords to remove long-time tenants, remodel units, and raise rents when the units are put back on the market. The city council’s latest motion proposes removing this exception, potentially ending such practices.
While Los Angeles has laws in place to prevent no-fault evictions, the just cause ordinance doesn’t apply to rent-controlled units, which are instead protected by the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance. Rent-controlled tenants facing lengthy remodels are allowed temporary relocation and have the right to return to their units once renovations are complete. However, tenants in non-rent-controlled units don’t currently have this protection, which has become a growing issue as the city’s housing stock ages and landlords pursue updates and improvements.
“The just cause ordinance allows ‘substantial remodel’ as a reason to evict a tenant,” the council’s motion reads, “and the city should take steps to further protect tenants from this no-fault eviction.” The council motion proposes that tenants have the right to return to their homes following a remodel, ensuring they can maintain their tenancy without fear of losing their residence due to landlord renovations. The council also requested that the Los Angeles Housing Department and the city attorney draft recommendations for a temporary ordinance similar to the Tenant Habitability Program, which would require landlords to relocate tenants temporarily during major renovations, then allow them to return once work is completed.
Tenant advocates see this move as a critical safeguard against what they see as a profit-driven practice that drives renters out of their homes. According to the Los Angeles Times, they argue that “renovictions” have been used to raise rents while displacing long-time tenants. On the other hand, landlord groups argue that the removal of the renovation clause could create a financial burden, especially for smaller property owners who rely on tenant turnover to fund necessary property repairs and upgrades.
Expanding Anti-Harassment Laws for Tenants
In addition to the motion against renovictions, the council also moved to strengthen Los Angeles’s anti-harassment laws for tenants. The Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO), originally passed in 2021, has been amended to address several issues raised by tenant advocates. Despite over 13,000 harassment complaints received by the city since the ordinance’s passing, only four cases have resulted in fines, and none have led to criminal prosecution. To combat these challenges, the city council has redefined and expanded the scope of harassment while boosting penalties to encourage compliance and enforcement.
Under the new amendment, harassment is redefined as “bad faith conduct” and includes additional actions like threatening to reduce amenities, misusing the right to access rental units, harassing a tenant’s guests, and refusing to accept or facilitate rental assistance. Additionally, the amended ordinance introduces triple damages for tenants who prevail in harassment cases, covering both emotional distress and attorney fees. By adding a three-year statute of limitations and reducing the legal hurdles for tenants filing complaints, the council hopes to provide a stronger deterrent against landlord harassment.
One major change in the law is the removal of a requirement that tenants inform landlords of repair issues before initiating a lawsuit. In situations where the landlord is withholding repairs as a form of harassment, tenants can now bypass this step and take direct action. Tenant advocates argue that this change will make it easier for renters to take legal recourse, particularly in situations where landlords have weaponized maintenance issues to pressure tenants to vacate.
While tenant advocates applaud the changes, landlord groups argue that the strengthened laws will increase litigation and reduce the appeal of investing in rental properties. They claim that these amendments could inadvertently hurt tenants by deterring new investment in the city’s aging rental stock. Landlord advocates also argue that the ordinance favors attorneys by creating a new incentive for tenant lawsuits.
The Los Angeles City Council’s actions underscore the city’s commitment to tenant protections, but they also reflect an ongoing tension between property rights and tenant stability. Tenant advocates see these measures as necessary to address the housing crisis and to prevent landlords from exploiting loopholes that impact renter security and affordability. Meanwhile, landlords argue that balancing tenant protections with their own property rights and financial realities is key to keeping the rental market sustainable.
As the amendments await final approval, tenant advocates are optimistic that these strengthened laws will usher in a new era of housing protections for Los Angeles renters. However, the city’s rental market—and its legal landscape—may be in for a period of adjustment as landlords, tenants, and attorneys adapt to these changes. The ultimate outcome will hinge on how the city enforces these new rules and whether they effectively address the issues they seek to resolve.
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