Rent Control & Just Cause Evictions: What This Can Mean For Your Whittier Property

Los Angeles County incorporated a temporary rent control action late in 2018, and many rental homes in Whittier are subject to these laws. It also addressed evictions and required that all evictions meet the just cause requirement.

Today, we’re sharing a little information for landlords in Whittier so they can understand what their legal requirements and expectations are.

Temporary Rent Control Measures

Rent control means landlords are limited in how much and how often they can raise the monthly rent on their residents. This is often a local ordinance, and landlords and rental property owner need to follow rent control laws established in their city or county.

Los Angeles County adopted rent control laws that are meant to be temporary. These law took effect on December 20, 2018, and apply to eligible rental units in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

When you own a rental property that qualifies under this program, you must:

• Only increase rent up to three percent within a 12-month period;

• Ask for permission from the County if you want to increase rent more than 3 percent; and

• Evict tenant only for “just cause” reasons.

The properties subject to this temporary rent control ordinance must meet certain requirements including age and type of home. What you can or cannot o also depends on how many units you own.

Just Cause Evictions

There is more to the rent control laws than a limit on what landlords can charge and how they can increase the rent. On May 16, 2019, the Temporary Rent Stabilization Ordinance extended just cause eviction protections to most residential rental units in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, including much of Whittier. This applies to your property even if it isn’t impacted by rent stabilization. So, you need to follow the just cause eviction regulations even if you’re exempt from rent control.

Just cause eviction means you need a specific and legally compliant reason to remove a resident from your property. These reasons may be:

• Nonpayment of rent.

• Specific and documented lease violation with a refusal to cure.

• Illegal activity occurring at the property.

• Extreme property damage has been caused by the resident.

Before a landlord or a property manager can evict a resident, it’ important to legally terminate the tenancy. This requires the landlord to give the resident written notice. The amount of written notice that’s required will depend on the length of tenancy and the reason for eviction.

California laws are always changing,

especially when it comes to matters of rent control and eviction. The state legislature is constantly taking up the matter, and each city and jurisdiction is crafting its own laws.

Landlords and investors who are finding it difficult to keep up with all of these changes and new potential laws should seek counsel from a professional Whittier property management company or an attorney.

We are watching the situation carefully and we understand the nuance of rent control and just cause eviction in our area. If you have any questions or need any help, please contact us at LS Property Management.