If You Live in the City of Los Angeles
The Rent Stabilization Ordinance of Los Angeles (LA RSO), aka rent control, protects tenants in the City of Los Angeles from excessive rent increases.
RSO rights apply to all renters regardless of immigration status.
Not all properties are covered by LA RSO. To qualify, your unit must:
- Be located in the City of Los Angeles
- Have been built before October 1, 1978
- Be part of a property with two or more units
If your unit is protected by LA RSO, your landlord is allowed to raise your rent 4% every 12 months with proper 30-day written notice.
If your landlord pays for your gas and electricity, your allowable rent increase is 6% (the standard 4%, plus 1% for gas and 1% for electricity).
If your landlord is attempting to raise your rent beyond the legal allowable maximum, you can file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing Department by clicking here.
If You Live in Unincorporated Los Angeles County
LA County’s Unincorporated Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LA County RSO) protects tenants in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County from excessive rent increases.
RSO rights apply to all renters regardless of immigration status.
Not all properties are covered by LA County RSO. To qualify, your unit must:
- Be located in unincorporated Los Angeles County
- Have a Certificate of Occupancy issued on or before February 1, 1995
- Be part of a property with two or more units
If your unit is protected by the LA County RSO, your landlord is allowed to raise your rent up to 8% (tied to the Consumer Price Index) annually.
To learn more about the LA County RSO and to file a complaint, click here.
Rent Control for California
Assembly Bill 1482 gives tenants who live in the state of California some protection against excessive rent increases.
To qualify, your unit must have been built before January 1, 2005. Single-family homes are not covered unless owned by corporate landlords.
AB 1482 caps annual rent increases to 5% PLUS a percentage tied to the Consumer Price Index for the region in which the property is located OR 10%, whichever is lower.
Note that AB 1482 does not replace, amend, or remove Los Angeles City or County RSO laws. If your unit is already covered by local rent control protections, this statewide law does not apply.
Need to Check if Your Unit Is Rent Controlled? Use Our OWN-IT! Tool
OWN-IT! is a mapping tool that shows all of the residential, commercial, and industrial properties in Los Angeles County. Users can click on individual buildings to find out when they were constructed, the number of units they contain, and whether they are covered by a city or county rent-control ordinance.
