The law targets "knowing and willful" actions on the part of landlords meant to drive tenants out of rent-controlled apartments.
A proposed ordinance meant to protect renters from landlord harassment will ban "'knowing and willful course of conduct' aimed at a specific tenant or tenants that causes harm and has 'no lawful purpose,'" reports Emily Alpert Reyes for the Los Angeles Times.
In addition to a long list of specifically banned behaviors such as threats of physical harm and neglecting to perform maintenance, the law also prohibits "any actions that “substantially interfere with or disturb the comfort, repose, peace or quiet of a tenant” and are meant to make the tenant give up their unit." The law also targets the financial incentives that drive landlords to push people out of rent-controlled apartments: "If a landlord is found to have harassed someone out of a rent-stabilized apartment, the property owner can be barred from charging more to the next tenant who follows that person."
"Legal advocates argued that by spelling out what kinds of actions amount to harassment, the new ordinance will make it easier for aggrieved renters to pursue a case, rather than trying to figure out whether it is covered by existing laws." According to tenants' rights advocates, "the L.A. ordinance will give tenants a crucial tool to fight harassment meant to prod them out of their homes as rents have risen. Similar rules exist in San Francisco, Santa Monica and West Hollywood." Landlord groups, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about frivolous lawsuits, claiming that in some cases tenants harass landlords, too.
The L.A. city council "voted Wednesday to ask the City Attorney to prepare a revised version of the ordinance that includes amendments backed by the council."
FULL STORY: L.A. is poised to ban tenant harassment. Here’s what the proposed law covers
‘Renters Bill of Rights’ One Step Closer to Reality
The Biden administration could strengthen tenant protections on a national scale by leveraging federally backed mortgages to mandate rent stabilization and bar discrimination in rental housing.
Colorado Rent Control Bill Back in the House
A bill that would allow Colorado cities to enact rent stabilization policies is under discussion again, with some tweaks.
L.A. Tenants Hit With Sudden Rent Hikes Under 'Discounted Rent' Loophole
A legal loophole has allowed some Los Angeles landlords to sharply raise rents on apartments that would otherwise fall under the city's rent stabilization ordinance and pandemic-related rent freeze.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
