After the fires torn apart across the Pacific Palisade and Altadena in January, concerns have risen about how far the impact will spread and whether the local housing affordability crisis will worsen.
Not only were thousands of houses destroyed, but many businesses were as well, leaving people without work and unable to pay rent. Gardeners, nannies and housekeepers who worked in the destroyed home also lost their income.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council refused to pass wide city-specific eviction protections for those affected by the fire amid debate over how disastrous the situation is and how the new rules will affect moms and pop landlords.
However, Los Angeles renters aren’t without a lifeline. Last week, the County Board of Supervisors passed its own measures providing eviction protection for several tenants in all unorganized communities and cities in the county, including the city of Los Angeles.
If you are a tenant affected by a fire, here are some things you need to know.
What kind of protection is there? If you are a tenant anywhere in Los Angeles County, the landlord will not be allowed to kick you out for non-payment of rent if you are financially injured by the fire and meet some other qualifications.
One is that to receive these protections, your household must have earned a median local income of less than 150% in 2024 (approximately $147,000 for a family of four).
Additionally, you must be living in your unit prior to January 7, 2025 and have done one of the following: They are actively seeking employment or have applied for financial assistance, including unemployment benefits, county fire funds, or other programs.
Tenants must also notify the landlord in writing that they are unable to pay rent due to the fire within seven days of the rent due to the deadline. If you already missed your February rent, your timeline will be a little different. The landlord must be notified by Tuesday, March 4th. We must admit that the reason we missed rent last month was a fire. Here you can find more details on the rules, including qualifications to make someone “direct” as harmful to them.
How long will these protections last? Until July 31st, 2025.
Is there anything else I need to know? Yes, the rules don’t stop landlords from filing eviction cases in court. Instead, they can provide defense to the tenants and show them to judges who are not to be forced out.
If you receive notification that your landlord has filed an eviction case against you, act promptly. If you ignore it, the court can approve and evict.
If you are using the new rules, you will need to pay back the rent you are renting. Tenants may also contact Stay House LA to navigate the new protections.
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