It’s a new year, which means new laws have passed, and a few that directly impact landlords. There are currently two eviction moratoriums in Los Angeles, one for the City and one for the County. A few weeks ago, the county law officials have decided to extend the expiration date of the moratorium to January 31, 2023, with no guarantee that it will remain on this date.
On a high note, evictions are still happening in the county and city of Los Angeles. A common misconception over the past two years was that it was impossible to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent. However, roughly 3000 evictions have occurred in the county of Los Angeles, with many of them occurring within Los Angeles City. There has been almost zero pushback from the housing department and city attorneys if the correct documentation and paperwork have been completed and filed correctly.
As the pandemic is transitioning to an endemic, local lawmakers are trying to pass tenant protection bills to set the emergency tenant protections in stone, which is why the moratorium expiration date keeps getting pushed back. One potential tenant protection on the table for LA County and LA City is setting a threshold for nonpayment of rent. This means if a tenant is in arrears any amount under the threshold, they are not eligible for eviction for non-payment of rent.
Currently, there are a few municipalities around the country with thresholds already set in place, the highest being in Washington D.C. set at $600. The City and County of LA want to set the threshold at $10,000. The reason for the $10,000 threshold is that the LA municipalities are pushing for landlords to recoup unpaid rent in small claims court. Currently, the limit for small claims court under normal circumstances is $10,000. Lawmakers are diligent in their efforts to set laws in place that give tenants protections from eviction but create hurdles for landlords.
With all this new information emerging daily, it can be hard to keep track of and manage certain situations. At our management division, EquityPro Management, we can help ease confusion and stressful situations. If you have any questions at all do not hesitate to call us at (562) 632-1707, we are here to help with all your property management needs.