LOS ANGELES EVICTION LAWS
LEGAL REASONS FOR EVICTION
TENANT IS AT FAULT
Under the JCO, the landlord may recover possession of a rental unit in specific situations. Below is a list of reasons for which a tenant could be evicted and would be considered at fault. If the tenant is at fault for the eviction, then the tenant will not be entitled to relocation assistance.
- Failure to pay rent
- Failure to cure a violation of the rental agreement
- Creating a nuisance or causing damage to the property
- Using the rental unit for an illegal purpose
- Failure to renew a similar rental agreement
- Failure to provide the landlord with reasonable access to the rental unit
- The person at the end of the lease term is a subtenant not approved by the landlord
TENANT IS NOT AT FAULT
Situations in which the property owner wishes to regain the use of the rental unit, as the result of a personal or business decision, and not the tenant’s fault, may be cause for eviction, but the property owner may have to pay the tenant relocation assistance.
THESE REASONS INCLUDE
- The owner or an immediate family member will move into the rental unit
- Resident manager will move into the rental unit when required by law or by an affordable housing covenant or regulatory agreement
- Demolition, substantial remodel, permanent removal from the rental market, or conversion to non-residential
- Government order to vacate
- HUD owns and is selling the property
- Residential Hotel being converted or demolished
- Conversion to affordable housing
Just Cause For Eviction Ordinance (JCO)
If you own rental property in the City of Los Angeles, it may be subject to the Just Cause Ordinance (JCO). It prohibits terminations of tenancies without just cause and requires relocation assistance for no-fault evictions.
Rental Units Covered Under JCO
The JCO covers most residential properties in the City of Los Angeles that are not regulated by the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO).
Legal Reasons for Eviction
Under the JCO, the landlord may recover possession of a rental unit in specific situations. Below is a list of reasons for which a tenant could be evicted and would be considered at fault. If the tenant is at fault for the eviction, then the tenant will not be entitled to relocation assistance.
Ariel Mossazadeh
Ariel Mossazadeh, Esq’s primary practice areas are real estate transactions, business formation and contract negotiations and drafting. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California, Los Angeles, where he was on the Dean’s Honors List. He then attended Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California, and received his J.D. in 2016 with a concentration in business regulation and real estate transactions.
The Los Angeles eviction law is highly unforgiving. One misstep, especially a service error or a flaw in the initial notice (like a 3-Day Notice to Pay or Quit), can kill the eviction case, causing the landlord to lose time, money, and leverage.
The JCO prohibits the termination of a tenancy without a “just cause,” and requires landlords to provide relocation assistance for “no-fault” evictions. It covers most residential properties in the City of Los Angeles that are not regulated by the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO).
Landlords may be required to pay displaced tenants who are evicted for a “no-fault” reason, such as an Owner Move-in Eviction or withdrawing a unit from the rental market.
The process is highly regulated. Los Angeles tenants often raise aggressive defenses, which must be anticipated. The process requires a specific, properly served notice (like a 3-Day Notice to Pay or Quit) to be legally enforceable.
Cash-For-Keys is a legal tool for achieving a voluntary vacancy where the landlord offers the tenant money to move out. It must be handled carefully, as it often involves required disclosures and a legally mandated “cooling-off” period to ensure the agreement is not coercive.
Not every violation allows for immediate eviction in Los Angeles. EvictBoss knows when a cure for the violation is required from the tenant, and when the violation is serious enough to proceed directly with an eviction notice.