County extends rent protection; Barger outvoted
Supervisor Kathryn Barger cast the lone “no” vote when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, on Tuesday, voted to extend tenant protections through Dec. 31 and make county code changes to the maximum allowable annual rent increase.
The protections were first put in place, in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A motion by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis extended the no-fault protections as a baseline for tenants across the county, who utilized the county’s non-payment of rent protections, in 2022, and are within the 12-month repayment window, according to the motion.
“These protections have provided a critical support to tenants impacted by the COVID pandemic, including those who live in incorporated cities without their own tenant protections,” the motion said.
The updated resolution also revised the definition of “financial impacts” to clarify that a “substantial loss” of household income is a loss of at least 10% of a tenant’s monthly household income, as well as increased costs for things such as for food, fuel and child care.
It also clarified that a tenant has the burden to prove the basis of their self-certification and that a landlord is not criminally or civilly liable for pursuing and filing an unlawful detainer action if they have a reasonable belief that the
tenant’s self-certification is fraudulent.
The changes to the county code amends Chapter 8.52 (Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections) of Title 8 — Consumer Protection, Business and Wage Regulations. It imposes, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023, a temporary cap to 3% on the maximum allowable annual rent increase for fully covered rental units and 5% for luxury units in unincorporated areas of the county. It also established no-fault eviction protections in incorporated cities.
“Tenant protections have been in place for about three years,” Barger said in a statement. “My ‘no’ vote reflects my belief that mom-andpop property owners are being unfairly burdened. It’s a mistake to pass a one-size-fits-all policy that protects tenants who refuse to pay any portion of their rent or work with their landlord.”
She said the Board initially took action due to the COVID-19 emergency and shutdown of the county’s economy.
“But the pandemic and public health orders are no longer affecting people’s ability to work,” she said. “We are also overreaching by implementing a 3% rent increase cap for unincorporated areas under the county’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance and establishing no-fault eviction protections in incorporated cities. I disagree with the continued use of the county’s police powers, which should be reserved for dire emergencies. We are well past that point.”