Raman seeks to strengthen tenant harassment ordinance
City Council member’s proposal would expand the definiton of the law
LOS ANGELES » Los Angeles Councilwoman Nithya Raman proposed Tuesday a set of amendments to the draft Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, which the City Council Housing Committee is scheduled to discuss on today.
“Tenant Harassment is a pernicious problem that contributes to gentrification, displacement, and homelessness in Los Angeles, and this law represents an important step in the right direction,” Raman said.
“The amendments I am offering are to ensure that the law reflects the many forms of harassment that our office regularly hears about from tenants and tenants groups, and that the proscribed remedies are sufficient to ensure adequate legal representation and deter such unlawful behavior from occurring in the first place.”
The draft ordinance defines harassment in several ways, including reducing or eliminating housing services, such as parking; failing to perform necessary repairs and maintenance; abusing the right to access a rental unit; threatening a tenant with physical harm; misrepresenting to a tenant that the tenant is required to vacate the unit; refusing to accept rent payments; and inquiring about a tenant’s immigration status.
Raman’s proposed amendments would expand the definition of tenant harassment to include:
• Offers of cash buyouts that are accompanied by threats or intimidation.
• Threats to report false information to government agencies, such as law enforcement or child protective services.
Her amendment would also allow nonprofits to stand in for tenants who file civil suits and require that the landlord pay compensatory damages and reasonable attorney’s fees if the tenant prevails in court.
She also proposes a rent adjustment penalty that would require units that are vacated through a violation of the ordinance to only be rented at the lawful rent in effect at the time the unit was vacated.
Under the measure, if harassment occurs, a tenant who prevails in court may be awarded compensation for damages, rent refunds for reduction in housing services, reasonable compensation for attorney’s fees and more. A landlord might also be fined up to $5,000 if the tenant is older than 65 years of disabled.
Tenants’ rights advocates on Friday called on the L.A. City Council to amend the proposed ordinance to include stronger enforcement measures.
The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment wants the ordinance to be strengthened by making tenant harassment a misdemeanor, providing funds to implement
the law, and allowing tenants to return to the unit and pay the same amount of rent if a judge finds that an eviction occurred through harassment.
The process leading up to drafting the ordinance began in February 2017, when former Councilman
Jose Huizar introduced a motion to have the Housing and Community Investment Department review other cities’ tenant harassment ordinances and report on the feasibility of adopting a similar one in Los Angeles.
Tenants’ rights advocates Friday expressed frustration that it has been over three years and an ordinance has still not been passed.