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# If Your Landlord Is Harassing You
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* If Your Landlord Is Harassing You
#### **WHAT IS HARASSMENT?**
Landlords who can’t legally evict you may try and harass you to get you to move out. Harassment can include verbal and physical threats and assault, neglecting repairs, intentionally disturbing your peace and quiet, refusing to accept rent, threatening to disclose immigration or citizenship status, and serving an eviction notice based on false reasons.
#### **If You Live in the City of Los Angeles**
Harassing a renter for any reason is illegal in the City of Los Angeles under the . Renters have the right to sue landlords who harass them.
Harassment may be prosecuted as a criminal misdemeanor (up to 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine for each offense) or a civil violation. The court may award damages for emotional or mental distress, rent refunds for reduction in housing services, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, civil penalties up to $10,000 but not less than $2,000 per violation depending upon the severity of the violation, tenant relocation (if applicable), and other appropriate relief.
If you are being harassed and live in the City of Los Angeles, you can file a complaint by calling the Los Angeles Housing Department (866) 557-7368 or by .
#### **If You Live in Unincorporated Los Angeles County**
Harassing a tenant for any reason is illegal in unincorporated Los Angeles County under the . Residents have a right to sue their landlords for harassment.
Harassment can be grounds for a civil action resulting in damages and penalties between $2,000 and $5,000 per violation. If the tenant is older than sixty-two (62) or disabled, the court may award an additional civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation.
If you are being harassed and live in unincorporated Los Angeles County, you can file a complaint with the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs .
#### **THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HARASSMENT**
* If you feel you are in physical danger, call 911.
* Keep detailed records of each incident, including the date and time it occurred, statements from witnesses, and pictures. These can be used in court if you decide to sue your landlord or if your landlord tries to evict you.
* You can send a  letter to your landlord if they are entering your unit without advance notice in writing
If you are being harassed, do not move out! You can:
**Attend one of SAJE’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance Clinics to learn about your rights and how to fight back. Email info@saje.net for more information.**
**You can also attend a  to learn about your rights and how to fight back.**
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# If Your Landlord Refuses to Make Repairs
* If Your Landlord Refuses to Make Repairs
#### **HOW TO REQUEST REPAIRS**
You have the right to a safe, healthy, and habitable home.
Your landlord is legally obligated to make essential repairs, including fixing water leaks from the roof, doors, windows, or walls, repairing plumbing, gas, heating, and electrical problems, and keeping the grounds outside your unit clean, safe, and free of pests such as mice and roaches.
If your landlord is refusing to make essential repairs, you can use our **** to send a certified copy of the **** letter to your landlord for free.
Remember to document ALL essential repairs by keeping a detailed list, along with pictures and video footage, of the problems.
If your landlord or on-site property manager does not respond in writing within seven (7) days to your  letter, it’s time to file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID).
You can file your ****, or by calling (866) 557-7368, or by .
If your issues are still not addressed, your unit may qualify for the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP). This enforcement program is managed by the City of Los Angeles. It forces property owners to bring their property into compliance with health and building codes by instituting rent reductions for tenants, REAP administrative fees, and a cloud on the property title until repairs are made. For more information on the REAP program, click .
If your landlord or on-site property manager does not respond in writing within seven (7) days to your  letter, you should file a complaint with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health or the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
The  handles code violations related to environmental conditions, such as inadequate sanitation, pest infestations, and leaky roofs.
The  handles code violations related to construction and zoning, such as un-permitted additions or changing a building’s use without getting the right approvals.
Beginning on October 23, 2024, rental properties in unincorporated Los Angeles county will be subject to routine, proactive inspections once every four years through the .
* Inspection notices will be mailed to property owners 30 days before inspections are scheduled.
* Landlords must publicly post inspection notices so tenants are aware of upcoming inspection dates.
* Landlords must provide written notice that the L.A. County inspector will be entering your unit within 24 hours of the scheduled inspection date.
* Inspection program staff will also respond to tenant complaints, so you do not have to wait until the designated inspection date to report an issue.
# If Your Rent Is Increasing
* If Your Rent Is Increasing
Between July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, landlords are permitted to raise rents for LARSO units by up to 4% every 12 months, plus an additional 1% if the landlord pays for gas and 1% if they pay for electricity.
If your landlord is attempting to raise your rent beyond the legal allowable maximum, you can file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing Department by 
###### Understanding LARSO
 protects tenants in the City of Los Angeles from excessive rent increases.
LARSO rights apply to all renters regardless of immigration status.
Not all properties are covered by LARSO. To qualify, your unit must:
* Be located in the City of Los Angeles
* Have been built before October 1, 1978
* Be part of a property with two or more units
Beginning January 1, 2025, rents for most units covered by RSTPO cannot be raised more than 3% every 12 months. Landlords who qualify and self-certify with the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs as “small property landlords” can raise the rent an additional 1%, up to a max of 4%.
L.A. County has determined the  in unincorporated areas is:
January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025: **2.565%**
July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026: **1.93%**
###### Understanding LA County RSTPO
LA County’s Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance (RSTPO) protects tenants in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County from excessive rent increases.
RSTPO rights apply to all renters regardless of immigration status.
Not all properties are covered by LA County RSTPO. To qualify, your unit must:
* Be located in unincorporated Los Angeles County
* Have a Certificate of Occupancy issued on or before February 1, 1995
#### **Rent Stabilization for California**
Assembly Bill 1482 gives tenants who live in the state of California some protection against excessive rent increases.
To qualify, your unit must have been built before January 1, 2005. Single-family homes are not covered unless owned by corporate landlords.
AB 1482 caps annual rent increases to 5% PLUS a percentage (tied to the Consumer Price Index) for the region in which the property is located OR 10%, whichever is lower.
As of August 2024, the maximum allowable annual rent increase in the Los Angeles Area is restricted to 8.9% (5% + CPI of 3.9%)
Note that AB 1482 does not replace, amend, or remove Los Angeles City’s LARSO or Los Angeles County’s RSTPO laws. If your unit is already covered by local rent-stabilization protections, this statewide law does not apply.
#### **Need to Check if Your Unit Is Rent Stabilized? Use Our OWN-IT! Tool**
 is a mapping tool that shows all of the residential, commercial, and industrial properties in Los Angeles County. Users can click on individual buildings to find out when they were constructed, the number of units they contain, and whether they are covered by a city or county rent-stabilized ordinance.
# If Your Landlord Is Offering You Cash for Keys
* If Your Landlord Is Offering You Cash for Keys
#### **WHAT IS CASH-FOR-KEYS?**
Cash-for-keys is a predatory tactic used to displace tenants living in rent-controlled units. If your landlord is offering you money to move out, you have the right to refuse the offer and stay in your home. Refusing compensation (money, free rent, etc.) to move out is NOT a legal reason for eviction.
Tenants who live in the City of Los Angeles and are covered by the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) have the following rights:
1. You are not required to accept or sign the Buyout Agreement.
2. You may consult with an attorney or call the Los Angeles Department of Housing prior to accepting the landlord’s offer.
3. You may cancel the Buyout Agreement up to 30 days after signing it without obligation or penalty.
4. If the owner does not comply with the requirements above, then the tenant has the right to cancel the Buyout Agreement for any reason at any time without obligation or penalty.
5. If the owner does not comply with the requirements above, then the tenant may assert an affirmative defense to an Unlawful Detainer action and may have a private civil remedy against the owner.
For more information about cash-for-keys and tenant buyout programs in the City of Los Angeles, .
#### **RELOCATION ASSISTANCE FOR NO-FAULT EVICTIONS**
In the City of Los Angeles, tenants who live in rent-controlled units are eligible for relocation assistance money if they are legally evicted for “no-fault” reasons. No-fault evictions happen because the landlord wants to move in, or the unit is being demolished and permanently removed from the housing market, for example.
In addition to paying your relocation fees, your landlord must file a Landlord Declaration of Intent to Evict form with the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD).
The amount of money you are owed depends on whether you are an eligible or qualified tenant, the length of your tenancy, and your income. For more information, .