SEC. 165.04. APPLICABILITY.

This Article shall not apply until the expiration of an initial original lease or after six months of continuous and lawful occupancy, whichever comes first, or to the following types of residential real properties or residential circumstances:

(A) Rental units subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance.

(B) Transient and tourist hotel occupancy as defined in Subdivision (b) of California Civil Code Section 1940, unless the landlord violates California Civil Code Section 1940.1 to maintain transient occupancy status.

(C) Housing accommodations in any hospital, asylum, religious facility, extended care facility, licensed residential care facility for the elderly, as defined in Section 1569.2 of the California Health and Safety Code, or an adult residential facility, as defined in Chapter 6 of Division 6 of Title 22 of the Manual of Policies and Procedures published by the State Department of Social Services.

(D) Housing accommodations in a fraternity or sorority house or any housing accommodation owned and operated by an institution of higher education, a high school, or elementary school for occupancy by students.

(E) Housing accommodations in which the tenant shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the owner who maintains their principal residence at the residential real property.

(F) A dwelling unit in a nonprofit stock cooperative while occupied by a shareholder tenant of the nonprofit stock cooperative.

(G) Housing accommodations in limited equity housing cooperatives, as defined in California Civil Code Sections 817 and 817.1, when occupied by a member tenant of the limited equity housing cooperative. However, if the cooperative acquired the property pursuant to California Government Code Section 54237(d), then all dwellings in the limited- equity housing cooperative shall be exempt from this Article.

(H) Housing accommodations in an Interim Motel Housing Project pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 14.00 A.12. This exception shall apply only to housing accommodations that have been issued an exemption by the Department indicating satisfaction of the following conditions:

(1) the housing accommodations are subject to and operating in accordance with a Supportive Housing or Transitional Housing contract; and

(2) any tenant remaining in the housing accommodations at the commencement of the Supportive Housing or Transitional Housing contract shall be afforded all rights and protections provided by this Article.

The Department shall have the authority to revoke an exemption issued pursuant to this subdivision for failure to adhere to any of the conditions for an exemption set forth in this subdivision.

This exemption shall be deemed automatically revoked upon termination of the Supportive Housing or Transitional Housing contract or failure to operate in accordance with the Supportive Housing or Transitional Housing contract.

(I) Housing accommodations in a nonprofit facility that has the primary purpose of providing short term treatment, assistance, or therapy for alcohol, drug, or other substance abuse and the housing is provided incident to the recovery program, and when the client has been informed in writing of the temporary or transitional nature of the housing at its inception.

(J) Housing accommodations in a nonprofit facility that provides a structured living environment that has the primary purpose of helping homeless persons obtain the skills necessary for independent living in permanent housing and when occupancy is restricted to a limited and specific period of time of not more than twenty-four (24) months and when the client has been informed in writing of the temporary or transitional nature of the housing at its inception.

(K) Occupancy in a housing accommodation leased by or otherwise paid for by a government entity or agency with the primary purpose of helping homeless persons obtain temporary or transitional housing.

(L) Housing accommodations owned and operated by the Los Angeles City Housing Authority, or housing accommodations owned, operated, or managed by any other government unit, agency, or authority and which are specifically exempted from municipal regulations on evictions by state or federal law or administrative regulation, or housing accommodations specifically exempted from municipal regulations on evictions by state or federal law or administrative regulation.

SEC. 165.05. NOTICES.

A. A landlord of residential real property subject to this Article shall provide notice of the protections of this Article as follows:

(1) For any tenancy commenced or renewed on or after the effective date of this Article as a written notice to the tenant.

(2) The landlord shall post a notification in a form prescribed by the Department in an accessible common area of the property.

B. In any action to recover possession of residential real property, the landlord shall serve on the tenant a written notice setting forth the reasons for the termination. The written notice shall be as described in Civil Code Section 1946 or Code of Civil Procedure Sections 1161 and 1161a. The notice shall be given in the manner prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure Section 1162 and must also comply with the following:

(1) When the termination of tenancy is based on any of the grounds set forth in Section 165.03 B. through 165.03 G., the termination notice must set forth specific facts to permit a determination of the date, place, witnesses and circumstances concerning the eviction reason.

(2) When the termination of tenancy is based on the grounds set forth in Section 165.03 H., the landlord shall file with the Department a declaration on a form and in the number prescribed by the Department identifying the person to be moved into the residential real property, the date on which the person will move in, the rent presently charged for the residential real property, and the date of the last rental increase. This declaration shall be served on the tenant in the manner prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure Section 1162. When filing the declaration, the landlord shall pay an administrative fee in the amount of $75. The fee shall pay for the cost of administering and enforcing the provisions of Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 151.30.

(3) When the termination of tenancy is based on any of the grounds set forth in Section 165.03 I. or 165.03 K. through 165.03 N., the landlord shall file with the Department a declaration on a form and in the number prescribed by the Department stating the reason for eviction. This declaration shall be served on the tenant in the manner prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure Section 1162.

(4) When the termination of tenancy is based on the ground set forth in Section 165.03 J., then the landlord shall file with the Department a declaration on a form and in the number prescribed by the Department stating that the landlord intends to evict in order to comply with a court order or governmental agency’s order to vacate residential real property. The landlord shall attach a copy of the order to this declaration. This notice shall be served on the tenant in the manner prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure Section 1162.

(5) A copy of any written notice terminating a tenancy shall be filed with the Department either electronically in the manner prescribed by the Department or by means of a form approved by the Department and the City Attorney for this purpose. The landlord shall file with the Department any such written notice terminating a tenancy within three business days of service on the tenant. (Amended by Ord. No. 188,757, Eff. 12/17/25.)

SEC. 165.06. RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.

A. If the termination of tenancy is based on any of the grounds set forth in Sections 165.03 H. through 165.03 N., then the landlord shall pay relocation assistance to the tenant as follows:

(1) For tenants who resided at the residential real property for fewer than three years: $19,400 to qualified tenants and $9,200 to all other tenants;

(2) For tenants who resided at the residential real property for three years or longer: $22,950 to qualified tenants and $12,050 to all other tenants;

(3) For tenants whose household income is 80% or below Area Median Income (AMI), as adjusted for household size, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, regardless of length of tenancy: $22,950 to qualified tenants and $12,050 to all other tenants.

(4) The amounts of relocation in Sections 165.06 A.(1) through 165.06 A.(3) do not apply if lower relocation assistance is applicable under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 151.30 E.

(5) Relocation fees owed to terminate tenancies under Section 165.03 K. or 165.03 M. shall be based on the applicable provisions of the Uniform Relocation Act, California Relocation Assistance Act, or the amounts set forth in this section, whichever is greater.

(6) When the residential real property is a single-family dwelling and the owner is a natural person, including natural persons who hold properties in a trust or registered legal entity controlled by that natural person, who owns no more than four dwelling units and a single-family home on a separate lot in the City of Los Angeles: one month’s rent that was in effect when the landlord served the written notice to terminate the tenancy, as either a monetary payment or credit. Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 151.30 E. shall not apply.

(7) If more than one relocation assistance payment applies, the landlord shall pay the highest of the applicable payment. Nothing relieves the landlord from the obligation to provide relocation assistance pursuant to City administrative agency action or any other provision of local, state or federal law. If a tenant is entitled to monetary relocation benefits pursuant to City administrative agency action or any provision of local, state or federal law, then those benefits shall operate as a credit against any fee required to be paid to the tenant under this section.

B. Tenants who claim eligibility based on their income shall file a statement with the Department verifying their income on a form prescribed by the Department.

C. Requests for a hearing to appeal a decision regarding a tenant’s relocation assistance eligibility, including disputes about eligibility for higher relocation assistance based on a tenant’s income, age, length of tenancy, family status or disability status, must be filed in writing on the form prescribed by the Department and received by the Department within 15 calendar days of the date of the Department’s notification of its decision regarding tenant

relocation assistance. The Department shall charge a fee of $300 for any hearing request to pay for the cost of the appeal hearing.

D. The payment amounts shall be adjusted on an annual basis pursuant to the formula set forth in Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 151.06 D. The adjusted amount shall be rounded to the nearest $50 increment.

E. Relocation assistance payments to the tenant shall be made as follows:

(1) The entire fee shall be paid to a tenant who is the only tenant in the residential real property.

(2) If the residential real property is occupied by two or more tenants, then each tenant shall be paid an equal, prorata share of the fee.

F. If the termination of tenancy is based on the grounds set forth in Section 165.03 H., 165.03 I., 165.03 J., 165.03 K., or 165.03 N. of this Code, then the landlord shall also pay the City a fee for the purpose of providing relocation assistance by the City’s Relocation Assistance Service Provider, as defined in Los Angeles Municipal Code Sections 47.06 B. and 47.07 B. The fee shall be $971 for each unit occupied by a qualified tenant and $604 for each unit occupied by other tenants, and an additional $83 per unit to pay for the administrative costs associated with this service. The fees may be increased annually pursuant to the formula set forth in Section 151.06 D. of this Code except that the increase shall be based on 100 percent of the percentage change as determined by the Department. The Relocation Assistance Service Provider will provide the relocation assistance services listed in Los Angeles Municipal Code Sections 47.06 D. and 47.07 D. These fees shall not be charged when Section 165.06 A.(6) applies. (Amended by Ord. No. 188,795, Eff. 2/2/26.)

G. The landlord shall perform the acts described in this section within 15 days of service of a written notice of termination described in California Civil Code Section 1946. The landlord may in its sole discretion elect to pay the monetary relocation benefits pursuant to this section to an escrow account to be disbursed to the tenant upon certification of vacation of the unit. The escrow account shall provide for the payment prior to vacation of all or a portion of the monetary relocation benefits for actual relocation expenses incurred or to be incurred by the tenant prior to vacation, including but not limited to security deposits, moving expense deposits and utility connection charges. Rent Adjustment Commission Regulations governing Relocation Assistance Escrow Accounts, Section 960.00, et seq., shall govern the establishment of escrow accounts, disbursements, disputes, and closure.

H. Any tenant subject to displacement because of a notice to vacate or other order requiring the vacation of an unpermitted dwelling unit in violation of the municipal code or any other provision of law, when the landlord has had a reasonable opportunity to correct the violation, shall be entitled to relocation payable by the landlord to the tenant within 15 days of service of the written notice of termination of the tenancy in accordance with this section.

I. No relocation assistance payment shall be required in the following circumstances:

(1) The landlord seeks in good faith to recover possession of the residential real property for use and occupancy by a resident manager, provided that the resident manager is replacing the existing resident manager in the same unit.

(2) The Department determines that the unit or structure became unsafe or hazardous as the result of a fire, flood, earthquake, or other event beyond the control of the owner or the designated agent and the owner or designated agent did not cause or contribute to the condition.

J. A landlord may offset the tenant’s accumulated rent against any relocation assistance due under this section, unless the relocation assistance is owed because a termination of tenancy is required by a governmental agency order to vacate or comply issued for an unpermitted dwelling.