The Brief

Years after enacting a law against tenant harassment, the city of Los Angeles has done little to stop landlords from trying to illegally push renters out of their apartments.

That’s the upshot of a new audit released Thursday by the office of L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia. The report concludes that the city’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, passed by the City Council in 2021, “was not effectively designed, resourced or implemented.”

The Controller’s Office examined nearly 11,000 complaints to the L.A. Housing Department from tenants who claimed their landlords harassed them. The complaints were submitted by tenants between August 2021 and the end of December 2023.

The audit found just 23 cases were forwarded to the City Attorney’s Office for further enforcement. Among those cases, four resulted in non-criminal citations and administrative fines against landlords.

In an interview with LAist, Mejia said that in a majority-renter city with an entrenched affordable housing crisis, the results of this audit “didn’t show that [the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance] had a lot of teeth.”

Cases closed but harassment continues

The audit found that in 79% of sampled cases, the Housing Department did not complete a full investigation. The report also found the department closed cases after sending landlords a form letter containing basic information about the city’s anti-harassment ordinance, but no specific determinations about the tenant’s complaint.

The Controller’s Office surveyed tenants who submitted complaints and found 72% said their landlords continued harassing them after the city closed their case.

Tenants "were not even sure how their case ended,” said Dinah Manning, a senior advisor in the Controller’s Office who helped oversee the audit. “It seems like little relief is being provided.”

What is tenant harassment? 

The ordinance defines tenant harassment in several ways, including threats of physical harm and demands for tenants to vacate their units without a formal eviction process.

Under the law, harassment can also involve landlords refusing to make necessary repairs, taking away a tenant’s parking space, entering the tenant’s unit without advance notice or threatening to disclose their immigration status.

Tenant advocates who have helped renters submit complaints told LAist that harassment is often aimed at long-term tenants paying below-market rents because of the city’s rent control limits. Once units become vacant, landlords are allowed to reset rents at higher market rates.

“It's the landlord looking for a reason — and often inventing one — to evict a tenant because they want to raise the rent,” said Stephano Medina, an attorney with the California Center for Movement Legal Services.

“That's why the tenant anti-harassment policy is so important,” he said. “Because without it, it really undermines the effectiveness of these other policies that we've had for a long time.”

Housing Department’s response 

Leonardo Vilchis-Zarate, an organizer with the L.A. Tenants Union, said the audit mirrors the lack of enforcement he has seen among tenants on L.A.’s Eastside.

Vilchis-Zarate said in many cases, “tenants just get fed up and decide to leave and lose a rent-controlled apartment, end up on the street, or end up overcrowded with another family.”

“What we really need from the Housing Department is more penalties and more aggressive enforcement,” he continued.

Housing officials said the audit was “conducted prematurely,” but agreed with most of the report’s 13 recommendations, including:

• Hiring more investigators.
• Training investigators on formal procedures for responding to complaints.
• Allowing the Housing Department to independently issue citations and fines without relying on the City Attorney’s Office for further enforcement. 

In response to the audit, L.A. Housing Department General Manager Tiena Johnson Hall wrote: “LAHD agrees with most of the audit recommendations and is pleased to share that several of the recommendations have already been substantially implemented.”

The audit found the department was given no additional staff or funding when the program first launched in 2021. Since then, 13 employees were assigned to an anti-harassment task force and implementation team, according to housing officials.

They said they plan to use funds from Measure ULA, the voter-approved tax on property sales above $5 million, to expand enforcement.

Local lawmakers try tweaking policy 

The L.A. City Council voted last year to update the ordinance, making it easier for tenants to proactively sue landlords accused of violating the law by guaranteeing attorneys fees to lawyers who win cases.

One of the council members who first introduced the policy was Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is now the council president. In a written statement to LAist, he acknowledged the ordinance could use more work.

“I welcome every opportunity to help protect tenants, including ensuring [the Housing Department] has the necessary training and staff to implement [the ordinance] while exploring potential changes to strengthen the policy,” Harris-Dawson wrote.

In the past, landlord advocates have argued that harassment complaints from tenants often stem from situations in which tenants are not paying rent or complying with the terms of their lease. In some cases, landlords argue, tenants could be accused of harassing landlords.

Tenant attorneys, including Anna Hales with the Legal Aid Foundation of L.A., said the city needs to more thoroughly investigate these complaints to find out what’s really happening in a city where renters make up nearly two-thirds of all households.

“It's clear from this report, and just the number of complaints that were received, this is obviously a massive issue in Los Angeles,” Hales said. “More needs to be done to investigate these claims. Because I think in reality, a lot more of them deserve to be referred to the City Attorney's Office.”

Hales said she continues to encourage her clients to file harassment complaints in order to document the issues they’re facing. But she said she often warns tenants not to expect the city to do much in response to the complaint.

Los Angeles is often celebrated for its warm weather, Hollywood glamour and championship sports teams but the city’s foundation has a powerful Black history that is often overlooked.

From the city’s Black founders and their fight to be free from slavery, to a Black architect who designed thousands of buildings throughout the city, L.A.’s first Black residents have had lasting influence.

The LA Local traveled around the city to unearth some of the intriguing Black history facts. Here we highlight seven sites in Los Angeles that show the contributions of Black people in Los Angeles.

Bridget ‘Biddy’ Mason Memorial Park

Situated behind an office building on South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles is a tribute to Bridget “Biddy” Mason. She was born enslaved in Mississippi and was brought to California by her owner Robert Marion Smith — even though slavery was illegal in California. After being enslaved in the state for five years, Mason won her freedom in 1856 by challenging her enslavement in court. Thirteen other family members were also freed, according to the National Park Service..

She became one of L.A.’s first Black woman landowners building wealth through real estate. Her net worth was said to be about $3 million in the 1860s, which would equate to nearly $60 million today. She also provided housing and food for the poor, acted as a midwife and helped establish the city’s first Black church, NPS noted.

The memorial park stands near property she once owned.

First African Methodist Episcopal Church

The First African Methodist Episcopal Church, also known as First AME or FAME, was co-founded in 1872 by Mason and other Black leaders. It was first located on Spring Street in Los Angeles, according to the National Park Service. The church was then moved to Harvard Boulevard, where it still stands today. It became a spiritual, political and organizing hub for Black Angelenos during segregation, according to the church’s website.

Most recently, the church was pastored by the Rev. Cecil Murray from 1977 to 2004. Under his leadership the church grew from 250 members to 18,000 at the time of his retirement, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel.

The first home built by architect Paul R. Williams

Though he faced racial discrimination, Paul Revere Williams became one of the most celebrated architects in L.A., whose legacy reshaped the city’s skyline and luxury design culture.

He was the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects. He designed thousands of buildings during his career, including The Beverly Hills Hotel and homes for Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. Williams was also part of the team that designed the iconic Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, as reported by LAist.

His first home sits in South Central and is designated as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. He lived in this home for about 30 years until racial covenants were outlawed in the 1950s.

African American Firefighter Museum

On Central Avenue in South Central sits the historic fire station and museum that honors the Black firefighters who broke racial barriers in the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The museum “resides inside Fire Station No. 30, one of two segregated firehouses in Los Angeles between 1924 and 1955,” according to the museum’s website. The museum also notes that Sam Haskins was the first Black man to join the L.A. Fire Department in 1892 and died three years later fighting a fire.

The museum was founded in 1997 and is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument. It is also registered with the National Register of Historic Places.

Gilbert W. Lindsay Recreation Center

The Gilbert W. Lindsay Recreation Center on East 42nd Place is named in honor of the first Black member of the Los Angeles City Council, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Before taking office, he worked as a janitor for the city’s Department of Water and Power, according to LA City Parks.

Elected in 1963, Lindsay represented District 9 for nearly 30 years. He supported civil rights and fought for economic investment, infrastructure improvements and services in historically underserved Black neighborhoods. He also served on the board of directors of the NAACP.

28th Street YMCA

The 28th Street YMCA building was designed by Williams, the renowned architect.

It was originally constructed to serve Black residents in L.A. who were banned from other facilities during segregation, according to the LA Conservancy. It won a Conservancy Preservation Award in 2013.

It became a hub for housing, community programs and social gatherings. Today, it serves as affordable housing for low-income adults and is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.

The Ralph J. Bunche House

The former home of Ralph J. Bunche, the first Black person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, is located in South Central on East 40th Place. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bunche played a key role in negotiating the 1949 Arab-Israeli armistice agreements through the United Nations. He also helped organize the civil rights march in Montgomery, Ala., in 1965, the Nobel Peace Prize organization said.

Born in Detroit, he moved to L.A. with his family and later became valedictorian at Jefferson High School. He attended UCLA on an athletic scholarship and “graduated in 1927 summa cum laude, valedictorian of his class, with a major in international relations,” the Nobel Peace Prize organization said. He also received a master’s degree in political science from Harvard in 1928. The Ralph J. Bunche Center was established in 1969 at UCLA in his honor.

The World Cup already is a massive undertaking for organizers. So imagine what it would take for families to brave the traffic, parking and crowds for one of the eight tournament matches at SoFi Stadium this summer.

But don’t worry: There are plenty of World Cup-related things to do with kids and a bunch of activities around L.A. to help you get in on the tournament action.

L.A. County Library's Summer of Soccer starts now

(

Courtesy LA County Library

)

LA County Library Summer of Soccer

LA County Library is celebrating the World Cup being in town with a “Summer of Soccer” at its branches. Activities include storytimes, movie nights and craft-making activities for kids of varying ages.

When: May 20 to July 9

Cost: Free

Learn more.

California Science Center's new exhibition celebrates the transformative power of play and the joy of the human body in motion.

(

Courtesy California Science Center

)

California Science Center ‘GAME ON!’ exhibit

The California Science Center has a new 17,000-square-foot exhibit, “GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play,” full of interactive activities to explore the science behind sports. The exhibit includes a practice batting area and a mini-field to practice soccer kicks.

When: Now, through the LA 2028 Olympics

Cost: Admission is free, but groups of 15 or more require a timed reservation.

Learn more.

Union Station hosts a World Cup fan zone.

(

Manakin/Getty Images

/

iStockphoto

)

City of Los Angeles’ ‘Kick it in the Park’ 

The city is hosting a series of family-friendly watch parties across the city during the World Cup. The parties will have youth soccer clinics and “family fun zones” with interactive activities and arts. Other cities, like West Hollywood and Pasadena, are also hosting local family-friendly watch parties.

When: June 11 to July 19

Cost: Free

Learn more.

Soccer Shots, a kids soccer program, is hosting a Game Day at the Americana.

(

Courtesy Discover Los Angeles

)

Soccer Shots Game Day 

Soccer Shots, a kids soccer program, is hosting a Game Day at the Americana on June 27 for children 5-8 years old. Players will be split into teams to play round-robin style games.

When: 2 to 4 p.m. June 27

Cost: Tickets are $20

Learn more.

The Torrance Historical Society & Museum

(

Courtesy Torrance Historical Society & Museum

)

Torrance Historical Society & Museum

Did you know that the American Youth Soccer Organization, or more commonly known as AYSO, was founded in Torrance? Well, the museum there is hosting a curated collection of soccer memorabilia to celebrate the World Cup.

When: The exhibit is open until Aug. 31

Cost: Free

Learn more.

Nature’s call waits for no one, but with mega-events like the World Cup attracting even more people, where do you go when you have to go?

For out-of-towners, we’re sorry to say — it’s complicated. For reasons we’ll go into below, we don’t have a robust stock of outdoor restrooms, like the pay toilets you see in Europe.

Instead, people largely rely on bathrooms in stores, like Starbucks or Target. You just have to pray you’re gifted with the holy grail of restroom codes.

If that doesn’t work, there’s a hodge podge of other options. For those times when you're caught short, check out the handy maps we’ve put in this guide.

Find a bathroom

The few public bathrooms we do have are run by different city departments. Here are some examples.

• Metro’s Throne bathrooms, currently at more than 20 stations

Throne bathrooms at Metro stations give you 10 minutes of use.

(

Throne

/

Courtesy Metro

)

This started as a pilot program in 2023 and has now expanded to more than 20 station locations along Metro lines (find the map here). The stalls are generally open from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., and are opened via a mobile app. They give you a 10-minute window of use. According to the Metro website, the program will increase to 64 locations through 2028. 

• StreetsLA’s standalone stalls

A public toilet on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Avalon Blvd in Historic South Central.

(

Brian Feinzimer

/

LAist

)

This is a small network of 14 bathrooms that you’ll find on the sidewalk. They’re largely in downtown L.A. and the San Fernando Valley and are open 24/7.

• Other places with bathrooms

We also have bathrooms at public places maintained by the local government. You can check this map from the the L.A. City Controller’s Office, which includes bathroom and water fountain locations from multiple departments, including Metro, city and county parks departments and the Los Angeles Public Library system.

One of the downsides to be aware of is that most of these spots are subject to varying open and closing hours. For example, some parks close at sunset.

Sometimes, these locations can be a gem because — although they’re actually public — many people don’t think about stopping at a park to pee. (Reporter’s note: words I never thought I’d type.)

• Check out bathroom reviews from (pardon our French) the blog Where to Shit in Los Angeles.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could find a loo with a view. It includes Burbank, downtown L.A., Hollywood and North Hollywood, Koreatown and Pasadena.

Keep in mind, this is a blog. Still, we thought the in-depth ratings on cleanliness and “secrecy” (ahem, taking a leak in peace) made it worth the visit.

• When in doubt, pull out your phone.

You could also go the obvious route and just type “restroom” into your phone’s map app to find even more options. Enjoy your visit to the can!

Why is it like this in L.A.?

Free public toilets have a long, fraught history in the city of L.A., but California used to have pay toilets in a lot of places. Issues arose over fees between men’s and women’s bathrooms, and the barrier it caused for people without money.

In 1974, assemblymember March Fong Eu, along with free toilet activists (yes that’s a thing), successfully fought to get rid of pay toilets. At the time, the thought was that local governments would step in to build a network of free public toilets. Spoiler: That hasn’t happened yet to a level that could support 4 million residents.

A snapshot of the issue can be seen in the 2026 ParkScore Index from the nonprofit Trust for Public Land. They evaluate the quality of parks across different cities, including how many amenities each city has. The nonprofit found that L.A. has 1.4 bathrooms in its parks for every 10,000 residents.

After our diner series last year, you might think we are tired of talking about diners — but you'd be mistaken. Our love for diners shines as bright as a neon sign along the historic Route 66, beckoning hungry customers to syrup-laden pancakes with crispy edges and endless refills of watery coffee.

We kept going. Since then, we've visited Max & Helen's, Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton's Larchmont diner, which became an unlikely viral sensation — eight-hour waits, celebrity sightings, and a $17 waffle (which we believe is worth every penny). We dropped in on Stanley's, the Sunday-only Hollywood pop-up where a Michelin-starred chef is quietly making one of the city's best pastrami sandwiches out of a to-go window. And we made it to the official end of Route 66 at Mel's Drive-In in Santa Monica, one of the last Googie buildings standing.

(Oh, and the Tesla Diner did open in West Hollywood last summer. The charging stations are apparently excellent. The food, less so. Guess some things are better left to the humans.)

The original series focused on three diners that reflect the current scene. Afterward, we heard from many of you expressing love for your lifelong favorites — so many, in fact, that we compiled them into a list to share with everyone. It spans SoCal, from Hollywood, Pasadena, and Chinatown to the South Bay and even Orange County.

While some of the places mentioned here aren't precisely diners in the traditional sense — meaning they're a coffee shop or cafe — we decided to let a few slide because they still meet the crucial criteria: They're open late, have a counter space, and, of course, serve breakfast all day.

Take a look and see if your favorites are here.

Pasadena

“The Reyn in Pasadena. Spires in the South Bay from when chains had style. Happy Diner in San Pedro. Ed’s Place in Glendora. Lancers and Tallyrand in Burbank are good too.”

-Michael Morill

Manhattan Beach

“Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Manhattan Beach! Completely packed on the weekends because of the proximity to the beach, but during the week it’s a beloved local hangout for breakfast and lunch. My fave is a cup of chili with a grilled cheese sandwich.”

-Tina Studier via Facebook

Pasadena

“Andy’s Coffee Shop on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Family run, walking distance from Caltech & PCC. Best breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, blueberry pancakes and hash browns! Was featured in 'Mad Men.' Not fancy, but I don’t go for the building, I go for the food.”

-Sheila Sasha Boyd via Threads

Hollywood

“Clark Street”

-Vinz Karl

Glendale

“Foxy's in Glendale. Classic diner food, fantastic breakfasts, their bacon avocado cheeseburger is one of the best (at least it still was last time I was there a few years ago).”

-Damian Wiesbach via Threads

Pasadena

“Russell’s.”

-Jessie Perea

Chinatown

“Nick’s Cafe . It’s warm, welcoming and like a hug. What a diner should feel like, in my opinion. The food is good and enjoyable. Coffee is your typical diner drip, but it’s enjoyed more because of how it’s set up. Sitting inside and having that more intimate connection with staff and even kitchen staff is a whole diner experience.”

-Natalie Lara

Culver City

“If you’re on the Westside, you can’t go wrong with Ronnie’s Dinner on Culver Boulevard. It's great for breakfast. Good service. Reasonably priced. My favorites are the bacon avocado scramble (all the scrambles are good and can be ordered as burritos) and the chorizo bowl (no sour cream)."

-USC_alifornia via Bluesky

Silver Lake

“Millie's Cafe .”

-Claire Fogarty

Bellflower

“Uncle Bud’s Kitchen in Bellflower. I went recently, and had been once before, nine years prior. Both experiences were the same — loud and busy service, all guests interacting. It felt good. I got sausage, eggs, potatoes, pancakes. Kept it simple."

-Jairo Bogarin

Downey

“Stox”

-Luis Maya

Newport Harbor

“The Galley in Newport Harbor since 1957!!! I've grown up going there. It's a total time machine — it looks the same as it always has, there's no reservations or waitlist, you just wait outside in line, and there are some characters among the staff. The menu is fairly predictable as a diner, but their chili cheese omelet is insanity. Heart attack on a plate, but so good. Their milkshakes are also to die for, and they have my favorite hashbrowns in the city. Lunch is also solid, I love their club sandwich. I meet my dad there for breakfast like once a month. It's such a special place!"

-Lili Phung

Whittier

“Jack’s.”

-Erick Galindo

South Pasadena

“Shakers in South Pasadena.”

-Nicole Martin

Long Beach

“Coffee Cup Cafe in Long Beach. Their green chili chicken omelet is 🌶️. We went there right after we got engaged to celebrate 😅.”

-Bethany Gilbertson

Silver Lake

"Astro Family Restaurant, Silver Lake, is a mixed bag of all kinds of folks from L.A. Frank Lloyd Wright said, 'Tip the world over, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.' There must’ve been a funnel straight to Astro’s. Hungover hipsters, actors, and Hollywood types, the remaining older Latin community — all there eating together in one place. It's been a while, to be honest, but when I lived in the area, I was always amazed at the variety I saw there.”

-Javier F Garcia

Various locations

“Norms.”

-Daniel Garcia

Santa Monica and Chinatown

“Rae’s in Santa Monica and Nick’s in Chinatown.”

-Jason Goble

Various locations:

“For American/Greek: Lucky Boy (Pasadena). For American: Clark Street (Hollywood), Wendy’s Place (El Segundo), Pie n’ Burger (Pasadena), Chef’s Coffee Cafe in Arcadia.”

-Julie Brehove

Eagle Rock

“Cindy’s in Eagle Rock is my favorite. It’s the food for me, specifically breakfast food. The weekend crab hash is phenomenal and is, in my opinion, the gold standard for a hollandaise sauce. Cindy’s McBreakfast sandwich on weekdays is also a top-notch menu item. Beyond that, the aesthetics is a whole vibe, and the service for me has always been great. Love that place.”

-Javeck Verdugo

Westchester

“Pann’s (Westchester) for the nostalgic aesthetic, booze offerings, location, and I remember the food being good and being queer-friendly.”

-Aylssa Lorea