With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
LA County supervisors approve lower annual rent hikes
An apartment for rent sign.
(
Frederic J. Brown
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved lower annual rent increases for many tenants in unincorporated areas.
Beginning next year, rent increases will be limited for units already under rent control to 60% of the annual change in the consumer price index — a measure of how much costs in general are rising throughout the economy — with a ceiling of 3%.
But it allows “small property landlords” — those with no more than 10 units (including outside of L.A. County) — to increase rent up to 4%.
Landlords of luxury units, which are defined as two bedrooms or less that rented for at least $4,000 a month back in September 2018, can bump up rent to 5%.
Support for LAist comes from
RENT CONTROL GUIDE
-
How much can rent go up in my neighborhood?
- Read our rent control guide to find out how much your rent can be legally increased each year, depending on where you live in L.A. County.
Annual increases of up to 4% are currently allowed in rent-controlled housing in unincorporated areas through the end of the year. The board narrowly voted for a proposal to lower the hikes to 3% or less this summer, but it needed to come back for final approval.
The vote was 4 to 1, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger in opposition.
The California Apartment Association wrote in a letter to the board that it’s strongly against the change.
“This provision … is disconnected from the actual economic realities that housing providers face and imposes unsustainable financial pressures on property owners,” Fred Sutton, the association's spokesperson, wrote in a letter to the board. “This price control threatens to force housing providers to defer essential repairs, ultimately reducing the quality and availability of rental housing.”
David Wagner contributed to this report.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
Best of LAist