Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Housing and Homelessness
Your guide to renting in this complicated — and expensive — place.

LA Council votes to let renters keep pandemic pets without fear of eviction

A white chihuahua wearing a pink emotional support animal vest jumps up for a treat while on a grassy patch.
A family plays with their dog outside a townhome where they received a notice to vacate for violating the building's pet policy.
(
Samanta Helou Hernandez
/
LAist
)

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. 

Renters in the city of Los Angeles who adopted a COVID cat or a pandemic pooch may no longer have to worry about being evicted for having a pet.

The L.A. city council voted Tuesday to advance a proposal that would keep pandemic-era eviction protections in place for any animal adopted since March of 2020 — even if those pets violated the terms of a tenant’s lease.

Dianne Prado is the founder of Heart L.A., a tenant advocacy organization focused on helping renters with pets. She said the council’s vote means tenants won’t have to choose between their pets and their homes.

“It's a huge assistance for tenants,” Prado said. “Pets are a part of our family.”

Support for LAist comes from

Why tenants have adopted so many new pets

Many L.A. renters took in new pets during the pandemic. Some adopted animals as a way to cope with newfound isolation. Others allowed friends or family members struggling from COVID-related job loss or returning from closed college campuses to move into their apartments, even if those new roommates brought animals that violated no-pets policies.

As LAist previously reported, some tenants have faced eviction threats over new pets. Local COVID-19 regulations helped to stop many of those evictions. But the city of L.A.’s eviction protection for unauthorized pets is currently set to expire on Feb. 1, 2024.

The council’s plan — which still needs a final vote — would require landlords to allow pets already living in any rental housing unit to keep living there for the rest of the animals’ lives, or until the tenant chooses to move or re-home them.

The policy only covers pets adopted during the pandemic emergency period, not any future adoptions that violate pet prohibitions. The protection also does not stop landlords from evicting tenants over serious nuisances or other issues caused by pets.

Officials say eviction safeguards help keep pets out of shelters

The California Apartment Association (CAA), a landlord advocacy group, supported the city council’s move, only asking that tenants register their pets and notify their landlord about any recent adoptions.

Support for LAist comes from

“CAA understands the challenges, hardships and circumstances which resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and that some residents adopted or fostered animals into apartment units where they normally would be prohibited,” wrote spokesperson Fred Sutton in a letter to the council ahead of the vote.

A report from the city’s Department of Animal Services said the number of pets covered by the policy is unknown. But officials said making eviction protections permanent for these pets will probably lower the number of animals being surrendered at overcrowded L.A. shelters.

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
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist