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To Live And Rent In LA
Your guide to renting in this complicated — and expensive — city.
Rent Control
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Allowable rent hikes depend on where you live and in what type of building. We did the hard work to help you figure it all out. -
Rent hike limits under a key state law changed little for many SoCal renters in 2024. Here’s what to do if your landlord demands more. -
Despite COVID rent freezes, tenants still get demands from landlords to pay more. Whether they can fight back depends on where they live. -
The new 3% cap would take effect at the start of 2025. But it's limited to people living in pre-1995 buildings in unincorporated areas. We help make sense of the confusing rules.
LAist reporters and a panel of experts answered your questions about the latest renter rules in L.A. County.
Key Coverage
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Barrington Plaza landlord says it needs to halt business for fire safety repairs. Tenants say their apartments will still be rented after they’re kicked out. -
Los Angeles allows higher rent increases than other neighboring cities with rent control. There’s a new push to change the rules. -
Renters say landlords aren’t fixing unhealthy living conditions. Will a new approach to code enforcement succeed where existing efforts have failed? -
The city passed a law against harassing renters in 2021. But tenant advocates say enforcement has been lacking. -
Now that L.A. officials know who landlords are trying to evict, city workers are showing up at renters’ doorsteps to offer help. -
A new proposal would keep eviction protections in place for renters in the city of L.A. who adopted COVID cats or pandemic pups.
The Family Housing Crunch
Millennial parents across Los Angeles are considering moving away due to the region’s severe lack of affordable family-sized housing.
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The severe lack of family friendly housing has millennial parents asking: Is leaving Southern California our only option? -
Everyone agrees the shortage is real and damaging. Potential solutions: Incentives, requirements, even a return to government-owned housing. -
Empty nesters own more L.A. homes than millennials with kids. Here’s how some older homeowners are finding ways to spread their wealth.
Affordable Housing
We've been covering the state of affordable housing in L.A. in this 4-part series.
Affordable housing is explicitly exempted from state and local laws that limit the size of rent increases. This is the final part of a four-part series.
Read the full series below:
Read the full series below:
Understanding Section 8
What is Section 8?
Section 8 is the country’s largest rental assistance program, providing federal subsidies that enable low-income tenants to pay no more than a third of their income on rent.
But the number of vouchers pales in comparison to the overwhelming demand for affordable housing in cities like Los Angeles, where sharply rising rents have long outpaced sluggish wage growth.
If you’re facing a rent increase, eviction or need help affording rent in L.A. check out this list of resources.
LAist Exclusive Investigation
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Dennis Block runs what he calls a 'leading eviction law firm.' A judge said legal citations submitted in Block's name for a case were fake. Experts told LAist the errors likely stemmed from AI misuse. -
Most L.A. tenants don’t have an attorney in eviction court. If you’re facing an eviction, here’s how to start looking for legal aid.
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Latest Renting Stories
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Under the reforms approved by a majority of City Council members, rent hikes would be capped at 4%, even if inflation in the overall economy runs higher. -
After their more typical wood-framed homes burned, some are now rebuilding with non-combustible materials. And they’re getting discounts from insurance companies. -
A committee tasked with oversight of the city’s controversial tax said it has created 10,000 union construction jobs. LAist tracked down the claim’s origins. -
Residents compiled testing results for 50 remediated homes. One third still contained asbestos, and 63% contained elevated levels of lead. What does that mean for safety? -
After City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto refused to sign a tenant aid contract, the City Council approved temporary funding while a new contract remains up for grabs. -
If your landlord still won’t remove toxic ash from your home, a new state law could help. -
Local officials told renters they couldn’t force landlords to clean ash-covered homes. A new state law, inspired in part by LAist’s reporting, clarifies who’s responsible. -
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
The discussions this week kicked off 380 days after a critical report came out. It's been 40 years since the formula that determines rent hikes in most L.A. apartments was last updated.
