Complaints Of Illegal Rent Hikes Increase And More Headlines

We’ve been talking a lot about rent lately, haven’t we? The increasing cost of housing and how to pay for it has certainly been on many Angelenos’ minds, even before the pandemic. The global outbreak that upended all of our lives only further exacerbated things.

Tenants Complain Of Rent Hikes

Did you know that for three-quarters of all the apartments in the city of L.A., it is illegal for landlords to increase the rent…at least until next year? A ban on rent hikes was put in place three years ago for rent controlled apartments.

If you didn’t know about this, you’re definitely not alone. The law is confusing for tenants and landlords alike.

My colleague David Wagner investigated illegal rent hikes in L.A. and found out that tenants’ complaints about rent increases spiked last year, after two years of declines, even though there was still a COVID rent freeze in place. Records show there were 3,433 reports of illegal rent hikes in 2022.

Mateo Gil from Strategic Actions for a Just Economy told David that he has seen more tenants come in looking for help, but there’s nothing to discourage landlords from raising costs.

“This makes them more likely to test the policy and see what they can get away with,” Gil said.

But some landlords, like David Kim, are genuinely confused about the law. Language barriers can play a part. And some, like Rich Kissel, are burdened by the expenses to keep apartments in shape.

Learn more about the dilemmas that tenants and landlords are facing with this law and what the city’s housing department has to say about it. Read David’s story here.

Do you have questions about all of the rules and changes surrounding rent? Attend the To Live and Rent in L.A. - A Live AMA virtual event tonight at 7 p.m. to get your questions answered by a panel of experts.

As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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• A growing number of cities are embracing ranked choice voting for elections. My colleague Brianna Lee explores how it works and why supporters say it makes the voting process less toxic. 
• Former staffers for City Controller Kenneth Mejia took to social media to accuse him of creating an “uncomfortable” work environment, according to the LA Times. Mejia’s office has denied the accusations and said no senior members of the staff were told about concerns before the complaints were made public.  (Los Angeles Times) 
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• Calbright College, the only fully online community college in the state, has boosted its reputation a great deal. CalMatters reported on how it  was able to increase student enrollment in such a short period of time. 
• NPR said it will no longer post from its Twitter accounts after officials with the social media platform labeled the news organization “state-affiliated” media. LAist is following in NPR’s footsteps.

Wait! One More Thing...

10 New Coachella Restaurants To Try Out

Tacoroni, I Heart Mac & Cheese

Courtesy of I Heart Mac & Cheese )

Hey fellow foodies. Are you headed to see Frank Ocean, Bad Bunny and all the gang at the Coachella Music Festival? Well, first of all, I’m jealous. But most importantly, LAist has a few new restaurants for you to try out in the desert.

I’m talking about culinary gems like the Wasabi Taco at an Asian-Mexican fusion eatery called Rubery Salsa (I’m curious about the “Don’t Do It” salsa there…) and the Sobrasada Stew at Sol y Sombra. If that doesn’t grab you, how about the special “Waffle Madness'' dessert in a 44-ounce martini glass at Cowboy Cantina (I looked up a picture and it is indeed “madness”). That’s not all you should devour. Check out the rest of the list here.