In notoriously dense Koreatown, these tenants are fighting to keep their parking spots

Anyone who's driven in Koreatown knows that the neighborhood's density can make finding parking a blood sport. So when tenants of an apartment building on Kingsley Drive were told that their parking garage was being replaced with more units, they quickly organized in opposition.

Tenants at 501 Kingsley say the apartment complex is preparing to tear down the badly-needed garage to make way for five accessory dwelling units, or ADUs — and they don't have much in the way of recourse.

A state law passed last year allows landlords to replace parking spaces or other amenities with housing units — without requiring them to offer replacement parking. Local governments, like the city of Los Angeles, have no say in the matter.

“What they want to do is take our parking away so then they can build ADUs so the landlord makes more money,” said Vanessa Lua, who has lived in this complex for nearly 10 years. “That's forcing us to find parking on the street or pay for parking.”

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How did we get here?

Koreatown is L.A.’s most dense neighborhood and is notorious for its lack of parking. In April, Koreatown was crowned as being the worst L.A. neighborhood to park in.

Mel Raymond has lived in the neighborhood for nine years and said most of the spots are taken by the time she leaves for work in the evening.

“If I had to rely on finding a parking spot in Koreatown after I got home from work, it would just be literally impossible,” she said.

After tenants received a notice in April that their parking was going away, Raymond said they tried to appeal through the city’s housing department. That attempt was denied, and they received another notice in August.

According to a notice from North Oak Property Management, which manages the complex, renters will receive a $200 monthly rent credit.

North Oak Property Management declined to comment.

Residents have since set up tables and chairs in their parking spots, occupying the garage in protest. They say management has tried to intimidate the protesters with tow trucks and calling the police.

Property owner Mark Nassab did not respond to LAist’s request for comment.

Frustrated tenants

The apartment units at 501 Kingsley are rent controlled and some of tenants are older and have lived in the complex for decades, according to Raymond.

“They are not in a position to move. They have been in a rent-stabilized building for decades, and they can't just pick up and go,” she said. “I do not want this 81 year-old man and his wife having to look for parking and park far away at night.”

Volunteers with the L.A. Tenants Union are helping residents at 501 Kingsley organize the protest. Will Litton, an organizer for the group, said the fight is not just for parking.

“It's a fight against displacement," Litton said. "It's a fight against landlords and developers who are using any tactic they can, often under the guise of increasing the housing stock or addressing the housing crisis, in order to displace long-term tenants who have very affordable rents."

Raymond and Lua told LAist that if parking goes away, they'll be forced to find somewhere else to live.

Allowed by state law

Senate Bill 1211 allows property owners to convert parking units into ADUs and prohibits local agencies from requiring the replacement of off-street parking.

“My parking spot is a big deal because it's my parking spot, but it could be any amenity in my building,” Raymond said.

She explained that parking is included in her lease and that taking it away would break part of that agreement.

“We chose these apartments because they have things that we need in them or things that we want in them,” she said.

Raymond added that moving is an option, but there’s no stopping the next landlord from taking away an amenity for ADUs.

“It's not about the parking at 501 Kingsley. I could move tomorrow, and it can happen to the next place that I live, and it can happen to any renter anywhere in California,” she said. “There's no protection, so it seems like you're just crossing your fingers and hoping that your landlord is generous enough to let you keep what you signed up for.”

Construction was planned to start on Aug. 20. The project’s current timeline is unclear.