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Ellis Act / Tenant Habitability Program / Tenant Displacement Prevention / Habitability Improvements

Council File 23-0930

Expired — the city adopted its position supporting three state-level Ellis Act reforms in 2024, but the file itself expired in 2026 without those amendments becoming law.

Introduced
2023-09-01
Last changed
2026-07-16
Status
closed
Expires
2026-06-11
Mover
NITHYA RAMAN
Second
EUNISSES HERNANDEZ
References
Chief Legislative Analyst Report: 24-04-0263

Brief

Councilmember Nithya Raman moved to include in the city's 2023-24 State Legislative Program a position supporting amendments to the Ellis Act, California's law allowing property owners to exit rental housing. The motion directs the city to advocate for state legislation that would strengthen tenant habitability standards and prevent bad-faith evictions under the Ellis Act. The Housing and Homelessness Committee approved it in September 2023; Council adopted it 12-0 in April 2024. The file has since expired per Council policy.

Full summary

Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced this motion on September 1, 2023, in response to what she characterized as widespread bad-faith abuse of the Ellis Act. The Ellis Act, passed in 1985, allows landlords to exit the rental housing business and evict tenants in rent-stabilized units without cause, provided they follow notice, relocation, and right-of-return requirements. The motion cites data from CalMatters and the Los Angeles Housing Department showing that more than 27,000 rent-controlled units have been removed from the market under the Ellis Act since 2001, representing roughly three percent of the city's entire rent-stabilized housing stock — a significant loss against a backdrop where over 521,000 low-income renter households in LA County lack access to affordable housing. The motion raised two specific concerns. First, it flagged the possibility of landlords using Ellis Act filings in bad faith — evicting tenants ostensibly to leave the rental business, but actually intending to conduct major renovations and then re-rent at higher rates, bypassing the city's Tenant Habitability Program, which would otherwise protect tenants during construction. Second, it questioned whether the city was adequately enforcing the protections state law already requires: tenants' first right of refusal, the right to return at original rents, relocation payments, and damage payments if a unit is re-rented within two years. The motion directed the City Attorney and the Los Angeles Housing Department to report back within 30 days on both concerns. After the Housing and Homelessness Committee approved it in September 2023, Council adopted the initial motion on September 19, 2023. The Los Angeles Housing Department then submitted its analysis on February 26, 2024, and the Chief Legislative Analyst followed on June 11, 2024, recommending that the Council formally adopt a resolution to include in the city's 2023-24 State Legislative Program support for three specific Ellis Act amendments: requiring landlords to disclose their intended future use of the property, and allowing cities to reject Ellis Act filings if the stated reason is renovation work; extending the one-year tenancy protection to all tenants in a building whenever any single unit qualifies for the extension; and allowing cities to regulate the initial rent for the full ten-year right-of-return period, not just the first five years as current state law provides. Council adopted the amended item 12-0 on April 17, 2024, formally establishing the city's position in support of those state-level Ellis Act reforms. A second CLA report was then referred to committee on June 11, 2024, but the file expired on July 16, 2026, per the Council's automatic expiration policy under Council File No. 05-0553. The substantive legislative position was adopted, but no state legislation amending the Ellis Act along these lines was enacted during the file's active period.

Activity (16)

  • 2026-07-16 File expired per Council policy, Council file No. 05-0553.
  • 2024-06-11 Chief Legislative Analyst document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee; Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.
  • 2024-06-11 Document(s) submitted by Chief Legislative Analyst, as follows:Chief Legislative Analyst report 24-04-0263, dated June 11, 2024, relative to adopting the Resolution to include in the 2023-24 State Legislative Program a position on legislation that would amend the Ellis Act.
  • 2024-04-19 Council action final.
  • 2024-04-17 Council adopted item as amended by , subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2024-04-12 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 17, 2024.
  • 2024-04-03 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2024-03-29 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 3, 2024.
  • 2024-02-27 Los Angeles Housing Department document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.
  • 2024-02-26 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles Housing Department, as follows:Los Angeles Housing Department report, dated February 26, 2024, relative to evictions under the Ellis Act, applicability of the tenant habitability program, and the prevention of bad faith evictions.
  • 2023-09-19 Council action final.
  • 2023-09-19 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2023-09-15 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on September 19, 2023.
  • 2023-09-06 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2023-09-01 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 6, 2023.
  • 2023-09-01 Motion referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Documents (18)

Council votes (1)

  • 2024-04-17 Vote — 12-0-3 · Regular

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