Tenant Protections

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto has just released her updated Guide to Renters Rights - Information for Tenants. (link to pdf)

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is also a partner organization to the We Are LA eviction and homeless protection program - part of The Mayor’s Fund - which has served 170,000 households and helped stabilize housing for 69,000 households. We Are LA connects LA tenants with eviction prevention services and other support programs and can help you respond to eviction notices, fill out resource applications, and work through language and other barriers. You can get support in-person or over the phone. You can call the hotline 7 days a week - 213-584-1808. (Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm). Visit We Are LA for more information.

Earlier this year, the LA Superior Court implemented an Unlawful Detainer Settlement Pilot at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. This expands opportunities for early resolution in limited jurisdiction unlawful detainer (eviction) cases, through expanded Mandatory Settlement Conferences (MSCs) to help people resolve disputes prior to trial. In partnership with the court, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles’ We Are LA program is providing free legal assistance to low-income tenants facing eviction.

The Unlawful Detainer Settlement Pilot reflects the Court’s and the City’s continued efforts to improve access to justice and provide additional opportunities for early resolution of disputes in eviction matters with the goal of preventing people from falling into housing instability.

Navigating an Eviction

• Unlawful Detainer
  If you get a 3, 30, 60, 90-day notice, or any other notice to terminate, then your landlord can file a lawsuit with the court called an "unlawful detainer" that can lead to your eviction. This is a court complaint your landlord has filed to have you evicted. You should immediately get a lawyer or contact a legal aid organization (below) to help you file your answer with the court. Once you file your answer, you will be given a trial date. At the trial, you can explain your case and if you win, you won't be evicted. If you don’t file an answer within five days, you can’t appear in court. A default judgment will be entered against you. Once the default is entered, you can be evicted. File a response with the court no matter what - even if you think your landlord has no right to evict you.
   
• Illegal Lockout
  It is illegal for a landlord to lock you out, remove doors or windows, change locks, cut off utility services, or use other forms of harassment to make you move out. You can file a complaint with LAPD if your landlord locks you out or cuts off your utilities. You can sue your landlord for lockout damages in small claims court and file a harassment complaint against your landlord with the L.A. City Housing Department online or by calling 866-557-7368.

The Los Angeles Housing Department provides resources for those at risk of being evicted.  
 

Additional Resources and Legal Aid Organizations