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April 24th, 2026 |

Updated 1/5/2026

The Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) allows a landlord to recover possession of a rental unit and remove units from rental housing use (also known as the Ellis Act), per LAMC Sections 151.09.A.10 and 151.22-151.28, if the landlord in good faith plans on demolishing or withdrawing the units from the rental housing market. The Rent Adjustment Commission Regulations and Guidelines Section 610, et seq set forth the good faith requirements.

The withdrawal process is regulated by a variety of City and State laws. Landlords withdrawing units from the rental market with plans to demolish will have to follow the State’s Housing Crisis Act (HCA) as amended by Assembly Bill 1218 and the City’s Resident Protections Ordinance (RPO) (See Ordinances #188481 and #188482).

Due to the complexity of the process under all the applicable laws, LAHD strongly recommends that property owners and their agents carefully read the information on this webpage, on the Ellis Packet of forms, on any links to other information and on correspondence from LAHD. Furthermore, it may be a good idea to seek legal advice when initiating the withdrawal process.

Please carefully review the below bulletin, which provides information and frequently asked questions about the requirements for (1) tenant relocation assistance payments, (2) notices to tenants and (3) other tenant protections when tenants are displaced for the purpose of removing the unit from the rental market and/or for the purpose of demolition for new construction.

Who Can File

Per LAMC Sections 151.09.A.10 and 151.22-151.28, a landlord may recover possession of a rental unit under either one of the following circumstances:

  1. To demolish the rental unit; or
  2. To remove the rental unit permanently from rental housing use.

What You Must Do

Before the Filing Appointment

  1. Download the Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units From Rental Housing Use forms by logging into your Angeleno account and accessing the appointment system for Ellis filing at lahd.service-now.com/appt.
  2. Read the Deadlines chart, Summary of RSO, Ellis and Applicable RPO Provisions, Steps to File Notice of Intent to Withdraw and a Frequently Asked Questions page.
  3. Go to the LAHD Online Appointment System to schedule an appointment with an LAHD Analyst to review your forms. Upload the Ellis forms. The electronic upload is not considered the filing date. You must first meet with your LAHD Analyst for final instructions.
  4. Complete the forms, gather all necessary documents prior to your appointment and upload them to the online portal when scheduling your appointment. The following should be uploaded to the online portal:
    1. Form E1: Complete and record the Memorandum Summarizing Non-Confidential Provisions of a Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units from Rental Housing Use (Form E1) with the County Recorder and obtain a copy showing the recordation stamp. Make sure the legal description is accurate or your filing cannot be accepted by LAHD. If you are unsure about the legal description you may upload a draft that is not recorded to the online portal for review prior to recording it with the County Recorder. After the appointment you will be required to record it.
    2. Form E2: Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units from Rental Housing Use.
    3. Form E3: Draft of the Notice to Tenant of Pending Withdrawal for each occupied unit. You will not know the file date until after your appointment with LAHD, but all other information should be completed prior to the appointment.
    4. If demolishing, upload the Declaration of Start of Construction Activities.
    5. Grant Deed
    6. Operating Agreement, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization or Partnership Agreement, if not owned by a natural person.
    7. Draft of notice terminating tenancy to be served to tenants. You will not know the file date until after your appointment with LAHD.
    8. If demolishing, but all units have already vacated:
      1. Upload a copy of the LADBS Clearance Summary Worksheet (aka demolition permit) that needs LAHD clearance.
      2. Proof of relocation payment to each unit if they were previously displaced under the Ellis Act in compliance with the RSO and/or the RPO.
    9. If demolishing, but units are still tenant occupied:
      1. Select a relocation option 1, 2 or 3 described in B. Relocation Assistance Bulletin: Eviction for Demolition for New Construction Under the Resident Protections Ordinance.
      2. If selecting relocation options 2 or 3, the owner must provide a copy of the approval letter from the LAHD Housing Development Bureau.
  5. You will receive an email confirming your virtual appointment. Be sure to check your email.

During the Filing Appointment

  1. Have a copy of the forms you uploaded to the online portal. You will need to see them so that you and the LAHD Analyst can review the forms together. The LAHD Analyst will identify if there are any missing forms, information or signatures.
  2. This is your opportunity to ask questions.
  3. Once you have completed the appointment, the LAHD Analyst will provide you with final instructions on how to officially file the forms and make the administrative fees payment.

After the Filing Appointment

  1. Mail the final approved forms to LAHD as instructed by your LAHD analyst. The postmark date is considered the FIle Date of the Ellis forms. This is the same date the landlord must serve the notice to terminate tenancy in compliance with State law. Within 5 days after the Ellis File date, serve the Notice to Tenant of Pending Withdrawal (Form E3) on the tenant. It is recommended that the owner serve the Form E3 on the same day as the notice to terminate tenancy.
    1. Method of Mailing: The filing must be sent via United States Postal Services (USPS) First Class Mail only. No other method will be accepted.
      • LAHD cannot guarantee the delivery of the mail by the USPS. Per the USPS website, the mail is usually delivered in 1–5 days
      • Per USPS, if you want to ensure that your mail receives a postmark on the day you mail it (and to avoid issues with missing postmark dates or illegible postmark dates), ask a retail associate at a Post Office retail counter to “hand-cancel” it for free.
      • Per USPS, to get an official record that you sent an item on a specific date, you can request a “tracking number” and/or pay an extra service fee for a “Certificate of Mailing”.
      • Proof of Delivery: First-Class Mail items are eligible for Delivery Confirmation services such as Certified Mail.
  2. Submit payment for the administrative fees payable to the “City of Los Angeles – LAHD.”
  3. Once LAHD receives the filing, you will be sent a confirmation letter with additional information on how to continue compliance with the Ellis Act, RSO and RPO and HCA.
  4. File with LAHD the Declaration of Start of Construction Activities at 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 months after your Ellis File Date.
  5. Pay relocation assistance within 15 days after service of the notice terminating tenancy to tenants who will be displaced. This payment can be made either directly to the tenant or through an escrow account. The Rent Adjustment Commission Regulations and Guidelines Section 960, et seq set forth escrow account requirements. If paying via an escrow account, provide to LAHD a copy of the escrow account instructions for each tenant. If an owner is evicting the tenant for the purpose of demolition for new construction then the relocation rules in Bulletin B below will apply. If an owner is evicting a tenant where there will not be any demolition then the relocation rules under Bulletin A below will apply.
    1. A. Relocation Assistance Bulletin: No-Fault Evictions Under the RSO & JCO
    2. B. Relocation Assistance Bulletin: Eviction for Demolition for New Construction Under the Resident Protections Ordinance (Applicable if demolishing)
  6. Provide LAHD documentation to prove relocation payment to tenants.
  7. Inform LAHD of any tenant claims for entitlement to extended tenancy by completing a Notice to City of Claims for Extended Tenancy (Form E5).
  8. Notify tenants in situations where you elect to extend the date of withdrawal up to a year for households not otherwise entitled to such an extension. In these situations you must provide LAHD the Notice to City of Extended Dates of Withdrawal (Form E6). This form is also used when serving a 6-month notice terminating tenancy.

After withdrawing your property

  1. The Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) will record constraints against the property. These constraints apply to any successor in interest and will be recorded with the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office.
  2. The following documentation may be required after filing the Notice of Intent to Withdraw:
    1. Notice of Interest in Renewing Tenancy (Form E4) – If a tenant provides the landlord with Form E4, the landlord should provide LAHD with a copy.
    2. Notice to City of Claims for Extended Tenancy (Form E5) – If a tenant notifies the landlord of their claim of an extended stay of one year (applies if tenant is at least 62 years of age or is disabled and has lived in the unit for at least one year), the landlord must complete Form E5 and submit it to LAHD.
    3. Notice to City of Extended Dates of Withdrawal (Form E6) – The landlord may provide a one year extension to other tenants. Landlords shall submit Form E6 if tenancy extensions are provided.
    4. Notice of Intention to Re-Rent Withdrawn Accommodations (Form E7) – If the landlord intends to re-rent withdrawn units, the landlord must submit Form E7 to LAHD.
    5. Annual Property Status Report (Form E 8) – (Always Required) The landlord must file this form annually for 7 years following the date of delivery to the Department of the Notice of Intent to Withdraw or until the Department advises that all reporting requirements are met.
    6. Declaration of Start on Construction Activities – (Always Required if demolishing) Required after the Ellis file date at 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 months.
  3. Annual Registration Fee Instructions for Landlords
    1. After a landlord files Ellis forms, they must continue to pay the RSO and SCEP registration fees for occupied units. Once the units become vacant, the landlord must file two forms: 1) Conditional Property Status Exemption Application and 2) Temporary Exemption Application found in the bill. Payments and Temporary Exemptions may be completed online at https://housingbill.lacity.org/billing. The Conditional Property Status Exemption
      • Occupied Units
        • If the units are occupied even for one day out of the billing year the landlord will still be responsible for paying the registration fees for that entire year regardless of whether a Notice of Intent to Withdraw was previously filed. Exemptions cannot be filed for occupied units.
      • Vacant Units
        • After the property is completely vacant and the property removed from the rental market, the landlord must complete the Conditional Exemption Application to claim a ”P4A” exemption from the registration fees based on the withdrawal of the units. LAHD will verify that the withdrawal process was completed. This form is only filed one time to obtain the long term exemption from the registration fees.
        • Until the Conditional Exemption Application is approved, the landlord will continue to receive a yearly registration bill and if the units are vacant they should also file the Temporary Exemption for “no rent collected” to avoid penalties. This form is located enclosed with the annual registration bill. It is possible that a landlord may receive the bill for a couple of years after they file the Ellis forms and after they file the Conditional Exemption form. Therefore, owners must be sure to file the Temporary Exemption for vacant units until they stop receiving the yearly bill. If a landlord does not file the Conditional Exemption Application they will continue to receive yearly registration bills.

Re-Rental of Withdrawn Units

If the landlord intends to re-rent the withdrawn units, a Notice of Intention to Re-Rent Withdrawn Accommodations form (E-7) must be filed with LAHD. The landlord may not rent or lease any such unit, except to a tenant displaced from that unit, for a period of 30 days following the filing of the notice.

The re-rental process must comply with both the Ellis Act, RSO and if demolishing also the RPO and HCA. The process is detailed in the “Important Information When Filing A Notice of Intent to Withdraw”.

Appeal Process

All parties have a right to appeal the Tenant Relocation Determination within 15 calendar days from the date of their determination. Appeals must be received by LAHD with the completed appeal form, which is included with the relocation determination letter sent by the City’s Relocation Consultant, and the filing fee made payable to “City of Los Angeles”. There is a low income exemption waiver included in the Appeal form for the appeal fee. To qualify for an exemption from the appeal filing fee, the applicant’s annual household earnings must be no more than 50 percent of the median income in the Los Angeles area. If you do not qualify for an exemption, you must submit the filing fee before an appeal can be scheduled.

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Last modified: April 24, 2026

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