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January 5th, 2026 | Residents, Eviction Assistance, Renters|

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 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).

The landlord must act in good faith to recover possession of the rental unit either to demolish the rental unit or to remove the rental unit permanently from rental housing use. See Good Faith Requirements in the Rent Adjustment Commission Regulations (RAC) 610.

Any tenant evicted from a RSO unit as a result of a unit being removed from the rental market has rights and is entitled to a proper eviction notice and a relocation assistance fee payment.

What to Expect

If you receive a notice to move out from your landlord because your landlord wishes to recover possession of the rental unit for the purpose of withdrawing it from the rental market or for demolition, you can expect the following:

  1. You will receive a letter of introduction from the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) advising you that a Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units and terminate your tenancy has been filed by your landlord. The letter will indicate the following: type of eviction; case number (e.g. LD050000), name of assigned LAHD Analyst and contact information. The tenant should communicate with the assigned LAHD Analyst.
  2. Your case will be referred to the City’s Relocation Consultant (Interwest) which will contact you to conduct an over-the-phone interview. Tenants are encouraged to respond to requests for information and documentation in order to ensure the highest possible relocation amount. Failure to provide the requested documentation may result in a lower relocation amount. The tenant should communicate with the relocation consultant.
    The purposes of the interview are:
    1. Determine the amount of relocation fees you may be entitled to receive
    2. Provide free rental listings to tenants
    3. Assist with extended tenancy by providing information and a claim form
    4. Offer free transportation to view prospective rental units
    5. Provide general information about the moving process

Your Rights and Responsibilities

Notice to Move Out

  1. 120-Day Notice (if the purpose does not involve demolition)
  2. 6-Month Notice (only if the purpose is for demolition for a new construction)

The property owner is also responsible for providing you with the completed Notice to Tenant of Pending Withdrawal (Form E3). This form contains the File Date of the owner’s Notice of Intent to Withdraw and states whether their purpose is for demolition and the anticipated date of start of construction activities, if applicable.

Extensions of Time to Move Out

There are three possible ways a landlord may give tenants more time before being required to move out.

  1. Ellis Act 1-year Extensions for Elderly and Disabled (Mandatory Extension is tenant claims it and is eligible.)
    Per LAMC Section 151.23.B, you may be entitled to a one-year extension from the date the landlord delivered the Notice of Intent to Withdraw to LAHD if you are 62 years of age or disabled (as defined in Government Code Section 12955.3) AND have resided in your rental unit for at least one year. To request the extension due to disability or elderly status, you must provide your landlord with a written notice of your entitlement within 60 days after the date the landlord filed the Notice of Intent to Withdraw with LAHD. This file date will be indicated on the Notice to Tenant of Pending Withdrawal (Form E3) that the landlord must serve you.
  2. Ellis Act Extensions for Tenants Who are Not Elderly or Disabled (Voluntary extension if the owner wishes to provide it.)
    A landlord may provide extensions beyond 120 days to tenants who are not elderly or disabled. The landlord would need to notify LAHD and the tenant of such extensions. These extensions are not required, but are optional for the owner.
  3. Extensions under the Housing Crisis Act (HCA) or the Resident Protections Ordinance (RPO) (applicable only if the purpose is demolition)
    Landlords must allow tenants to remain in their units up to six months before the start of construction activities and should extend the tenancy if necessary to comply with this timeline. For example, if the original notice to terminate requires tenants move out by February 1, 2026 then the owner must start construction activities by August 1, 2026 (6 months later), but if the construction is delayed until October 1, 2026 then the tenant should have more time until April 1, 2026 to move out.

Relocation Assistance

Tenants should receive a relocation assistance payment from the owner under applicable laws. (See Relocation Assistance section below).

Other Rights

Landlords must act in good faith when terminating tenancies. Additionally, they must not engage in harassment of tenants. Please visit our Tenant Anti-Harassment page for more information on the rules.

File a Complaint with LAHD

Tenants may file a complaint with LAHD for violations of the RSO or Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance either online or by calling our hotline at (866) 557-7368.

Seek Legal Assistance

Tenants may seek legal advice. Although landlords have a right to remove their unit from the rental market they are still required to comply with the laws including proper notification, relocation payments and good faith requirements. If you believe the landlord is not complying with all the rules and the eviction is defective you may contact Stay Housed LA online at https://www.stayhousedla.org/ or on the phone at 1-888-694-0040. Additionally, legal resources are available on the Legal Resources List.

Relocation Assistance

The landlord must pay a relocation assistance fee to each tenant within 15 days after service upon that tenant of a notice terminating tenancy. 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. You will find a summary of the regulations in the Relocation Escrow Accounts Summary.

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. Note, only “lower income” tenants defined as “low income”, “very low income’ or “extremely low income” who are being displaced for the purpose of demolition are entitled to relocation amounts under Bulletin B. Tenants who are not being displaced for demolition are only entitled to the RSO amounts under Bulletin A.

  1. Bulletin A. Relocation Assistance Bulletin: No-Fault Evictions Under the RSO & JCO
  2. Bulletin B. Relocation Assistance Bulletin: Eviction for Demolition for New Construction Under the Resident Protections Ordinance

Demolition projects for new construction that are not subject to the RPO may still be subject to the HCA State law, which was effective January 1, 2020. The HCA requires that owners pay “lower income” (Low, Very Low, Extremely Low) tenants relocation benefits that are “equivalent to the relocation benefits required to be paid by public entities pursuant to [the California Relocation Assistance Law].” (Cal. Gov’t Code § 66300.6(b)(4)(A)). If HCA applies, then the owner may hire their own private consultant to determine the relocation amount a tenant is entitled to receive.

A landlord may deduct rental debt from a relocation payment.

If you have any questions on this process, please contact your assigned LAHD Analyst (provided on the LAHD correspondence).

Appealing the relocation assistance determination

All parties have a right to appeal the City’s Relocation Consultant’s Tenant Relocation Determination within 15 days from the date of their determination. Appeals must be received by LAHD with the completed Appeal Form and the filing fee made payable to “City of Los Angeles.” The appeal form is included with the relocation determination letter sent by the City’s Relocation Consultant.


There is a low income exemption waiver 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% 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.

Interested in returning to the rental unit should it become available in the future?

Tenants displaced from their units may have a Right to Return to the property. The specifics of the right depend on the applicable law as described below.

If you are interested in returning to the unit you must:

  1. Advise the landlord in writing, within 30 days of your displacement, that you are interested in considering an offer to renew the tenancy should the unit become available. Use the Notice of Interest in Renewing Tenancy (Form E4). You must provide this to the landlord. We recommend that you also provide a copy to LAHD.
  2. Advise the landlord and LAHD anytime during the two year period of eligibility of a change of address to which the landlord may direct the offer.

If you informed the landlord in writing of your desire to consider an offer to renew your tenancy, the property owner must:

  1. Inform you via certified mail that the unit will become available. The notice from the landlord shall describe the terms of the offer.
  2. Provide you with 30 days to respond to the offer.
  3. Offer the accommodations at the lawful rent as permitted by the Ellis Act provisions, or if the displacement was due to a failed plan to demolish for new construction then the owner must follow the RPO or HCA rules
  4. You have 30 days from the deposit of the offer in the mail to accept the offer. You can do this by personal delivery of that acceptance or by deposit of the acceptance in the United States mail by registered or certified mail with postage prepaid.

Right of Return if demolition does not occur:

  1. RPO Rights: For projects subject to the RPO when demolition does not occur and the unit is back on the rental market, an existing occupant that was required to leave their unit shall be allowed to return to the same rental unit or a Comparable Unit at their prior rental rate if the demolition does not move forward and the property is returned to the rental market.
  2. HCA Rights: For projects subject only to the HCA (not the RPO), any existing occupants that were required to leave their units shall be allowed to return at their prior rental rate if the demolition does not proceed and the property is returned to the rental market.
  3. RSO Rights: If not an RPO or HCA project, but subject to the RSO, then tenants have a right to return under the Ellis Act provisions for 10 years after the withdrawal date. During the five-year period after the accommodations are withdrawn the initial re-rental rent amount is at the lawful rent in effect at the time any Notice of Intent to Withdraw the accommodations was filed with the Department, plus annual adjustments available under the RSO. See LAMC Sections 151.26-151.27.
Right to Return if No Demolition Occurs — Comparison by Statute
Tenant Right HCA (Redevelopment) RPO (Redevelopment) RSO (Ellis)
Right to return if demolition never happens and units are re-rented Yes, to the same unit Yes, to the same unit or a comparable unit Yes, to the same unit for 10 years after Ellis withdrawal date
Rent rate upon returning to the undemolished property The rent amount the displaced tenant was paying at the time of displacement The tenant may return at their prior rental rate If re-rented within 5 years, the prior rent plus allowable RSO annual increases

Frequently Asked Questions

For Evictions Subsequent to Withdrawing the Units from the Rental Market

It depends. The RSO and JCO require relocation assistance in compliance with LAMC Section 151.09.G or 165.06. The RSO and JCO amounts apply to all tenants displaced for the purpose of withdrawing the units from the rental market regardless of whether the property will be demolished and developed. Also, the RSO and JCO amounts apply to tenants who are not “lower income” for properties that will be developed. (See Relocation Bulletin A at housing.lacity.org).

If a project is subject to the RPO and/or the HCA there are different relocation requirements for occupants of a protected unit. A landlord will need to understand if their project falls under the State’s HCA or under RPO. Regardless of which law applies to the project, the relocation amount paid to “lower income” tenants will typically be much greater under the HCA and RPO than under the RSO and JCO. (See Relocation Bulletin B at housing.lacity.org).

Per LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2023-016, the term “Start of Construction Activities” is understood to mean the call for the first inspection for any construction permit, such as for grading or foundation work related to the proposed Housing Development Project. These inspections are those that are defined in the Los Angeles Building Code LAMC section 91.108.5 (item 1) and 91.108.9 (starting with item 2).

No. The owner only pays the greatest relocation amount applicable under any local, state or federal law.

The City hires a Relocation Consultant (Interwest Consulting Group, Inc) that will issue a determination on the relocation amount under the RSO, JCO or under the RPO option 1 if the project is subject to the RPO. The City’s relocation consultant does not issue determinations under the RPO relocation option 2 or option 3 nor do they issue relocation determinations under the HCA.

Services provided are: relocation determination, free rental listings to tenants, assistance with extended tenancy, free transportation to prospective units and general information about the moving process. These services are funded by the relocation services fees paid by the landlord at the time of filing the withdrawal forms with LAHD.

Yes. However, the City will utilize the City’s relocation consultant for all RPO option 1 cases and for all RSO or JCO relocation determinations regardless of whether the owner hires their own relocation consultant. The landlord and tenant can collaborate with each other if they wish to do so prior to the withdrawal forms being filed with LAHD. However, a tenant cannot be forced to provide information to the owner or owner’s consultant. The withdrawal forms provide the owner an opportunity to report the tenant’s income and other relocation factors in the Tenant Information page. The owner may provide LAHD documentation obtained from the tenants to establish their eligibility for relocation assistance, but it is not required. Documents obtained by the owner will be forwarded to the City’s Consultant for consideration and discussed with the tenant.

For RPO option 3, the owner must hire their own consultant which must be approved by LAHD. The owner will be asked to submit all relocation documents required by LAHD similar to publicly-financed projects, including but not limited to: a relocation plan; a resume and qualifications of the required relocation consultant; a completed relocation tenant rent roll; and a completed project summary assessment, obtain LAHD approval of the calculated relocation payment once tenant has identified replacement housing and documentation showing the tenant was paid the full relocation payment. Before filing with LAHD a Notice of Intent to Withdraw (RSO/Ellis) or Declaration of Intent to Evict (JCO) for the purpose of demolition, obtain LAHD’s approval of all required relocation documents. If no LAHD approval is obtained for option 3, then the owner may still file the Notice of Intent to Withdraw (RSO/Ellis) or Declaration of Intent to Withdraw (JCO), but for relocation benefit purposes, must comply with either RPO options 1 or 2.

For HCA relocation determinations, the owner may hire their own consultant and provide the information listed above as evidence of compliance with the HCA. The owner’s consultant should be aware of the City’ RSO, JCO and RPO and the State’s HCA relocation rules. Additionally, the owner’s consultant should be familiar with the Tenant Harassment Ordinance (TAHO) to avoid allegations of harassment.

The City’s Relocation Consultant requests that tenants provide supporting documentation to establish income if the owner reports their income is unknown or if the owner’s report does not match the tenant’s.

Depending on the applicable relocation law, examples of documentation requested from tenants include government issued identification to establish elderly status, birth certificates of minor children, most current year tax returns and W2 or 1099 forms, doctor’s letter or disability benefits letter to confirm disability or handicap status. Since income is crucial for RPO determinations, the tenants are required to provide tax returns or supplemental forms such as employment verification forms completed by the employer sent directly to the consultant, disability or unemployment verification letters, asset reporting or child custody or spousal support agreements. Tenants who fail to provide income documentation to the City’s relocation consultant under option 1 will only qualify for relocation under the RSO or JCO rules and not the RPO.

Generally, tenants have about 30 days after the City’s relocation consultant initially contacts the tenant to provide documents. In some circumstances tenants could be provided an extension. The City’s relocation consultant will typically send out 2 letters and make two phone calls to the tenant to initiate communication. After the 30 days have expired and after the 4 contact attempts, a relocation determination will be issued taking into consideration only the information provided by the landlord in the withdrawal forms and any documentation that may have been submitted by the tenant during that time period.

When income is a factor, the income for all adult occupants reported either by the owner or tenant in the unit is considered including roommates or subtenants.

Gross annual income is considered to be consistent with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act (URA) and HUD guidelines. Assets are considered only if they are income generating. If they are not income generating, then they are not income. For example, a savings account is not income, but the interest rate on a savings account is income.

If no documentation is provided by the tenant, the owner did not report the tenants to be “lower income” or if the documentation provided by the tenant is not sufficient to establish a “lower income” level then the relocation determination will be based on the RSO or JCO. The tenant will still have an opportunity to appeal the City’s consultant’s determination.

The City’s consultant reviews the documentation and if there are inconsistencies in the documentation they can ask the tenant for corroborating evidence and can also find the tenant is not “lower income”. If subsequently the income is determined not to have been accurately reported by the tenants, then the relocation determination may change based on the new documentation via an appeal process where the parties can testify in support of their case. The Hearing Officer can overturn relocation determinations issued by the City or the City’s relocation consultant. Appeals must be filed within 15 days after the City’s relocation consultant issues the determination. Any decision by the Hearing Officer can also be disputed in court by either the tenant or landlord.

The parties have 15 days after the City’s consultant sends the relocation determination to the parties to appeal the determination and request an administrative hearing. The parties may submit documentation to the Hearings Section. The documents submitted to the Hearings Section or the City’s relocation consultant are a public record and parties could seek legal advice to understand confidentiality rights. Once a hearing is scheduled a Hearing Officer will review the documents and take testimony under oath. A written appeal determination is subsequently mailed to the parties. All parties have a right to seek judicial review if they disagree with the Hearing Officer’s determination. For more information about the hearing process you may contact Lahd.gmhearings@lacity.org.

Both the RPO and the South CPIO contain provisions that could have consequences for the projects. Under both the RPO and the South CPIO, the City can withhold permit clearances or revoke demolition permits for illegal tenant harassment. For more information about TAHO go to https://housing.lacity.gov/residents/tenant-anti-harassment.

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Last modified: January 5, 2026

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