Updated Oct. 5:
Los Angeles city council has formally approved to end COVID eviction protections. On Tuesday, the council approved a repeal bill, which will allow landlords to evict tenants for unpaid rent beginning on Feb. 1, 2023. According to the L.A. Times, landlords also will be able to evict tenants for unauthorized pets or residents not listed on leases.
Rent in rent-controlled units will also be allowed to resume in February 2024 after having been blocked during the pandemic.
“We must put in place long-term protections for our tenants while still preserving the economic well-being of our small, mom-and-pop landlords,” said Council President Nury Martinez. “We can’t forget that these policies are intended to ensure that our homeless crisis does not become any worse as a result of the pandemic.”
Many experts warn that Los Angeles, already dealing with very visible struggles around homelessness, could experience a large increase in street-based homelessness should the COVID protections be lifted.
The city’s current rules have prohibited such evictions since March 2020.