Following last week’s move by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to cap how much landlords could increase rents in 2024 for unincorporated parts of Los Angeles, the city council has voted to end the city’s rent hike freeze. Landlords of rent-stabilized units will be able to raise rents by 4 percent—or 6 percent if the landlord covers utility costs—following a three-year pandemic freeze.
The change applies to more than 600,000 units across the city.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the council decided to base the increase on inflation data from October 2022-September 2023, rather than the prior year, which would have resulted in a higher rent hike.
The council also amended its proposal to include a report back on establishing a rule that would help distinguish mom-and-pop landlords from corporate landlords, in an attempt to ensure small landlords can receive city resources to stay afloat.
Council members Paul Krekorian, Curren Price and Katy Yaroslavsky recused themselves because they are landlords. Council members Traci Park and John Lee voted against the motion.