Just Cause Ordinance in Los Angeles: Notices and Relocation Pay

The Los Angeles Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance stops landlords from ending most tenancies in the city without one of a limited set of legally recognized reasons, and it requires landlords to pay relocation money when the reason has nothing to do with anything the tenant did. It took effect January 27, 2023, and for the first time extended eviction protection to renters in newer apartments, condominiums, and single-family homes that sit outside the city’s older Rent Stabilization Ordinance.¹ If you rent in L.A. and your building is not already covered by the RSO, this is the law standing between you and an arbitrary termination.

Who the Ordinance Covers

The JCO applies to most residential rentals inside Los Angeles city limits and is codified in LAMC Chapter XVI, Article 5.² The RSO generally covers buildings with certificates of occupancy issued before October 1, 1978. The JCO was designed to fill the gap for everything else. If your unit is already under the RSO, those stricter rules apply and the JCO does not stack on top.

Protection attaches once you have continuously occupied the unit for six months, or when your original fixed-term lease expires, whichever comes first.² Four months into a one-year lease, you are not yet covered. Hit six months, or reach the end of that lease term, and the landlord then needs a recognized reason to end the tenancy.

A few categories of housing are exempt:

Hotel or motel stays where the guest has been there fewer than 30 days.²
Single-family homes owned by a natural person who holds no more than two such properties. This is the “mom and pop” exemption, and it does not apply when a corporation, LLC, or non-qualifying trust holds the property.
Units already regulated by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which follow RSO rules instead.

At-Fault Reasons a Landlord Can Use

When the reason involves the tenant’s own conduct, the landlord has to point to a specific at-fault ground recognized under LAMC Section 165.03.³ In most situations, the landlord must first give written notice and a chance to fix the problem. The recognized at-fault grounds are:

Nonpayment of rent, but only when the amount owed exceeds one month of HUD Fair Market Rent for the Los Angeles metro area, sized to the unit.³
Material lease violations such as unauthorized pets or exceeding occupancy limits, after written notice and a reasonable chance to cure.
Nuisance behavior or significant property damage.
Illegal activity on the premises, including drug trafficking and gang-related conduct.²
Refusing the landlord lawful access for repairs or inspections after proper notice.²

The nonpayment threshold is the piece that catches people off guard. A landlord cannot pursue eviction for unpaid rent unless the balance exceeds the applicable Fair Market Rent. HUD sets those figures annually, and they take effect each October 1. For Fiscal Year 2026, the thresholds are:

Efficiency (studio): $1,863
One bedroom: $2,085
Two bedrooms: $2,601
Three bedrooms: $3,298
Four bedrooms: $3,672

If a pay-or-quit notice demands less than the applicable FMR for the unit, the eviction can be challenged on that basis. Small balances alone do not justify displacement under the ordinance. This rule is unique to L.A. and routinely trips up landlords trying to run a standard California three-day notice.

No-Fault Reasons and Notice Periods

No-fault terminations are allowed when the landlord needs the unit for a reason unconnected to the tenant. These carry stricter requirements, longer notice, and mandatory relocation money. The recognized grounds are:

Owner or qualifying family move-in. The owner (or a spouse, child, parent, or grandparent) must intend to live in the unit as a primary residence, must hold at least a 25% interest in the property, and must commit to staying at least two consecutive years.³
Permanent withdrawal of all units in the building from the rental market under the Ellis Act, with filings submitted to LAHD.⁴
A government agency order to vacate because of hazardous conditions.⁵
Demolition of the structure.⁶

Owner move-in is the ground most often litigated. The two-year occupancy commitment exists because, without it, some landlords used “move-in” terminations as a pretext to reset the rent. If the owner never actually moves in or does not stay, the tenant may have a wrongful-eviction claim. The Declaration of Intent to Evict for Landlord Occupancy requires the owner to name the person moving in and that person’s relationship to the owner.⁷

Under California law, a no-fault termination of a month-to-month tenancy requires a 60-day written notice when the tenant has been in the unit for a year or more, and 30 days for shorter tenancies.⁸ Ellis Act withdrawals run on their own clock: 120 days for most tenants, and up to one year for tenants who are 62 or older or disabled and have lived in the unit for at least a year.⁴

Relocation Payments You Are Owed

Every no-fault eviction under the JCO triggers a mandatory relocation payment from landlord to tenant. The amount depends on how long you have lived in the unit and whether you fall into the higher “qualified” tier. The city adjusts the figures each July 1.

From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the amounts for households above the low-income threshold are:⁹

Eligible tenant, under 3 years in the unit: $10,650
Eligible tenant, 3 or more years: $13,950
Qualified tenant, under 3 years: $22,450
Qualified tenant, 3 or more years: $26,550

You are a “qualified” tenant if, on the date the termination notice is served, you are 62 or older, disabled, or have one or more minor dependent children.⁹ Households at or below 80% of Area Median Income also receive the higher tier regardless of how long they have lived in the unit.¹⁰ Everyone else is an “eligible” tenant.

Landlords must pay the relocation money and file a Declaration of Intent to Evict with LAHD before proceeding. These are prerequisites, not costs the landlord can wait to pay only if a court orders it. Skip them and the eviction itself violates the ordinance.⁹

Rent Hikes That Force You Out

The ordinance also treats steep rent increases that drive a tenant out as a form of displacement the landlord has to pay for. Under LAMC Section 165.09, when a landlord raises rent by more than the lesser of CPI plus 5% or 10%, and the tenant leaves because of the increase, the landlord owes relocation assistance.¹¹

The standard amount is three times the HUD Fair Market Rent for a similarly sized unit in the L.A. metro area, plus $1,411 in moving costs.¹¹ A reduced amount of one month’s current rent applies to certain small-scale single-family owners who meet specific criteria. Any unpaid rent can be offset against the payment.

This matters because JCO units are not subject to the RSO’s annual rent-cap formula. A landlord can raise the rent by a large amount, but if it crosses the CPI-plus-5% or 10% line and you move out as a result, the landlord has to fund the displacement.

If a Landlord Is Not Following the Rules

Evicting without following the JCO is not just a procedural stumble. Filing the Declaration of Intent to Evict with LAHD is a mandatory step for any no-fault case, and skipping it makes the eviction itself a violation.⁹ A wrongfully displaced tenant can sue for actual damages such as temporary housing costs and higher rent at a new place, plus court costs and attorney’s fees.

Lying on a Declaration of Intent to Evict is a misdemeanor. The forms warn in plain terms that willfully making a false statement or knowingly failing to disclose a material fact is a criminal offense.⁵ That is the city’s main deterrent against pretextual owner move-ins.

Harassment is treated as a separate violation. Los Angeles enforces a Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance that targets pressure tactics some landlords use when they cannot evict legally: shutting off utilities, refusing repairs, entering without notice, or making threats. LAHD takes complaints at 1-866-557-7368 or through its online portal.¹² Keep dated records, photos, and witness statements. Call 911 first if you feel physically unsafe.

If you think an eviction is retaliatory or lacks just cause, talk to LAHD or a tenant rights attorney before you leave. Once you move out voluntarily, your leverage drops. The strongest position is to respond to the unlawful detainer lawsuit and raise the JCO as a defense, and L.A. tenants facing eviction may qualify for free legal representation through the city’s right-to-counsel programs.

1
Los Angeles Housing Department. Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance and Expanded Tenant Protections Overview and Recommendations
2
Los Angeles Housing Department. Just Cause For Eviction Ordinance (JCO)
3
American Legal Publishing. Los Angeles Municipal Code – LAMC Chapter XVI, Article 5
4
American Legal Publishing. Los Angeles Municipal Code 151.22 – Ellis Act Provisions
5
City of Los Angeles Housing Department. Declaration of Intent to Evict in Order to Comply with a Government Agency’s Order
6
Los Angeles Housing Department. Removal From Rental Market – Property Owner
7
Los Angeles Housing Department. Declaration of Intent to Evict for Landlord or Family Occupancy
8
California Courts. Choose the Right Type of Eviction Notice
9
Los Angeles Housing Department. Relocation Assistance Bulletin
10
American Legal Publishing. Los Angeles Municipal Code – Chapter XVI Relocation Assistance
11
American Legal Publishing. Los Angeles Municipal Code – SEC. 165.09 Relocation Assistance for Economic Displacement
12
Los Angeles Housing Department. Tenant Anti-Harassment