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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The City Council Wednesday will consider a package of tenant protections -- including the possibility of enacting a one-year freeze on increasing rent -- with the aim of preventing evictions of residents who were displaced or impacted by the multiple fires that burned Los Angeles.
Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Adrin Nazarian introduced the motion calling for such protections a week after the fires erupted on Jan. 7. If approved, the City Council would request the city attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting certain types of evictions and implement a rent-hike moratorium through Jan. 31, 2026 for all apartments in the city, among other things.
In a bid to support fire survivors, the City Council will consider prohibiting evictions for non-payment of rent, no-fault evictions other than a government order to vacate, evictions related to having additional tenants and pets, and evictions based on failure to obtain renters' insurance.
The proposal would also cover tenants who have accommodated fire survivors. The L.A. Housing Department would be expected to create a process to verify whether a tenant or occupant was displaced or economically impacted by the fire emergencies.
Landlords would not be allowed to increase rent for additional occupants in a unit for the same one-year timeline.
Within a two-week span in the city's jurisdiction, fires erupted in the Hollywood Hills, San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles. The Palisades Fire significantly destroyed the Pacific Palisades, burning 23,448 acres and killing at least 12 people. As of Wednesday, fire officials reported containment at 96%.
The Palisades Fire destroyed 6,837 structures and damaged another 1,107, according to the latest information from Cal Fire.
In their motion, elected officials explained Los Angeles would experience what they described as a "consistent pattern" that emerges in the aftermath of disasters such as what was seen in Lahaina, Hawaii where the median rent surged 44% in the year after the 2023 Hawaii wildfires.
In three surrounding counties of Paradise, California, rental prices jumped 20.1% in the two years after the 2018 Camp Fire.
"California (law) outlaws rental increases of greater than 10%, but sunsets 30 days after the declaration of the state of emergency, allowing an opportunity for unscrupulous landlords to simply wait and then initiate unaffordable rental increases," the motion reads.
In their motion, elected officials say Los Angeles is already seeing "predatory" behavior from some property owners as rental prices jumped on Zillow between 15% and 64%.
"In light of these challenges, the city must act swiftly to address the crisis at hand, ensuring that thousands of families do not face eviction or financial ruin during this vulnerable time," the motion reads.
Soto-Martinez and Hernandez alongside tenants who were impacted by the fires, and other organizations, will host a news conference at City Hall Wednesday morning to discuss their proposal.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution on Jan. 21 that enacted eviction protections for renters who opened their homes to people or pets displaced by the wildfires. It also promoted increased short-term rental availability.
Tenants in the unincorporated areas of the county are protected against eviction when hosting unauthorized occupants or pets displaced by the fires. The policy will remain in effect until May 31, 2026.