What Happened
The Los Angeles City Council held a special meeting to consider changes to the city's Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), which governs rent increases for about 650,000 rental units in LA. The council voted 9-2 to approve "version A" of the ordinance, which eliminates additional rent increases that landlords can currently charge when tenants add dependents to their households. Under current rules, landlords can charge an extra 10% rent increase when dependents are added; the new ordinance removes this provision entirely.
However, the council sent a proposed amendment by Council Member Paul Nazarian back to committee for further review. Nazarian wanted to define "dependent" using Internal Revenue Service criteria to provide clarity for both tenants and landlords about who qualifies. The amendment sparked debate about potential impacts on immigrant families and same-sex couples, with Council Member Eunisses Hernandez raising concerns about mixed-status families who might not be tied to the IRS system.
The ordinance will take effect immediately for six months, meaning tenants facing rent increases starting February 1st will benefit from the new protections. The changes come at a critical time since many rental agreements have February anniversary dates, and landlords must give at least 30 days' notice for rent increases.
The Debate
The most contentious discussion centered on whether to include Nazarian's definition of "dependent" in the ordinance. Nazarian argued that without a clear definition, disputes would end up being "litigated, which is the worst possible place, the least efficient place" to resolve such issues. He proposed using IRS criteria for "qualifying child" and "qualifying relative" while excluding residency requirements to protect immigrant families.
Council Member Isabel Hurado countered that the amendment would create "more ambiguity" and delay implementation, potentially leaving tenants vulnerable to rent increases in February. "I stand by moving council member Nazarian's definition into committee so we can hammer it out," she said, emphasizing the urgency of protecting tenants before the February deadline.
Council Member John Lee expressed frustration with the rushed process, saying "this whole process of us having significant legislation just moved and sped along quickly so we can just hurry up and get a vote on it is not what I think our constituents expect from this body." He criticized the lack of committee review and noted that his amendment to help small landlords with 10 units or fewer wasn't considered.
Public commenters from tenant advocacy groups urged the council to pass the ordinance immediately without delays, with several speakers emphasizing that "Larso must be voted on and implemented before February because that's when most tenants are facing their rent increases."
What It Means
The approved changes will provide immediate relief to RSO tenants who want to add family members to their households without facing additional rent increases. This particularly benefits families with children, elderly relatives, or other dependents who need housing stability. The Los Angeles Housing Department will begin notifying landlords and tenants about the changes through their annual billing process in January.
The ordinance requires a second reading on December 12th before becoming final. Meanwhile, the Housing and Homelessness Committee will work on defining "dependent" for future implementation, though this could take several weeks or months to resolve.
The debate highlighted ongoing tensions about balancing tenant protections with landlord concerns, particularly for smaller property owners. It also revealed challenges in crafting policy that works for LA's diverse population, including immigrant families who may not interact with federal tax systems. The rushed timeline reflects the political reality that many tenants face rent increases in February, creating pressure to act quickly even when policy details remain unresolved.