What makes a Los Angeles eviction different
The state rules still run the court case, but the City of Los Angeles adds four things that trip up owners: a just cause for every unit, a minimum amount of unpaid rent, a filing with LAHD for every termination notice, and a right to counsel notice that must ride along with the eviction notice. Miss one and the tenant has a defense in the unlawful detainer.
These rules apply inside city limits only. Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Pasadena and unincorporated LA County each have their own ordinances, so confirm the jurisdiction from the parcel, not the mailing address. A Van Nuys or San Pedro address is in the city; a Culver City or Inglewood address isn’t.
RSO or Just Cause Ordinance: which one covers your building
Most older apartment buildings in the city fall under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), which covers rental units built with a certificate of occupancy on or before October 1, 1978. Newer units generally fall under the Just Cause Ordinance (JCO), which limits evictions to listed reasons but doesn’t cap rent beyond state law.
For non-RSO units, JCO protection starts after the tenant has lived there six months or when the first lease term ends, whichever comes first. LAHD collects an annual Just Cause enforcement fee of $31.05 per unit. Both ordinances recognize the same core at-fault causes.
RSO rent rules changed too. For notices served on or after February 2, 2026, annual increases follow a new formula of 90% of average CPI with a 1% floor and a 4% ceiling, and owners can no longer add extra percentages for gas and electric service. That matters when you underwrite an RSO building’s future income or price a sale.
- Nonpayment of rent, once the threshold below is met
- Breach of a lease term after written notice to cure
- Nuisance, disorderly conduct or damage to the unit
- Refusing a renewal on similar terms or refusing lawful entry
- An unapproved subtenant at the end of the lease
- Illegal activity on the property
The unpaid rent threshold
In the city, you can’t evict for nonpayment unless the tenant owes more than one month of HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a unit of that size. The figure resets every October when HUD publishes new FMRs, and LAHD posts the current table.
For the year running October 2025 through September 2026, the threshold was $1,863 for an efficiency, $2,085 for a one-bedroom, $2,601 for a two-bedroom, $3,298 for a three-bedroom and $3,672 for a four-bedroom. In a building where some units rent below FMR, a tenant can miss a full month and still be protected, so check the threshold before you serve anything.
Filing your notice with LAHD within three business days
Under LAMC 151.09.C.9 for RSO units and 165.05.B.5 for JCO units, you must file a copy of every notice to terminate tenancy, including a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit, with LAHD within three business days after serving the tenant. The notice must state the legal reason for the termination.
LAHD prefers online uploads through a free Angeleno Account. If you can’t upload, mail the notice with LAHD’s Eviction Notice Filing Cover Sheet. A missing filing is an affirmative defense in the unlawful detainer, and the tenant can use LAHD’s lookup tool to check whether you filed.
The Notice of Right to Counsel and Stay Housed L.A.
Since August 20, 2025, LA landlords must give tenants a Notice of Right to Counsel at the start of the tenancy in the tenant’s primary language, attach it to any eviction notice, and post it in a common area. Attach a fresh copy to every 3-day notice you serve.
Tenants who receive an unlawful detainer summons and earn up to 80% of area median income can get legal help through the city’s program run with Stay Housed L.A. That limit was $84,850 for one person and $96,950 for two. Expect more answered complaints and more trials than a few years ago, and budget for them.
No-fault evictions: the Declaration of Intent and relocation money
Owner move-in, resident manager, demolition, Ellis Act withdrawal and government-order evictions are no-fault. You file a Declaration of Intent to Evict with LAHD and pay its fees before serving the notice, upload the notice within three days after service, and make the relocation payment available within 15 days of service. Payment is per unit, split equally among the tenants, and you can use escrow at your cost.
Qualified tenants are those 62 or older, disabled, or living with a minor dependent child. Low-income tenants, at or below 80% of area median income, get the higher amount regardless of tenancy length.
| Tenant type | Under 3 years | 3+ years or low income |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible tenant | $11,000 | $14,400 |
| Qualified tenant | $23,150 | $27,400 |
The California steps, in brief
The court case itself follows state law: a 3-day notice to pay or quit that counts court days only, an unlawful detainer complaint, 10 court days for the tenant to respond, a trial within 20 days of a request if the tenant answers, and a writ of possession. Our California eviction process guide walks through each statute, the AB 1482 rules and the 2025 answer-period change in detail.
Los Angeles Superior Court and the Stanley Mosk standing order
File in Los Angeles Superior Court, which hears limited civil unlawful detainers at designated courthouses. Under the 2026 Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, the first-paper fee is $240 when the demand is $10,000 or less.
Cases assigned to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown come with a standing order you must serve with the summons and complaint. It requires the landlord to contact the tenant within 10 days of service to discuss settlement or trial, with a goal of resolving the case within 60 days of filing. Service by posting and mailing needs a court order based on a declaration of due diligence, and at trial each side brings a binder with pleadings, a joint witness list and joint exhibits. Skipping the early contact can lead to sanctions.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s lockout
After judgment, the clerk issues the writ of possession and you deliver it, with instructions, to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies serve or post the writ, and if the occupants are still there five days later, they remove them and put you in possession under CCP 715.020. Have a locksmith ready for that day.
Belongings left behind must be stored and released under CCP 1174, so don’t haul them to the curb. A tenant can also ask the court for extra time to move, which can push the lockout date.
Worked example: a nonpayment case in a 16-unit Westlake building
Assume an RSO one-bedroom renting for $2,400 in a 16-unit Westlake building, which is above the one-bedroom FMR, so one missed month clears the threshold. Rent due Monday, February 1, 2027 goes unpaid. You serve a 3-day notice with the right to counsel notice Tuesday, February 2, and upload it to LAHD by Friday, February 5, the same day the notice expires.
You file Monday, February 8 and serve the tenant personally that day. Ten court days, skipping Lincoln Day and Presidents’ Day, end Wednesday, February 24. Assume no answer, a default and writ Thursday, February 25, the sheriff serving the writ Wednesday, March 3 and the lockout Tuesday, March 9.
That’s 36 days from the missed rent to possession. The daily rent is about $78.90 ($2,400 × 12 ÷ 365), so lost rent is $2,840.55. Add an assumed $1,800 attorney fee, the $240 filing fee and an assumed $150 for service, and the minimum cost is $5,030.55. If the tenant answers with free counsel, add a trial and several more weeks.
| Step | Date | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Rent missed | Mon Feb 1, 2027 | Lease |
| 3-day notice served | Tue Feb 2 | CCP 1161(2) |
| LAHD filing deadline | Fri Feb 5 | LAMC 151.09.C.9 |
| Complaint filed and served | Mon Feb 8 | CCP 1166, 1167 |
| Response deadline | Wed Feb 24 | CCP 1167 |
| Default and writ | Thu Feb 25 | CCP 1169 |
| Sheriff serves writ | Wed Mar 3 | CCP 715.020 |
| Lockout | Tue Mar 9 | CCP 715.020(c) |
Selling a Los Angeles apartment building with tenants in place
Selling doesn’t reset anything. RSO status, current rents, just cause protection and any open unlawful detainer all pass to the buyer, who steps into your position in the case. Buyers will ask for the LAHD registration history, copies of every filed notice and tenant estoppel certificates, and they price RSO rents and a pending case into the offer.
A negotiated move-out can be cheaper than a contested trial, but cash for keys with an RSO tenant falls under the city’s Tenant Buyout Notification Program. You give the tenant LAHD’s signed Disclosure Notice before any offer, write the agreement in the tenant’s primary language with a bold cancellation statement, and allow 30 days to cancel after signing. Then file the notice and agreement through LAHD’s online system within 60 days. Many owners decide the cleaner path is to sell the building as it stands.
Selling your Los Angeles apartment building to Skyline
Skyline Capital Investments buys apartment buildings with five or more units in the City of Los Angeles, occupied and as-is, including RSO buildings and buildings with a pending eviction. Send the address and unit count through the form on this page or call (469) 660-2977. We typically respond within 48 hours.
