LA Relocation Assistance: How Much Landlords Must Pay Renters

When a landlord ends your tenancy through no fault of your own, California and Los Angeles law generally require the landlord to help pay for your move. This is called relocation assistance. It is not a favor and it is not optional — for covered no-fault evictions it is a legal obligation, and the amount is set by ordinance, not by negotiation.

The catch is that three different rulebooks can apply depending on exactly where your unit sits: the City of Los Angeles (Rent Stabilization Ordinance, or RSO), unincorporated Los Angeles County, and the State of California (AB 1482). Separately incorporated cities like Glendale, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood have their own ordinances on top of state law. This guide walks through each, so you can figure out which payment you are owed.

Not sure which rulebook covers your unit? Our guide to rent stabilization in Los Angeles walks through five example addresses.

What counts as a "no-fault" eviction

Relocation assistance is triggered by no-fault reasons — situations where you did nothing wrong but the landlord wants the unit back. The most common no-fault grounds are:

• Owner or family move-in — the landlord or a qualifying family member wants to occupy the unit.
• Ellis Act withdrawal — the landlord is taking every unit in the building off the rental market (California Government Code §7060 and following). Ellis evictions carry long notice periods, relocation, and re-rental restrictions.
• Demolition or permanent removal of the unit from the rental market.
• Major renovation or primary rehabilitation that requires the unit to be vacant — this usually triggers temporary relocation (see below).
• Compliance with a government or court order to vacate.

By contrast, an "at-fault" eviction — nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, a nuisance — does not entitle you to relocation. If your notice claims fault you dispute, that is worth challenging; see our guide on RSO eviction protections.

City of Los Angeles (RSO and JCO): the current amounts

Inside the City of Los Angeles, relocation assistance is required for no-fault evictions from all residential rental units, not only rent-stabilized ones. Two city ordinances share one payment schedule:

• Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO): generally rental buildings first built on or before October 1, 1978 (Los Angeles Municipal Code §151.09).
• Just Cause Ordinance (JCO): most other rentals in the city, once you have lived in the unit six months or your first lease has ended, whichever comes first (LAMC §165.03).

To see which one covers your address, enter it in ZIMAS and open the Housing tab, which shows the RSO and JCO status.

The amount depends on your tenant category and your tenancy. You are a Qualified Tenant if, on the date the termination notice is served, you are 62 or older, have a disability, or have at least one minor dependent child. Everyone else is an Eligible Tenant.

Relocation amounts, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027

Source: LAHD Relocation Assistance Bulletin A and the City of Los Angeles Renter Protections Notice, both revised July 1, 2026. The amounts go up every July 1.

How it works in practice:

• The smaller "Mom & Pop" amount applies only to a move-in by the owner, a family member or a resident manager, and only when the owner meets LAHD's small-landlord conditions (for example, owning no more than four residential units and one single-family home on a separate lot in the city). Ellis Act withdrawals, demolitions and government orders pay the full amounts.
• For a JCO-covered single-family home owned by a natural person who owns no more than four residential units plus a single-family home on a separate lot, the payment is one month's rent.
• The landlord must file a Declaration of Intent to Evict with LAHD before serving the notice, and file a copy of the notice with LAHD within three business days of serving it. The payment must be made available within 15 days of service of the notice.
• A landlord may deduct unpaid rent you owe from the relocation payment.
• For an Ellis Act withdrawal the payment can instead go into an escrow account. See how the Ellis Act works, including your right to return if the units come back on the market.
• Lower-income tenants displaced by demolition for new construction may be owed higher amounts under the Resident Protections Ordinance; LAHD's Relocation Assistance Bulletin B covers that case.

Temporary relocation for repairs and renovations

If you have to move out only temporarily — for seismic work, a major rehab, or because the unit landed in the City's Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) for chronic code violations — you are generally owed temporary relocation instead of the permanent payment. That covers the cost of comparable replacement housing (or a per-diem for shorter displacements) plus certain moving costs, and you keep the right to return at your old rent. LAHD's Tenant Habitability Program governs renovation-driven displacement; if repairs are being used as a pretext to push you out, document everything and contact LAHD. For repair rights generally, see our guide on habitability and repairs.

Unincorporated LA County

If your unit is in an unincorporated part of the county (not inside any city's limits), the County's Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance applies rather than the City RSO. The County requires relocation assistance for covered no-fault terminations, generally measured as a multiple of the monthly rent. Because the County structures its payment differently from the City, confirm the current requirement with the County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs: dcba.lacounty.gov rent stabilization. If you are not sure whether your address is in the City, the County, or a separate city, that same office (or the City's LAHD) can help you check.

State law (AB 1482) as the floor

Even outside any local rent-control zone, most California tenants who have lived in a unit 12 months or more are covered by the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, Civil Code §1946.2). For a no-fault "just cause" termination — owner move-in, withdrawal from the market, demolition, or a government order — the landlord must provide relocation equal to one month's rent, due within 15 calendar days of serving the notice. The landlord can either pay it directly or waive the final month's rent. This is a floor; where a stronger local ordinance applies (like the City RSO or a Glendale ordinance), the more protective rule controls. More on state coverage in our AB 1482 guide. The statute itself is on the state's legislative site: Civil Code §1946.2 (leginfo.ca.gov).

Glendale and other separately incorporated cities

Glendale has its own relocation ordinance. It requires relocation payments not only for no-fault terminations but also when a tenant chooses to leave in response to a rent increase above a set threshold — and Glendale's amounts are tiered by unit size (number of bedrooms) rather than tenant category. Confirm the current figures on the City of Glendale's housing pages before relying on them.

Other cities in the region — Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, and Inglewood among them — each maintain separate rent and relocation rules, often more generous than the state floor. The practical takeaway: identify which jurisdiction your unit is actually in first, because that single fact usually determines which payment schedule governs.

Protecting yourself

Get every notice in writing and keep it. Do not sign a "cash for keys" agreement or accept a lump sum without confirming it meets or exceeds what the ordinance requires. A voluntary buyout can be legitimate, but it should never be less than your legal relocation right, and City of LA buyout agreements have their own disclosure and filing rules. Keep your lease, rent receipts and notices together: they are how you prove your tenant category and how long you have lived there. When the stakes are high, a tenant attorney or legal aid clinic can confirm the exact figure for your situation, and the City's free eviction-defense program, Stay Housed LA (stayhousedla.org, 888-694-0040), can help.

Checklist: which payment am I owed?

1. Is the reason no-fault? Owner or family move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, demolition, a government order or a conversion. If the notice blames you (nonpayment, a lease violation), relocation is not owed, but you can dispute the claim.
2. Where is the unit? The City of Los Angeles (check ZIMAS), unincorporated LA County, or a separate city such as Glendale or Santa Monica. A "Los Angeles" mailing address alone does not tell you.
3. In the City, RSO or JCO? Both use the table above. JCO protection starts after six months or when your first lease ends.
4. Your category: Qualified (62 or older, a disability, or a minor dependent child) or Eligible.
5. Your column: less than 3 years, or 3 years or more / income at or below 80% of area median. The Mom & Pop amount only applies to a qualifying owner or family move-in.
6. Timing: the landlord must file with LAHD first and make the payment available within 15 days of the notice. If something is missing, call LAHD at (866) 557-7368.
7. Outside the City: the County ordinance or your city's own rules apply, and state law (AB 1482) guarantees at least one month's rent to covered tenants.

Frequently asked questions

Does relocation assistance apply if I am evicted for not paying rent?

No. Relocation assistance is only owed for no-fault evictions — owner move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, demolition, major renovation, or a government order. An eviction based on your alleged conduct (nonpayment, a lease breach, a nuisance) does not trigger a relocation payment. If you believe the "fault" claim is false or pretextual, that is worth contesting.

How much relocation will I actually receive in the City of LA?

For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027: $11,000 or $14,400 for an Eligible Tenant, and $23,150 or $27,400 for a Qualified Tenant (62 or older, a tenant with a disability, or a household with a minor child). The higher figure applies if you have lived there three years or more, or your household income is at or below 80% of area median income. The reduced "Mom & Pop" amounts ($10,550 and $21,250) apply only to qualifying owner or family move-ins. The figures rise every July 1, so check LAHD's current bulletin.

Who pays the relocation money, and when?

The landlord pays. In the City of LA the payment must be made available within 15 days of service of the termination notice; for an Ellis Act withdrawal it can be placed in an escrow account instead. Under state AB 1482, the one-month-rent payment is due within 15 calendar days of the notice, or the landlord can waive your last month's rent instead.

What if I only have to move out temporarily for repairs?

Then you are owed temporary relocation — the cost of comparable replacement housing (or a per-diem) plus moving costs — and you keep the right to return at your prior rent. This applies to renovation-driven displacement and REAP situations. Watch for repairs being used as a pretext to remove you permanently, and document the timeline.

My building is in Glendale, not the City of LA — is it different?

Yes. Glendale runs its own relocation ordinance, with amounts tiered by the number of bedrooms and triggers that include large rent increases, not just no-fault evictions. Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and other incorporated cities also have separate rules. Confirm your exact address's jurisdiction first, then check that city's current schedule.