LA Rent Stabilization (RSO) Explained: Coverage, Increases, Evictions

If you rent an older apartment in the City of Los Angeles, there is a good chance your home is protected by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) — the city's rent-control law. The RSO limits how much your rent can rise each year, requires a legal reason to evict you, and forces landlords to pay relocation money for many no-fault move-outs. This guide explains what the RSO covers, how to confirm your unit qualifies, and the rules on increases, evictions, and relocation as of 2026. It is educational information, not legal advice.

One warning up front: "Los Angeles" is not one rulebook. The City of LA RSO, the separate LA County ordinance for unincorporated areas, and the statewide AB 1482 cap are three different systems. This guide is about the City of LA RSO; the last section helps you figure out which one governs your address.

What the RSO is and who runs it

The RSO is Chapter XV of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC §151.00 and following), administered by the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD). It covers roughly 624,000 rental units across the city. For a covered unit, the RSO does three big things: it caps annual rent increases at a percentage LAHD publishes, it requires "just cause" to end a tenancy, and it entitles many displaced tenants to relocation assistance. See LAHD's overview at housing.lacity.gov/rso.

The RSO controls the amount a landlord can charge and the reasons a landlord can evict. Habitability, deposits, and screening are separate California laws that apply to almost every rental regardless of RSO status.

Is your unit covered? The October 1, 1978 test

The core RSO coverage test is the building's age. A unit is generally covered if the building was first built (certificate of occupancy issued) on or before October 1, 1978 and it is one of these types:

• An apartment, condominium, or townhome;
• A duplex, or two or more single-family homes on the same lot;
• A room in a hotel, motel, or rooming/boarding house occupied by the same tenant for 30 or more consecutive days;
• A residential unit attached to a commercial building; or
• An ADU or Junior ADU (and mobilehomes in mobilehome parks).

Generally not RSO-covered: a single-family home that is the only home on its lot, most units built after October 1, 1978, and hotel/motel stays under 30 days. See LAHD's list at What is Covered under the RSO.

Two traps worth knowing. First, an unpermitted unit (like a converted garage) inside a pre-1978 building is still RSO-covered — illegality is the landlord's problem, not a reason you lose protection. Second, "not RSO" does not mean "no protection." You can confirm your unit's status and history using the city's parcel tools — the LAHD Property Activity Report and ZIMAS's RSO field — described in our guide to looking up a building's records.

Registration — and why it matters to you

Every RSO landlord must register the unit annually with LAHD and pay the registration fee. This is filed through the LAHD Rent Registry. Registration matters to tenants because a landlord who is not current on registration generally cannot legally raise your rent or pursue certain evictions until they comply. If a landlord tries to increase your rent, it is fair to ask whether the unit is registered.

Two small surcharges can be passed through to you on top of rent, but only with written notice: the Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) fee of about $2.83/month and the RSO registration fee of about $1.61/month. These are surcharges, not part of your base rent.

How much rent can go up under the RSO

The RSO allowable increase is 3% for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. LAHD has confirmed the increase effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 is 3% — a flat number, not a range. A landlord may raise RSO rent once every 12 months, with 30 days' written notice for an increase of 10% or less (California Civil Code §827). Verify the current published figure on the LAHD Renter Protections page.

Note two important 2026 changes that make older advice outdated. Effective February 2, 2026, the city changed the RSO formula to 90% of average CPI, banded between 1% and 4% (the old 3%-to-8% band is gone). The city also eliminated the utility passthrough — the old extra 1% for gas and 1% for electricity when the landlord pays those utilities no longer applies. Even under the new 1%–4% band, LAHD has held the published rate at 3% through mid-2027. For a deeper walkthrough, see our guide on RSO rent increases.

Evictions: just cause under the RSO

Under the RSO (LAMC §151.09), a landlord needs one of a limited set of legal reasons to end your tenancy — you cannot be evicted simply because a lease ended. The reasons fall into two buckets. At-fault causes include nonpayment of rent, a material lease violation, nuisance or illegal use, and refusing to renew a similar lease. No-fault causes include owner or family move-in, government order to vacate, demolition, and permanent removal from the market under the Ellis Act (see below).

An eviction still requires a court case — an unlawful detainer lawsuit. A landlord can never lock you out, shut off utilities, or remove your belongings; only the sheriff can carry out a court-ordered eviction, and self-help lockouts are illegal under Civil Code §789.3. If you receive any notice, you generally have 10 court days to respond once served with a court summons, and free help is available. See our full just-cause eviction guide and organizations like Stay Housed LA (1-888-694-0040). Landlords must also file eviction notices with LAHD; a failure to file can be a tenant defense.

No-fault evictions and relocation money

When a landlord ends an RSO tenancy for a no-fault reason, they must pay relocation assistance per unit, with the amount set each July 1 by LAHD. For the period July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, the RSO amounts are:

• Eligible tenant: $11,000 (under 3 years' tenancy) or $14,400 (3+ years, or low-income ≤80% AMI).
• Qualified tenant (62 or older, disabled, or with a minor child): $23,150 (under 3 years) or $27,400 (3+ years or low-income).
• "Mom & Pop" reduced amount (owner/family move-in only, 4-or-fewer-unit building, strict conditions): $10,550 (eligible) or $21,250 (qualified).

Key traps: the reduced "Mom & Pop" amount applies only to owner/family move-ins — never to Ellis, demolition, or government orders, which pay the full amounts above. The relocation is generally payable within 15 days of the notice. The exact figures and conditions are in LAHD's official bulletin, Relocation Assistance Bulletin A; our relocation guide breaks down the tiers.

The Ellis Act (California Government Code §7060) is the state law a landlord uses to go out of the rental business entirely and withdraw all units. It pays full RSO relocation, requires a 120-day notice (up to one year for tenants who are 62+ or disabled and request it), and gives displaced tenants a right of first refusal if the units return to the market within the statutory windows. See our Ellis Act guide.

Not under the RSO? County RSTPO and AB 1482

If your building was built after October 1, 1978, or is a standalone single-family home, you are likely not RSO-covered — but you probably still have protections:

• City of LA Just Cause Ordinance (JCO): covers most non-RSO rentals in the city (including single-family homes and condos) after 6 months' tenancy — eviction protection only, with relocation for no-fault move-outs. Your rent cap in that case comes from AB 1482.
• Unincorporated LA County (RSTPO): a completely separate ordinance run by the county's Department of Consumer & Business Affairs for units built on/before February 1, 1995 in unincorporated areas. Its 2026–27 caps are tiered: 1.919% / 2.919% / 3.919%. Confirm your address is truly unincorporated at dcba.lacounty.gov.
• Statewide AB 1482: the backstop cap of 5% plus regional CPI, up to 10%. For the LA region the cap is 8.0% through July 31, 2026, then 8.7% from August 1, 2026.

Incorporated cities like Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, and Long Beach have their own rules — never assume the LA City RSO applies there.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my apartment is RSO-covered?

Check the building's year built (RSO generally covers buildings first occupied on or before October 1, 1978, with two or more units), then confirm on LAHD's Property Activity Report or the city's ZIMAS parcel tool. LAHD is the official authority on coverage.

What is the RSO rent increase right now?

It is 3% through June 30, 2027. A landlord may raise RSO rent only once every 12 months with 30 days' written notice. The old 3%-to-8% band and utility add-ons were replaced in February 2026 by a 1%-to-4% band with no utility passthrough.

My building is not RSO — can my landlord raise the rent as much as they want?

Usually no. Non-RSO units more than 15 years old are typically capped by AB 1482 (8.0% through 7/31/26, then 8.7%), and unincorporated-county units may fall under the County RSTPO. Only genuinely exempt units (such as new construction under 15 years old) have no percentage cap.

Can I be evicted just because my lease ended?

Not from an RSO unit. The landlord needs a just cause (LAMC §151.09), and non-RSO units in the city are usually protected by the Just Cause Ordinance after 6 months. Any eviction requires a court case; lockouts and utility shutoffs are illegal.

How much relocation money will I get for a no-fault eviction?

For July 2026–June 2027, RSO amounts range from $11,000 for an eligible tenant up to $27,400 for a qualified tenant with 3+ years or low income. Reduced "Mom & Pop" amounts apply only to owner move-ins in small buildings, never to Ellis or demolition.

Does my landlord owe me interest on my security deposit?

If you are in an RSO unit and your deposit has been held at least one year, yes. The city's Rent Adjustment Commission rate for 2026 is 3.03%. See our security deposit guide for the deposit cap (one month's rent under AB 12) and the 21-day return rule.

This guide is for general education and is not legal advice. Rent rules and dollar figures change; confirm current numbers with LAHD or the LA County DCBA, and get free help from a tenant legal-aid organization before acting on a notice.