Inglewood Passes Emergency Rent Control Ordinance

INGLEWOOD (CBSLA) – The Inglewood City Council Tuesday passed an emergency ordinance which temporarily puts a cap on how much landlords can increase rent on their tenants in older buildings.

The ordinance, which was approved unanimously, according to Curbed LA, puts a 45-day moratorium on rent increases, during which time landlords cannot raise rent by more than 5 percent.

After the 45-day moratorium, the council has the option of extending the ordinance for another year.

It only applies to apartment complexes and duplexes built before February 1995, Curbed reports, but not single-family homes or condos.

The ordinance also added an amendment which protects tenants from being evicted without just cause, according to the Uplift Inglewood Coalition, a community group which helped spearhead the push for rent control measures.

With construction of Inglewood's new Los Angeles Stadium, which will serve as the home of the Rams and Chargers beginning in the 2020 season, there has been growing concern that increased development in the city will spike rents and force out residents who have lived there for decades.

Last November, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a similar temporary ordinance which limits rent hikes to 3 percent per year on certain apartments in unincorporated areas. The ordinance will be in effect for six months. The board can either vote to extend it or replace it with a permanent one.

It's similar to the city of L.A.'s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which also allows landlords to increase rent by only 3 percent every year for rent-controlled units built before 1979.