Coronavirus: LA City Council Moves Forward With Plan To Freeze Rent Hikes For One Year For Older Apartment

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to move forward with a plan to freeze rent increases for a period of about one year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The city council voted to have the city attorney's office draft an ordinance which would halt rent increases for 360 days for apartments that are protected by the city's rent stabilization ordinance (RSO).

The RSO allows landlords to increase rent by only 3 percent every year for units built before 1979.

Last month, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a rent freeze for all RSO units that lasts until 60 days after the city's coronavirus state of emergency is lifted. This motion would extend that.

Initially, motions were filed by Councilmen David Ryu, Mike Bonin and Marqueece Harris-Dawson that would have put a temporary stop to rent increases on all residential rental units, not just those under the RSO.

However, that motion failed by a margin of 7-6.

The city of L.A. last month announced a halt on evictions during the coronavirus. Tenants will have up to 12 months to repay back rent once the pandemic ends.

Los Angeles County also approved a moratorium halting all residential and commercial evictions through May 31 in unincorporated areas.

Last October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law which caps annual rent increases at 5 percent for any housing that is 15 years or older.

The city attorney's office has 30 days to return with the draft ordinance for council consideration.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)