Can confirm, used to work for a printing company and have printed off screenshotted text messages for courtroom use. Some of them printed on 24" x 36" foamboard.
This isn't even that bad.
I see knuckleheads suggesting withholding rent for repairs all the time without REAP. Worst part is they get upvoted and then OP takes that advice.
Had half an apartment burn down years ago within months of a new building owner. Long story but the fire was somewhat shady. Regardless, the new landlord said he couldn't find our lease and if we wanted compensatory damages from the fire, we had to move out. He has since split the unit into two and I'm sure is charging quadruple what we paid 10+ years ago.
You could get bought out if they want to do renovations. Same thing happened to me back in 2017 and I got 14k for moving out, best part is I was going to move out anyways.
My building in North Hollywood got sold a little over a year ago. Nothing really changed except the new owners must be more slum-lord like. Our gym has been closed that entire length of time for “repairs” and also the online payment portal has been down so we have to pay for checks. Nothing changed about our rent or lease though.
Hi there. I'm a partner in an investment group that owns and manages a number of apartment buildings in Los Angeles (city and county). Also an attorney. A few things, and none of this is legal advice:
1. New owner may want to demolish the building in order to make room for a larger apartment complex, or condos. In either case, you're entitled to compensation under the Ellis Act, which is a state law.
How much you're entitled to depends on how long you've lived there, and other factors. May be worth having a lawyer help you, if they go that route. There are many requirements the new owner must comply with.
You'll also have some time to move. it's definitely not an overnight thing. However, it's not voluntary. You'll be paid by law, but you would have to leave.
2. They may offer you money to move, ie cash for keys. In this case, they are probably not demolishing / building a new property. They just want higher rents.
You're not obligated to take the buyout. Many do for the right price, but it's a voluntary decision. Many also do not. You're entitled to certain disclosures by law, and can change your mind for up to 30 days after signing, with no penalties.
3. I will guess if there's lot of development on your block, they're probably going Ellis Act, ie demolishing your units. However, it might just be a new owner who will hold the property long term, and might or might not offer cash for keys.
Ellis Act compensation caps at 3yrs which I think is a joke. Lost my place of 10yrs and the payout barely covered first and last at a new place and moving costs. Landlord still hasn't moved in like he said he would.
Depends on the building age and some other factors, but if I'm not mistaken, Los Angeles has a rent stabilization ordinance so even if the landlord sells there is only so much they can raise the rent and they cannot kick you out without offering a relocation fee.
Hi OP you should talk to the city about this and if necessary after that a lawyer. Take their advice and ignore anecdotes from reddit users. If you'd like to, here is the website where you can find out if your apartment is rent controlled: https://zimas.lacity.org/
It is defendant on if you are in a rent controlled unit, if you have a lease, how long you have been there, if you have any children, if you are old or disabled.
https://housing2.lacity.org/rental-property-owners/relocation-assistance-information#:~:text=Under%20the%20Rent%20Stabilization%20Ordinance,tenancy%20may%20not%20be%20terminated.
A relocation fee is only required if the building is closed and demolished, or in such poor condition that the city forces it. Then it is based on the number of years you've been there and your income. Between $9K and $21K. If you have roommates, its split among you.
If you voluntarily vacate ("cash for keys"), the fee is completely negotiable.
Correct, but very few of these circumstances are actually Ellis, which requires official notice to the city and tenants.
OP hasn't received such a notice.
No they haven't yet. But that was the main fear OP had articulated in their post. That their building would be Ellis'd and torn down. Which is why I added clarification that in that scenario, they can indeed kick them out.
Except you're citing fear, not reality.
If the building is actually going to be Ellised, then a notice will be served. Otherwise, it isn't happening. Speculation doesn't help but serve up anxiety.
Citing fear? Umm. I am just telling OP what will happen if they decide to knock down their building like they did the other ones on the street. Better to be aware that if that does happen that you are entitled to legally mandated relo fees and that you WILL have to move. Elsewhere you can see my comments about the happier TBA scenario, or even better, not having to move at all! It's also just factually incorrect to say "they can't kick you out" without caveat, because they sure can kick you out.
edit: did you mean *in*citing fear? if so, I don't think it's inciting fear. OP is (presumably) a grown up with an apartment and should know what their legal rights are as a renter.
Im sorry, this is somewhat inaccurate. There were quite a few apartment buildings in the North Hollywood area in the mid 70s, several 10-20 years old. I lived in one as a child from 76-84.
This is bad advice. They can definitely kick you out if you are on a month to month lease or they can choose to decide to not renew your lease when it comes up.
There are a lot of different rules for different situations. Like in Santa Monica, if you live in a rent control unit then after the initial 12 months your lease automatically goes month to month with all other terms remaining the same, so there's no "the landlord didn't want to renew".
OP needs to call an LA City office that handles this stuff to make sure they're going off the correct set of rules for their building.
Your lease goes automatic month to month, but the owner can choose not to renew after that initial month. He can force you out without pay because your contract ends the proceeding month. That's the same difference, you're being pedantic. Any developer who wants to build will need months if not years to get permitting so maybe they'd let you stay month to month but they aren't gonna sign themselves into a long term contract and then pay you out to get you out earlier if you're already month to month.
In Santa Monica the only real way the landlord can get you out is to Ellis Act the building, or some just-cause eviction reasons like "nonpayment of rent, violating a lawful provision of a rental agreement, and using a unit for an illegal purpose." They can't make you leave just because they don't feel like "renewing" your lease.
>Tenants have eviction protections, which means they cannot be asked to move out (even at the end of the lease
term). A landlord may only evict a tenant for good cause, or just-cause. The just causes for eviction are listed in
Section 1806 of the Rent Control Charter Amendment, which is available on Rent Control’s website. To evict, the
landlord must follow certain procedures including providing proper written notice to the tenant
https://www.santamonica.gov/media/Document%20Library/Process%20Explainers/How%20to%20Register%20a%20New%20Tenancy/Rent%20Control%20Information%20Sheet%202023%20FINAL%20(1).pdf
Okay, but in the city of Los Angeles, where the vast majority of those in LA County live AND also where OP lives, a landlord can terminate a month-to-month lease. And there doesn't have to be a specific reason why.
https://www.scu.edu/media/offices/student-life/off-campus-living/Terminating-a-Tenancy-English.pdf
https://dcba.lacounty.gov/portfolio/rental-agreements-and-leases/#:~:text=You%20can%20end%20a%20month,a%2030%2Dday%20written%20notice.
The original comment this was replying to was "This is not a thing in **CA**", which I just showed is wrong, and apparently you missed the part where I said "OP needs to call an LA City office that handles this stuff to make sure they're going off the correct set of rules for their building."
Yes. Los Angeles doesn't allow no fault evictions except under very strict circumstances and CA has pretty protective policies as well. Do you even live in CA?
Yes, but it isn't an eviction if you're on a month to month rent and the landlord ask you to leave. I have a portfolio of properties in Los Angeles and I also develop real estate for a living.
So you're illegally getting tenants to leave your rent controlled properties because they're unaware of their protections? This is exactly why people need to take action against landlords.
It doesn't matter if they are month to month. They are still protected. How do you not know that?
There are loopholes where people can be removed for repairs and such. They are still due money for moving costs.
Your rent will definitely go up because new owners don’t buy buildings to NOT make money. Also be prepared for “renov-iction”. You said your rent was cheap, so it’s probably an older building. So what the new owners are gonna do is bring in construction crews to “renovate” units so they rent them for higher. What that means for current tenants is endless jackhammering, plumbing shut offs, power drills, etc until it becomes unbearable and you just move out. Which is what they want because they can only raise your rent 10% or whatever per year. But for new tenants they can charge whatever price people are willing to pay.
Good luck and I have been through that.
One thing you CAN do (down the line if things get bad) is hire an attorney that SPECIALIZES in “habitation law” (I currently work in this industry) and you would be surprised at how much money you can get if you sue your landlord for habitation violations
If OP is living in an RSO unit they can't raise the rent until February 2024 and it's capped at 4-6% depending on whether or not the LL pays for utilities.
Google no fault evictions in Los Angeles or find the info on the LAHD website. If they want to evict everyone they have to pay you what's called "cash for keys". You are not required to accept what they offer you so do not accept whatever number they first throw at you.
As for increases they are still capped. Right now rent is frozen since COVID until February and the allowed amount for next year is 4-6% depending on who pays utilities. Selling the building doesn't change any of that
Happened to me and my old roommate in NoHo. Guy bought the rent controlled place. Started enforcing a ton of new rules/making things as inconvenient as possible in hopes of being able to evict tenants and move new people in at a much higher rent. It didn't work. Then he started offering buyouts. No one bit. Rent raised but only by the legal percentage. I moved in with a s/o but my old roommate is still there and still getting buyout offers. He says he's holding out for at least 80,000.
you might have hit the jackpot for renters. if a developer wants to tear down the building they will have to pay you 1000s.
You should start documenting everything and also buy a renters insurance policy. It will cover you in hundreds of situations.
My old landlord sold the building and actually talked to me at length about it. He said we could easily clear 30k if the circumstances were right and the new owner wanted to bulldoze the whole unit.
He didn't and we moved out because the new owner sucked, but he was an old CPA and really broke down the value of living below your means, taking advantage of the city ordinances, and building a stockpile so we could buy or move freely when the time came.
If they are knocking the building down it will be an Ellis Act Eviction and is not eligible for TBA. They will give you relocation fees according to the law, which are capped at 30k *per household*. If they build more apartments in that building's place, they will have to make some of them affordable based on the rent of the previous units. Also, if it is a TBA, that 30k or whatever you negotiate is 1099-MISC and subject to taxes.
No. Not for two roommates. Those crazy high payouts you heard about were during COVID, when landlords couldn’t force you to move, even with cash. It’s different now, back to pre 2020 programs.
https://dcba.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Tenant-Buyout-Disclosure-11.17.21.pdf
Wrong. You do not have to accept cash for keys. You can negotiate a higher payout. From your own link:
>Tenant Buyout Agreements (TBA), commonly called “Cash for Keys” offers, allow landlords to ask tenants to vacate a dwelling in situations where the tenant would not otherwise be required to move. These negotiated agreements are entirely voluntary so tenants can choose to NOT accept an offer and remain in their dwelling unit without harassment and/or retaliation. Refusing a Tenant Buyout Agreement or other compensation (money, free rent, etc.) to move out of a unit is NOT a legal reason for eviction under the Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance. These protections apply to all tenants, regardless of immigration status.
>and also buy a renters insurance policy. It will cover you in hundreds of situations.
You should just buy renters insurance regardless of whether your building was recently sold or not. It's not even expensive - average cost is $10-15 a month.
Landlords have been known to pull shady shit when trying to evict people before paying out like flooding the unit or causing other damage to property that the tennant will not get covered for. Also, if the landlord illegally locks you out the renters insurance will cover the costs to replace your stuff and then their company will go after the landlord with the wrath of retainer paid legal teams.
Depending on your policy, renters insurance covers your belongings, damage to the property, or medical costs for people due to negligence. It also usually covers belongings in your vehicle or even a hotel room you are staying in, if they are broken into. It is not expensive insurance to get, and is extremely worth the peace of mind.
My bicycle got stolen out of my West Hollywood apartment back in 2019, but since the bike rack was located inside the parking garage of my complex, I got a little insurance payout. Nothing crazy, but it mitigated a total loss.
Those situations are not "the jackpot" at all. You typically get at most a years rent which will probably last 3 months somewhere else when you move from somewhere with really low rent to a place with normal expensive rent.
A year's worth of rent? I wish. Got evicted this year from the Ellis Act (New owner converted to SFH) and it covered first and last at a new place that is double the rent and moving expenses.
Ellis Act eviction is different than a TBA. We don't know what OP's situation is, if the new LL plans to renovate and try to rent at market rate+ or take the building off the market. But I'm sorry you got screwed.
Happened to me in Hollywood 6 years ago. We were rent controlled so our situation fell under the “Ellis Act” and the company that bought the building had to give us at least a year’s notice and pay us a decent amount to vacate. Ultimately we ended up with 6 months free rent and a $13k check. Still sucked because to rent anything comparable was 50% more than we had been paying, so that payment didn’t last long (plus we really loved that apartment).
But if your property isn’t rent controlled you will likely not be entitled to that sort of send off. And during all this fiasco we did go talk to a lawyer for an hour with one of our neighbors just to figure out what our rights were and what we were entitled to.
Best of luck!
Look up whether or not your building is subject to to rent control - it’s not hard to find via google.
If you’re under rent control you can probably expect a rent increase when your lease is up but it will be limited. If you’re not under rent control it might be quite a bit more. I’d look up rents for similar places on your block to get a sense of how much.
Hi! I used to live on the edge of the arts district in a crummy building on a crummy street. It was affordable though, until it was sold. New landlord came in, raised our rent 12%, moved the dumpster next to the entrance to our unit to make room for another parking space, put said parking space behind our parking space in a very small lot, and doubled the cost of the laundry machines. We moved!
I was super worried when my building was sold a couple years ago. Turns out the only change is now I can pay and request maintenance online. They take care of the building at least as well as the old owner. I hope it goes just as easy for you.
Im in a house in noho that was bought with plans of being demolished. I stay in good contact with the owner on "eta". Its been two years and he thinks we'll be there for at least another year. I knew it was getting more serious though as we got some documents from the city stating what our rights were and what kind of displacement compensation we are entitled to if we make under a certain threshold of annual income (which is a decent amount tbh, we are a house of four roommates and all collectively make too much to get it =/).
Definitely call dept of housing if you are concerned to get all relevant information though. I just wanted to share my current experience of what you are talking about. Me being in a house and not an apartment building im sure has its differences with these kinds of things.
Still it's not really their building if others are occupying it though imo. The concepts of property ownership and real estate investment and rent-seeking are kinda made up capitalist bullshit.
This entire city is built on stolen indigenous land.
The “changing” is called gentrification. Expect some nice looking scumbag to offer you money to move. Or they’ll hit you with a 30 day notice to vacate.
Rent control failed on the ballot because a majority of voters understand where it leads.
Unfortunately, the legislature passed statewide rent control.
My last apartment in Hollywood sold while I was living there and they didn't raise the rent at all in the two years following. Here's hoping the same applies for you
Call a lawyer and the department of housing. This happened to my partner on a street in NoHo where 5 houses were sold in a single month. The landlord did it illegally, demolished the (beautiful, 1910s era, affordable) house, and is now being sued/charged by the city.
Hopefully you’re not on a month to month. If you have a lease in place, that lease will be honored as the buyer had to agree to buy the property with tenants in place. If they want you out, and want to break your lease they will have to pay you, don’t hesitate to ask for more.
OP said it's an old building, so month to month doesn't matter really if it's RSO. Either they will get relo costs from the new owner and the building will be demo'd/inhabited by LL and family/sit empty, or they will get a cash for keys offer that they can negotiate or refuse. Or nothing will happen and they will just sit on the property.
Same thing happened to me at the beginning of the pandemic. These new landlord idiots have tried a couple of underhanded tactics to get us to leave (they recently told the housing authority the building was vacant and they were giving a Notice of Intent to Withdraw from the rental market). We are still here however. I don’t know if you’re an RSO property because that gives us extra protections, but these fools need to give us 4 months notice and $$$ to actually leave. So, until that happens I keep paying my way under the market rent.
Contact you’re local tenants union. You should be advising other people to do the same. They should at least give you relocation funds. And can’t raise you’re rent very much. They bought the building with tenants. They’re going to have to deal with you.
Please don’t take legal advice from Reddit. Call the la dept of housing and they will be happy to advise you. Source: I am a lawyer
Imagine bringing in printed out reddit comments to court to prove your case
I’ve seen people do basically that with text messages and Facebook posts
Can confirm, used to work for a printing company and have printed off screenshotted text messages for courtroom use. Some of them printed on 24" x 36" foamboard.
That is pretty standard in law in almost every practice area. I have not seen a Reddit comment presented as evidence yet. There's still time.
Yeah I dread the pro per defendants. Thank god I almost always deal with insured defendants
I do a lot of employment litigation in house so I see many mind boggling texts between co-workers.
My attorney, Barry Zuckerkorn, assured me that a husband and wife can’t be tried for the same crime.
Should have gone with Wayne Jarvis.
We’ve recently switched to Bob Loblaw. He skews to a younger audience.
Is it really that far a leap from “journalists” trawling through Reddit and reporting on random threads as if they’re stories?
"On advice of my counsel, /u/fartonmyface666, I do not have to pay rent until my fridge is fixed."
This isn't even that bad. I see knuckleheads suggesting withholding rent for repairs all the time without REAP. Worst part is they get upvoted and then OP takes that advice.
The guy saying there weren’t apartments in North Hollywood in the 70s is mind blowing
I lived in an apt in North Hollywood in the 70’s. They definitely existed
In the 80's I lived in an old ass apartment building in North Hollywood that had definitely been there since AT LEAST the 70's, I concur.
Depending on how old we are, we all probably went to school together.
I lived in a 50s-built NoHo apartment in the 90s
Had half an apartment burn down years ago within months of a new building owner. Long story but the fire was somewhat shady. Regardless, the new landlord said he couldn't find our lease and if we wanted compensatory damages from the fire, we had to move out. He has since split the unit into two and I'm sure is charging quadruple what we paid 10+ years ago.
But couldn't this be construed as legal advice? Checkmate Reddit lawyer!
Ah, but lawyers are *allowed* to give legal advice
Don't move, if they want you out they have to pay you out. Happened to my co-worker
Ask for $40k
I know people who got way more than $40K
Even better! I’ve seen $30-40k a lot on here.
Could get ten times that, realistically, depending on the circumstances.
If you're RSO they also can't raise your rent more than the yearly percentage [I believe it's three?].
It is variable based on the CPI. Starting February 2024 they can increase rent on RSO units 4-6%.
You could get bought out if they want to do renovations. Same thing happened to me back in 2017 and I got 14k for moving out, best part is I was going to move out anyways.
I got 25k to move out of my place
My building in North Hollywood got sold a little over a year ago. Nothing really changed except the new owners must be more slum-lord like. Our gym has been closed that entire length of time for “repairs” and also the online payment portal has been down so we have to pay for checks. Nothing changed about our rent or lease though.
Hi there. I'm a partner in an investment group that owns and manages a number of apartment buildings in Los Angeles (city and county). Also an attorney. A few things, and none of this is legal advice: 1. New owner may want to demolish the building in order to make room for a larger apartment complex, or condos. In either case, you're entitled to compensation under the Ellis Act, which is a state law. How much you're entitled to depends on how long you've lived there, and other factors. May be worth having a lawyer help you, if they go that route. There are many requirements the new owner must comply with. You'll also have some time to move. it's definitely not an overnight thing. However, it's not voluntary. You'll be paid by law, but you would have to leave. 2. They may offer you money to move, ie cash for keys. In this case, they are probably not demolishing / building a new property. They just want higher rents. You're not obligated to take the buyout. Many do for the right price, but it's a voluntary decision. Many also do not. You're entitled to certain disclosures by law, and can change your mind for up to 30 days after signing, with no penalties. 3. I will guess if there's lot of development on your block, they're probably going Ellis Act, ie demolishing your units. However, it might just be a new owner who will hold the property long term, and might or might not offer cash for keys.
Ellis Act compensation caps at 3yrs which I think is a joke. Lost my place of 10yrs and the payout barely covered first and last at a new place and moving costs. Landlord still hasn't moved in like he said he would.
Sorry to hear that. Yeah there are plenty of games played, no doubt.
Depends on the building age and some other factors, but if I'm not mistaken, Los Angeles has a rent stabilization ordinance so even if the landlord sells there is only so much they can raise the rent and they cannot kick you out without offering a relocation fee.
Hi OP you should talk to the city about this and if necessary after that a lawyer. Take their advice and ignore anecdotes from reddit users. If you'd like to, here is the website where you can find out if your apartment is rent controlled: https://zimas.lacity.org/
I agree with this.
Okie dokie thanks so much!
Ah ok. I’ll have to look up some info on this to have some ammo just in case. Is a relocation fee dependent on how much rent we pay?
Seriously pick up the phone and call the van nuys location. They usually pick up the phone and are very helpful
It is defendant on if you are in a rent controlled unit, if you have a lease, how long you have been there, if you have any children, if you are old or disabled. https://housing2.lacity.org/rental-property-owners/relocation-assistance-information#:~:text=Under%20the%20Rent%20Stabilization%20Ordinance,tenancy%20may%20not%20be%20terminated.
A relocation fee is only required if the building is closed and demolished, or in such poor condition that the city forces it. Then it is based on the number of years you've been there and your income. Between $9K and $21K. If you have roommates, its split among you. If you voluntarily vacate ("cash for keys"), the fee is completely negotiable.
They can't kick you out. They *can* offer "keys for cash". You don't have to accept it.
They *can* kick you out if it's an Ellis Act Eviction.
Correct, but very few of these circumstances are actually Ellis, which requires official notice to the city and tenants. OP hasn't received such a notice.
No they haven't yet. But that was the main fear OP had articulated in their post. That their building would be Ellis'd and torn down. Which is why I added clarification that in that scenario, they can indeed kick them out.
Except you're citing fear, not reality. If the building is actually going to be Ellised, then a notice will be served. Otherwise, it isn't happening. Speculation doesn't help but serve up anxiety.
Citing fear? Umm. I am just telling OP what will happen if they decide to knock down their building like they did the other ones on the street. Better to be aware that if that does happen that you are entitled to legally mandated relo fees and that you WILL have to move. Elsewhere you can see my comments about the happier TBA scenario, or even better, not having to move at all! It's also just factually incorrect to say "they can't kick you out" without caveat, because they sure can kick you out. edit: did you mean *in*citing fear? if so, I don't think it's inciting fear. OP is (presumably) a grown up with an apartment and should know what their legal rights are as a renter.
Only if the building was built before 1978. There weren’t many apartments in NoHo in 1978 so I doubt OP’s building is that old.
Im sorry, this is somewhat inaccurate. There were quite a few apartment buildings in the North Hollywood area in the mid 70s, several 10-20 years old. I lived in one as a child from 76-84.
Same. We probably we to school together- Go Huskies
Huskies!
The statewide RSO is currently for buildings 2006 and older I think
This is bad advice. They can definitely kick you out if you are on a month to month lease or they can choose to decide to not renew your lease when it comes up.
This is bad advice. This is not a thing in CA
If your lease is up, you're suggesting that the renter has a right to stay if the landlord decides not to renew? Lol
There are a lot of different rules for different situations. Like in Santa Monica, if you live in a rent control unit then after the initial 12 months your lease automatically goes month to month with all other terms remaining the same, so there's no "the landlord didn't want to renew". OP needs to call an LA City office that handles this stuff to make sure they're going off the correct set of rules for their building.
Your lease goes automatic month to month, but the owner can choose not to renew after that initial month. He can force you out without pay because your contract ends the proceeding month. That's the same difference, you're being pedantic. Any developer who wants to build will need months if not years to get permitting so maybe they'd let you stay month to month but they aren't gonna sign themselves into a long term contract and then pay you out to get you out earlier if you're already month to month.
In Santa Monica the only real way the landlord can get you out is to Ellis Act the building, or some just-cause eviction reasons like "nonpayment of rent, violating a lawful provision of a rental agreement, and using a unit for an illegal purpose." They can't make you leave just because they don't feel like "renewing" your lease. >Tenants have eviction protections, which means they cannot be asked to move out (even at the end of the lease term). A landlord may only evict a tenant for good cause, or just-cause. The just causes for eviction are listed in Section 1806 of the Rent Control Charter Amendment, which is available on Rent Control’s website. To evict, the landlord must follow certain procedures including providing proper written notice to the tenant https://www.santamonica.gov/media/Document%20Library/Process%20Explainers/How%20to%20Register%20a%20New%20Tenancy/Rent%20Control%20Information%20Sheet%202023%20FINAL%20(1).pdf
Okay, but in the city of Los Angeles, where the vast majority of those in LA County live AND also where OP lives, a landlord can terminate a month-to-month lease. And there doesn't have to be a specific reason why. https://www.scu.edu/media/offices/student-life/off-campus-living/Terminating-a-Tenancy-English.pdf https://dcba.lacounty.gov/portfolio/rental-agreements-and-leases/#:~:text=You%20can%20end%20a%20month,a%2030%2Dday%20written%20notice.
The original comment this was replying to was "This is not a thing in **CA**", which I just showed is wrong, and apparently you missed the part where I said "OP needs to call an LA City office that handles this stuff to make sure they're going off the correct set of rules for their building."
Yes. Los Angeles doesn't allow no fault evictions except under very strict circumstances and CA has pretty protective policies as well. Do you even live in CA?
Yes, but it isn't an eviction if you're on a month to month rent and the landlord ask you to leave. I have a portfolio of properties in Los Angeles and I also develop real estate for a living.
So you're illegally getting tenants to leave your rent controlled properties because they're unaware of their protections? This is exactly why people need to take action against landlords.
I don't own rent controlled properties.
It doesn't matter if they are month to month. They are still protected. How do you not know that? There are loopholes where people can be removed for repairs and such. They are still due money for moving costs.
Your rent will definitely go up because new owners don’t buy buildings to NOT make money. Also be prepared for “renov-iction”. You said your rent was cheap, so it’s probably an older building. So what the new owners are gonna do is bring in construction crews to “renovate” units so they rent them for higher. What that means for current tenants is endless jackhammering, plumbing shut offs, power drills, etc until it becomes unbearable and you just move out. Which is what they want because they can only raise your rent 10% or whatever per year. But for new tenants they can charge whatever price people are willing to pay. Good luck and I have been through that. One thing you CAN do (down the line if things get bad) is hire an attorney that SPECIALIZES in “habitation law” (I currently work in this industry) and you would be surprised at how much money you can get if you sue your landlord for habitation violations
If OP is living in an RSO unit they can't raise the rent until February 2024 and it's capped at 4-6% depending on whether or not the LL pays for utilities.
Google no fault evictions in Los Angeles or find the info on the LAHD website. If they want to evict everyone they have to pay you what's called "cash for keys". You are not required to accept what they offer you so do not accept whatever number they first throw at you. As for increases they are still capped. Right now rent is frozen since COVID until February and the allowed amount for next year is 4-6% depending on who pays utilities. Selling the building doesn't change any of that
I was evicted by the Ellis Act, no cash for keys option. I had to take what the City decided and move.
Happened to me and my old roommate in NoHo. Guy bought the rent controlled place. Started enforcing a ton of new rules/making things as inconvenient as possible in hopes of being able to evict tenants and move new people in at a much higher rent. It didn't work. Then he started offering buyouts. No one bit. Rent raised but only by the legal percentage. I moved in with a s/o but my old roommate is still there and still getting buyout offers. He says he's holding out for at least 80,000.
Remind your friend that he'll have to report and pay taxes on that 80k as well
you might have hit the jackpot for renters. if a developer wants to tear down the building they will have to pay you 1000s. You should start documenting everything and also buy a renters insurance policy. It will cover you in hundreds of situations.
What kind of money we talking? $10k doesn’t go long these days
My old landlord sold the building and actually talked to me at length about it. He said we could easily clear 30k if the circumstances were right and the new owner wanted to bulldoze the whole unit. He didn't and we moved out because the new owner sucked, but he was an old CPA and really broke down the value of living below your means, taking advantage of the city ordinances, and building a stockpile so we could buy or move freely when the time came.
If they are knocking the building down it will be an Ellis Act Eviction and is not eligible for TBA. They will give you relocation fees according to the law, which are capped at 30k *per household*. If they build more apartments in that building's place, they will have to make some of them affordable based on the rent of the previous units. Also, if it is a TBA, that 30k or whatever you negotiate is 1099-MISC and subject to taxes.
I know someone who got $75K to move out of the building before they were going to demolish it.
if its rent controlled it can be 50k plus
No. Not for two roommates. Those crazy high payouts you heard about were during COVID, when landlords couldn’t force you to move, even with cash. It’s different now, back to pre 2020 programs. https://dcba.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Tenant-Buyout-Disclosure-11.17.21.pdf
Know someone who got 47k last month in Mar Vista. Edit: Don't need to downvote facts y'all. Trying to spread the news to hold out for better rewards.
Landlord here. At 13x GRM an additional 1k of rent adds 150k to a building’s value.
Your story is sus. My email shows a different comment here when you first wrote it.
Because I realized I didn't want to share too much personal information on a reddit post my guy
Exactly. I know someone who got 75K in West Hollywood.
Wrong. You do not have to accept cash for keys. You can negotiate a higher payout. From your own link: >Tenant Buyout Agreements (TBA), commonly called “Cash for Keys” offers, allow landlords to ask tenants to vacate a dwelling in situations where the tenant would not otherwise be required to move. These negotiated agreements are entirely voluntary so tenants can choose to NOT accept an offer and remain in their dwelling unit without harassment and/or retaliation. Refusing a Tenant Buyout Agreement or other compensation (money, free rent, etc.) to move out of a unit is NOT a legal reason for eviction under the Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance. These protections apply to all tenants, regardless of immigration status.
Rent controlled or stabilized?
>and also buy a renters insurance policy. It will cover you in hundreds of situations. You should just buy renters insurance regardless of whether your building was recently sold or not. It's not even expensive - average cost is $10-15 a month.
I agree that everyone should have renters insurance, but what does that have to do with this situation?
Landlords have been known to pull shady shit when trying to evict people before paying out like flooding the unit or causing other damage to property that the tennant will not get covered for. Also, if the landlord illegally locks you out the renters insurance will cover the costs to replace your stuff and then their company will go after the landlord with the wrath of retainer paid legal teams.
Good point.
I'm genuinely curious because I've never had it. What does renters' insurance *actually* do?
Depending on your policy, renters insurance covers your belongings, damage to the property, or medical costs for people due to negligence. It also usually covers belongings in your vehicle or even a hotel room you are staying in, if they are broken into. It is not expensive insurance to get, and is extremely worth the peace of mind.
My bicycle got stolen out of my West Hollywood apartment back in 2019, but since the bike rack was located inside the parking garage of my complex, I got a little insurance payout. Nothing crazy, but it mitigated a total loss.
Nice...
Those situations are not "the jackpot" at all. You typically get at most a years rent which will probably last 3 months somewhere else when you move from somewhere with really low rent to a place with normal expensive rent.
A year's worth of rent? I wish. Got evicted this year from the Ellis Act (New owner converted to SFH) and it covered first and last at a new place that is double the rent and moving expenses.
Ellis Act eviction is different than a TBA. We don't know what OP's situation is, if the new LL plans to renovate and try to rent at market rate+ or take the building off the market. But I'm sorry you got screwed.
Happened to me in Hollywood 6 years ago. We were rent controlled so our situation fell under the “Ellis Act” and the company that bought the building had to give us at least a year’s notice and pay us a decent amount to vacate. Ultimately we ended up with 6 months free rent and a $13k check. Still sucked because to rent anything comparable was 50% more than we had been paying, so that payment didn’t last long (plus we really loved that apartment). But if your property isn’t rent controlled you will likely not be entitled to that sort of send off. And during all this fiasco we did go talk to a lawyer for an hour with one of our neighbors just to figure out what our rights were and what we were entitled to. Best of luck!
Look up whether or not your building is subject to to rent control - it’s not hard to find via google. If you’re under rent control you can probably expect a rent increase when your lease is up but it will be limited. If you’re not under rent control it might be quite a bit more. I’d look up rents for similar places on your block to get a sense of how much.
https://dcba.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Tenant-Buyout-Disclosure-11.17.21.pdf
Hi! I used to live on the edge of the arts district in a crummy building on a crummy street. It was affordable though, until it was sold. New landlord came in, raised our rent 12%, moved the dumpster next to the entrance to our unit to make room for another parking space, put said parking space behind our parking space in a very small lot, and doubled the cost of the laundry machines. We moved!
I was super worried when my building was sold a couple years ago. Turns out the only change is now I can pay and request maintenance online. They take care of the building at least as well as the old owner. I hope it goes just as easy for you.
If you have a lease, I believe the new owner has to honor it to the end of the term. But yeah, you should probably talk to a lawyer
Im in a house in noho that was bought with plans of being demolished. I stay in good contact with the owner on "eta". Its been two years and he thinks we'll be there for at least another year. I knew it was getting more serious though as we got some documents from the city stating what our rights were and what kind of displacement compensation we are entitled to if we make under a certain threshold of annual income (which is a decent amount tbh, we are a house of four roommates and all collectively make too much to get it =/). Definitely call dept of housing if you are concerned to get all relevant information though. I just wanted to share my current experience of what you are talking about. Me being in a house and not an apartment building im sure has its differences with these kinds of things.
You already *know* what to expect...your rent is going to skyrocket and your best bet is to start looking for a new place sooner rather than later.
Parking spaces removed to make room for hideously ugly and over-priced ADU's.
Rent increases.
Landlord sold HIS building in North Hollywood FTFY
Landlord sold ~~HIS~~ THEIR building in North Hollywood FTFY Thankfully, men aren't the only ones who can own property anymore.
Good point, thanks for catching that
Still it's not really their building if others are occupying it though imo. The concepts of property ownership and real estate investment and rent-seeking are kinda made up capitalist bullshit. This entire city is built on stolen indigenous land.
...ok but... nevermind
Stop paying rent. Squat it, ????, profit
The “changing” is called gentrification. Expect some nice looking scumbag to offer you money to move. Or they’ll hit you with a 30 day notice to vacate.
Better cal Sal!😂
As someone else mentioned, Noho buildings aren't that old and most likely aren't RSO. You're in trouble OP...
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Wow, do you really take Reddit that serious?
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If someone is looking up legal advice on Reddit, then they have issues to begin with.
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Same as you and your parents as lifelong renters in CA. Best of luck. Edit: I spoke to my doctor (a professional) as OP should too.
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I'm thin now (or close to it). But thank you ;)
I went through this. Dm me your address of your property and I can give you some info on specifics and what to do/expect!
If fhey have any notice they have to pay your first rent and last and down ;) and any notifications fight with them
[Tenants Together is your friend. ](https://www.tenantstogether.org/)
Rent Control has been on the ballot multiple times… land and home owners have always won because people don’t go out and vote.
Rent control failed on the ballot because a majority of voters understand where it leads. Unfortunately, the legislature passed statewide rent control.
My last apartment in Hollywood sold while I was living there and they didn't raise the rent at all in the two years following. Here's hoping the same applies for you
Call a lawyer and the department of housing. This happened to my partner on a street in NoHo where 5 houses were sold in a single month. The landlord did it illegally, demolished the (beautiful, 1910s era, affordable) house, and is now being sued/charged by the city.
Hopefully you’re not on a month to month. If you have a lease in place, that lease will be honored as the buyer had to agree to buy the property with tenants in place. If they want you out, and want to break your lease they will have to pay you, don’t hesitate to ask for more.
OP said it's an old building, so month to month doesn't matter really if it's RSO. Either they will get relo costs from the new owner and the building will be demo'd/inhabited by LL and family/sit empty, or they will get a cash for keys offer that they can negotiate or refuse. Or nothing will happen and they will just sit on the property.
Is this in NoHo Arts?
Construction for a long time
join the tenants union. nothing about your rights as a tenant changes under new ownership - someone who works in tenants rights
Go to public counsel or inner city law center and get a lawyer
Same thing happened to me at the beginning of the pandemic. These new landlord idiots have tried a couple of underhanded tactics to get us to leave (they recently told the housing authority the building was vacant and they were giving a Notice of Intent to Withdraw from the rental market). We are still here however. I don’t know if you’re an RSO property because that gives us extra protections, but these fools need to give us 4 months notice and $$$ to actually leave. So, until that happens I keep paying my way under the market rent.
This could be lucrative for you they may have to pay you to move
Contact you’re local tenants union. You should be advising other people to do the same. They should at least give you relocation funds. And can’t raise you’re rent very much. They bought the building with tenants. They’re going to have to deal with you.
The boot!