Under LA County's RSTPO, landlords in unincorporated areas may end a tenancy without tenant fault only for owner move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, demolition or permanent removal, substantial remodel, or government order. Each path requires notice, filing, and relocation pay.
Title 8.52.060(B) of the LA County Code lists the no-fault grounds available to landlords in unincorporated areas: owner or qualifying-relative move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal under Cal. Gov. Code §7060, demolition or permanent removal from rental use, substantial remodel requiring tenants to vacate at least 30 days, and compliance with a government or court order. Each path requires advance written notice, a Declaration of Intent to Evict filed with DCBA, and payment of statutory relocation assistance under §8.52.080 before the move-out date. Owner move-in further requires the owner or qualifying relative to occupy the unit as a primary residence for at least two continuous years.
Filing a sham no-fault notice exposes the landlord to wrongful-eviction damages of three times actual harm, plus attorney fees and DCBA penalties of up to several thousand dollars per violation.
See how Santa Monica's no-fault evictions rules stack up against other locations.
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