LA County Ordinance 2021-0040, codified at Title 8.59, prohibits landlords in unincorporated areas from harassing tenants through threats, coercion, intimidation, utility shutoffs, or false eviction filings. DCBA investigates and penalties run per violation.
Codified at LACO Title 8.59 and adopted as Ordinance 2021-0040, the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance mirrors LA City's TAHO. It declares unlawful at least fifteen categories of landlord conduct, including threats, intimidation, fraud, utility or service interruptions, unlawful entries, refusing repairs, abusing rent demands, attempting to coerce vacancies, retaliating for protected activity, and filing baseless eviction actions. Tenants in unincorporated LA County may file complaints with DCBA, which investigates and may impose administrative penalties. Affected tenants may also sue for actual damages, statutory penalties of up to $10,000 per violation (more for elderly or disabled tenants), punitive damages, and attorney fees in civil court.
Each act of harassment is a separate violation. Tenants may recover actual and statutory damages, attorney fees, and injunctions; DCBA may impose administrative fines and refer for criminal prosecution.
Santa Monica, CA
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See how Santa Monica's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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