Effective August 6, 2021 the City of Los Angeles passed a new Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO - #187109 ) that applies to ALL rentals in the City of Los Angeles, including Single Family Residences and condos.

The LA City Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance prohibits Los Angeles City landlords from engaging in any conduct that a reasonable person would find was intended to disturb the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment of the rental, or was designed to pressure the tenant to move. This includes simply offering a tenant a cash for keys, without first providing the required disclosures if the rental is under the RSO.. This also includes performing mere inspections of a rental without proper notice, or with notice but too often or for a purpose not allowed.

The LA City Tenant Anti Harassment Ordinance defines Tenant Harassment as:

“a landlord’s knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific tenant that seriously alarms or annoys the tenant, and that serves no legitimate purpose.”

In the City of Los Angeles, a tenant can bring a legitimate claim of Tenant Harassment if:

1. A landlord reduces or removes a housing service provided in the lease (e.g., parking, storage, washer/dryer, etc...);
2. A landlord refuses or fails to perform needed maintenance or repairs in a timely manner, or fails to follow applicable industry standards to minimize exposure to noise, dust, lead paint, asbestos, or other harmful building materials;
3. A landlord abuses the right to enter a rental unit by: (a) entering without consent or proper service of a 24 hour notice of entry, (b) entering for a purpose not permitted under the law, (c) entering too often, or (d) photographing areas that are beyond the scope of a lawful entry or inspection;
4. A landlord Intentionally disturbs a tenant’s right to the quiet enjoyment, or right to privacy;
5. A landlord tries to coerce a tenant to move-out with an illegal buyout offer, lies, intimidation, threat of physical harm, or false misrepresentations;
6. A landlord threatens to evict, or serves a notice to evict (3 Day, 30 Day or 60 Day Notice) based on false reasons, reasons not permitted under the law, or that has no reasonable chance of prevailing in Court;
7. A landlord refuses to accept a rent payment from the tenant or fails to deposit the rent check within 30 days;
8. A landlord inquires about the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant or threatens to disclose the tenant's immigration or citizenship status;
9. A landlord threatens/interferes with tenant organizing activities (tenant associations and unions); OR
10. Any other repeated acts or omissions that substantially interfere with or disturb a tenant’s comfort, peace or quiet and that are likely to cause a tenant to vacate.

Under the Los Angeles City Tenant Anti Harassment Ordinance, a tenant can sue their landlord and anyone assisting the landlord in violating the ordinance for actual damages, emotional distress damages, up to $10,000 for each separate harassing act, and reasonable attorney fees.

In addition, a tenant may use the landlord’s violation of the ordinance as an affirmative defense to any eviction action. Further, if it is discovered that a tenant vacated an LA City rent-controlled unit because the landlord violated the ordinance, the City of Los Angeles will reset the maximum allowable rent (MAR) for the unit to the lawful rent in effect at the time the harassed tenant vacated.