Protecting renters

Nearly two thirds of Angelenos rent their homes. Nearly 60% of them are rent burdened, which means they pay more than 30% of their income toward housing, *a larger percentage than any other major city in America.* 

Let’s underscore what that really means: every month, a larger percentage of Angelenos choose between paying the rent or paying for groceries, healthcare, school costs, childcare and other necessities than in any other city in America. And for 80% of the lowest-income Angelenos, more than half of everything they earn goes to rent before a single other bill gets paid.

That burden can tip into crisis with one bad month. From 2023 through 2025, the Housing Department received 245,599 eviction notices. Ninety-three percent were for non-payment of rent. The average amount owed: less than $4,000. This is a burden that falls hardest on the same people every time: renters with children, renters of color, renters with disabilities, renters in low-income communities, older renters. 

What we've already built

Under Nithya's leadership, Los Angeles has taken dramatic steps to protect struggling renters.  The city passed universal Just Cause eviction protections, becoming the largest city in America to do so. The city also made it unlawful to evict tenants who owe less than one month's fair market rent, effectively providing a grace period to tenants who have a tough month. The city also required landlords to file their intent to evict with the Housing Department, and passed strong protections against harassment of tenants. Finally, the city also passed a Right to Counsel, providing eviction defense assistance to qualifying renters facing eviction. 

Most significantly, Nithya led the effort to lower allowable rent increases in rent stabilized units for the *first time in 40 years,* reducing rent increases for over 1.5 million Angelenos from 3-8% annually to 1-4% annually.  

Redesigning the city to protect renters

But passing strong policies is not enough: the enforcement of these protections has significantly lagged behind the law. Out of 21,402 TAHO complaints received by the Los Angeles Housing Department from August 2021 through August 2025, only 35 cases were referred to the city attorney’s office. And the city took almost no action on thousands of reported cases of rent gouging after the Palisades fires. We need a city that is organized around a mandate to protect renters and to protect rental housing.

The goal

A Los Angeles where you can rent with dignity and the laws protecting you are enforced. Where one tough month doesn't cost you your home. Where rent controlled units are for Angelenos, not for tourists. 

Our plan 

  1. Launch an Office of Tenant Protections to protect renters through comprehensive case management, policy enforcement, and legal representation – strong laws mean nothing without the institutional muscle and organizational mandate to enforce them. City attorney staff must sit side-by-side with Housing Department staff to break down the departmental silos that have let too many renters fall through the cracks. Ensure that every city program is tracking outcomes so that investments can be redirected to our most effective interventions that keep communities intact. 

  2. Partner with the Superior Court of LA County to keep families in their homes. Share eviction filing and unlawful detainer data between the city and the county to make sure city policies are being followed before cases are taken up. Provide support for mediation, creating payment plans, and access to city-funded rent relief before a case goes to trial. 

Preserve the housing we have

The goal

A Los Angeles where affordable housing is protected from corporate buyouts, illegal short-term rentals, and bad faith evictions.

The problem

Los Angeles is losing its affordable housing stock faster than it can be replaced. Private equity firms and corporate landlords have been systematically buying up single-family homes across the city, treating them as investments rather than homes for working families. Rent-controlled apartments that should house tenants are being illegally converted into short-term rentals, and bad faith evictions are being used to clear out long-term tenants and permanently remove affordable units from the market.

Our plan 

  1. Launch a new Office of Home-Sharing dedicated to administering permits and enforcing regulations, launching investigations and inspections for compliance, ensuring primary residence, cracking down on rent-controlled housing being used for tourist accommodation, and issuing fines to deter bad behavior.   

  2. Champion Ellis Act reform at the state level closing the loopholes that allow bad faith evictions and the permanent loss of affordable housing.

  3. Support small landlords through robust repair, maintenance, and rehabilitation programs for those with financial difficulties. 

  4. Stop the corporatization of rental housing by prohibiting private equity firms from systematically buying up large numbers of single-family homes. 

  5. Preserve at-risk units by creating strong incentives for owners to extend or renew their affordability covenants, providing gap funding for repair work, and purchasing naturally occurring affordable housing to keep rents low.