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Council adopts interim ordinance aligning eviction notice periods with state Ellis Act
Summary
The City Council approved an interim ordinance to bring city practice into conformity with state law (Ellis Act), extending notice periods for tenants affected by landlords withdrawing units from the rental market. Council amended the ordinance’s retroactive date to Aug. 11 and approved it on the council floor.
The Los Angeles City Council on Aug. 11 adopted an interim ordinance to align city procedures with state law regarding landlord withdrawals of rental units under the Ellis Act, extending eviction/withdrawal notice periods for tenants.
Councilmember Feuer, introducing the measure, said state law provides longer notice periods for tenants displaced by a landlord’s withdrawal from the rental market and that city law had not been altered to reflect that change. Feuer described the change as providing “notice periods of 120 days or a year depending upon the status of the tenant,” and said the ordinance would bring city law into conformity with state law. He offered an amendment to change the ordinance’s effective retroactive date from Aug. 4 to Aug. 11, which he said staff and the city attorney had advised was legally acceptable.
Supporters including councilmembers and several public speakers said the measure was intended to protect seniors, disabled residents and families from abrupt displacement. Opponents, including a representative of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, objected to a retroactive application and urged committee consideration and additional hearings; the apartment association speaker argued the retroactive freeze would be “unjust” without findings.
Council discussed timing and legal advice. The city attorney was present and discussed state law and the council’s authority to adopt notice periods consistent with the Ellis Act. After debate, council members voted to end debate and adopted the ordinance as amended on a recorded roll call. The clerk recorded the vote as ayes and noes; the motion passed and the ordinance was placed on a calendar for final ordinance adoption at a later stage per council procedure.
ACTIONS: The council adopted an interim control ordinance to modify notice requirements for unit withdrawals under the Ellis Act, to provide 120‑day notice generally and up to one year for seniors/disabled tenants, with retroactivity amended to Aug. 11. The council recorded a roll call and approved the motion to adopt the interim ordinance.
