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Staff: Ellis Act removals removed 120 rent-stabilized units in West Hollywood (2020—2025); inclusionary production not a 1:1 replacement
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Summary
Rent Stabilization Manager Leona Rollins told commissioners that 36 properties used the Ellis Act between 2020 and 2025, removing 120 rent-stabilized units; the city added 736 inclusionary units in the same period but those are not equivalent replacements and are income-targeted differently.
Leona Rollins, the City of West Hollywood's rent stabilization manager, presented a summary on April 23 showing that Ellis Act withdrawals (referred to in staff materials as LSAC) have permanently removed a measurable number of rent-stabilized units and created a structural imbalance with inclusionary housing production.
Rollins told the Rent Stabilization Commission that between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2025, 36 properties were impacted by Ellis Act withdrawals, resulting in the removal of 120 rent-stabilized units from the rental market. Over the same period the city's inclusionary housing programs produced 736 units, but Rollins cautioned that those units are offered on area median income (AMI) bases and are not equivalent to the deeply affordable, long-tenured rent-stabilized units they replaced.
Why it matters: The report frames Ellis Act removals as a long-term threat to deeply affordable housing in West Hollywood because inclusionary production is inconsistent and often offers higher rents or different income targeting than the units that were removed.
Rollins summarized several policy points: Ellis Act (state statute) withdrawals can override local rent-stabilization protections and permit property owners to remove units permanently from the rental stock; there is no state-mandated timeline for redevelopment after demolition; and displaced tenants receive relocation assistance, priority referral to inclusionary units and a 10-year first right of refusal if and when projects are built.
Commissioners asked whether demolished parcels had been rebuilt and whether units approved years earlier but still vacant were included in staff's count. Rollins said many Ellis-Act properties remain vacant or demolished without replacement and that the staff's count excluded some long-vacant properties that were approved for other projects before the current timeline; she confirmed staff is tracking buyouts and will provide those numbers at a future meeting. She also said there had been a pause on accepting Ellis Act applications during the pandemic and that, as of the Friday before the meeting, staff had not received any Ellis Act applications for calendar year 2026.
Commissioners asked about incentives to encourage redevelopment of vacant former rental parcels; Rollins said incentives typically come at the state level (density bonuses, concessions and waivers) and that under current state law there is no deadline forcing a property owner to rebuild after withdrawal. Commissioners also confirmed that displaced tenants receive priority for inclusionary units and are referred to third-party agencies for eligibility determinations tied to relocation packages.
Next steps: Staff recommended the commission receive and file the LSAC/Ellis Act unit-loss and inclusionary housing summary report. Commissioners requested follow-up materials on buyouts and buyout reporting numbers for a subsequent meeting.
