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Los Angeles County, California

Los Angeles County Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Los Angeles County, California.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Los Angeles County

Sources last checked July 2026

Los Angeles County's Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance (RSTPO) applies only in unincorporated areas — not the City of Los Angeles, which runs its own ordinance — to buildings built on or before February 1, 1995. For July 2026 through June 2027 the allowable increase is 1.919% for a general covered unit, below the ordinance's 3% ceiling. Just-cause eviction protection reaches further, applying countywide to single-family homes, condos, and post-1995 buildings the rent cap doesn't cover. Security deposits follow the statewide one-month cap.

  • Under the Los Angeles County RSTPO (L.A. County Code Chapter 8.52), tenants in covered residential units in unincorporated LA County can only be evicted for just cause.
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • In unincorporated Los Angeles County — not the City of Los Angeles, which runs its own separate ordinance — covered rental units are subject to an annual allowable increase...
  • Security deposits capped at 1 month's rent
  • 30-day advance written notice required for rent increases
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Los Angeles County Local Rules

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Los Angeles County?

Under the Los Angeles County RSTPO (L.A. County Code Chapter 8.52), tenants in covered residential units in unincorporated LA County can only be evicted for just cause. Just cause grounds are divided into at-fault reasons (nonpayment of rent when past-due rent exceeds one month of Fair Market Rent, material lease violations, nuisance, criminal activity, refusal to provide access) and no-fault reasons (owner or family member move-in, substantial rehabilitation, demolition, compliance with government order, withdrawal from rental market). No-fault evictions require advance notice and relocation assistance based on unit size, with higher amounts for qualified tenants (seniors, persons with disabilities, households with minor children). Just-cause protection reaches further than the rent cap: the Feb 1 1995 build date and 2-unit threshold gate "fully covered" (rent-capped) status only, while just-cause applies county-wide to "partially covered" units as well — including single-family homes, condominiums, and post-1995 buildings. Landlords must notify the DCBA when serving any notice of termination on a tenant in a covered unit.

L.A. County Code §§ 8.52.070, 8.52.090, 8.52.110
Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Los Angeles County?

Los Angeles County follows California state law for lease termination notice periods. Tenants must give at least 30 days' written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy; any lease clause requiring more than 30 days' notice from the tenant is void. Landlords must provide 30 days' notice if the tenant has resided in the unit for less than 1 year, or 60 days' notice if the tenant has resided in the unit for 1 year or more. For covered units under the RSTPO, landlords must also have just cause to terminate any tenancy and must notify the DCBA when serving termination notices. No-fault terminations require relocation assistance.

California Civil Code §§ 1946, 1946.1; L.A. County Code § 8.52.090
Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Los Angeles County?

In unincorporated Los Angeles County — not the City of Los Angeles, which runs its own separate ordinance — covered rental units are subject to an annual allowable increase calculated from the Consumer Price Index. For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 the permitted increase is 1.919% for a general covered unit, 2.919% where the owner qualifies as a small property landlord, and 3.919% for a qualifying luxury unit. Those are the figures actually in force. The ordinance's formula ceilings of 3%, 4% and 5% are upper bounds the CPI calculation rarely reaches, so a landlord charging 3% this year on a general covered unit would exceed what the ordinance allows. A small property landlord qualifies by any one of three routes: receiving a homeowners' property tax exemption on the property, owning a single rental property of ten or fewer units, or owning no more than three rental properties totalling ten or fewer units counted nationwide rather than only within the county — and must self-certify annually with the county. A luxury unit means one with two bedrooms or fewer renting above $4,000 a month measured as of September 11, 2018, a fixed historical snapshot rather than a current rent test.

L.A. County Code ch. 8.52 (Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance)

Applicable California State Rules

These state-level rules apply in Los Angeles County where no local override exists.

Security Deposit Limits State Law

What is the security deposit limit in Los Angeles County?

Effective July 1, 2024, landlords may not demand or receive a security deposit exceeding 1 month's rent for residential units, regardless of whether furnished or unfurnished. All deposits (pet, cleaning, last month's rent) count toward this cap. Exception: small landlords who are natural persons or LLCs with all natural-person members owning no more than 2 residential rental properties with a combined total of 4 or fewer units may collect up to 2 months' rent. The exception does not apply if the tenant is a military service member.

California Civil Code § 1950.5 (as amended by AB 12, Stats. 2023, Ch. 659)
Rent Increase Notice Periods State Law

How much notice is required for rent increases in Los Angeles County?

Landlords must provide written notice before raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy. A minimum 30 days' written notice is required when the increase is 10% or less of the lowest rent charged in the preceding 12 months. A minimum 90 days' written notice is required when the increase exceeds 10% of the lowest rent charged in the preceding 12 months, either individually or cumulatively with prior increases over that period.

California Civil Code § 827

Other California Cities & Counties

Alameda County Sonoma County Antioch Chula Vista Concord Los Angeles Oakland Sacramento San Diego San Francisco San Jose All California laws →

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