Landlord Using the Ellis Act? What California Tenants Need to Know
What is the Ellis Act?
Rent control has helped keep housing affordable for many tenants in Los Angeles, but its impact is weakening as evictions rise under the Ellis Act. The Ellis Act is a California state law that allows landlords to permanently remove rental units from the market—usually by demolishing the building or converting the property to another use.
Since 2001, landlords have filed to remove over 26,000 rent-stabilized units using this law. While that number may seem small compared to the total number of rent-controlled units in the city, some city leaders warn that the growing number of Ellis Act evictions may be fueling L.A.’s homelessness crisis.
What are some examples?
Example 1: Mark lives in a rent-controlled apartment. His landlord wants to get rid of long-term tenants to renovate and charge higher rents. The landlord claims he's using the Ellis Act to evict everyone. However, he only gives eviction notices to a few tenants, not everyone, and doesn't file the correct paperwork.
Example 2: Jennifer lived in her rent-controlled apartment for 15 years. Her landlord gave her a 60-day notice claiming he was taking the building "off the rental market" under the Ellis Act. Six months after Jennifer moved out, she discovered her old apartment was being rented to a new tenant at triple the rent.
Example 3: The Rodriguez family received an Ellis Act eviction notice. Their landlord claimed he was removing all units from the rental market to convert the building into condos. However, the Rodriguez family noticed only the lower-paying tenants received notices, while newer tenants paying higher rents didn't.
Example 4: Darnell received an Ellis Act eviction notice with only 30 days to vacate (instead of the required 120 days for regular tenants or one year for elderly/disabled tenants). When he questioned this, the landlord threatened to change the locks if he didn't leave quickly.
Example 5: Wei and several neighbors got Ellis Act eviction notices. Their landlord didn't file the required paperwork with the city or pay relocation fees. When Wei asked about relocation assistance, the landlord claimed the Ellis Act "doesn't require any payments to tenants."
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as proper notice for an Ellis Act eviction?
What happens after eviction?
What are my rights?