LA County offers $68M in rent relief to mom-and-pop landlords

The clock is ticking for mom-and-pop landlords in Los Angeles County seeking rent relief.

Qualifying landlords in L.A. County have until Jan. 12 to apply for $68.6 million in rent relief to help offset impacts of the pandemic and tenants who haven’t paid their rent, the Torrance Daily Breeze reported.

The county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs launched its Rent Relief Program in mid-December, offering grants of up to $30,000 per unit to eligible landlords for expenses incurred since April 1, 2022.

“This county investment to help mom-and-pop landlords get financial relief is, frankly, long overdue,” County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, principal backer of the relief fund, said in a statement. “My heart goes out to property owners who have been left holding the bag as the pandemic spawned tenant relief measures at their expense.

“I’m glad to see that we’re ready to get these dollars out the door and into their hands without further delays.”

Landlords can apply at lacountyrentrelief.com, or call 877-849-0770. The deadline to submit an application is Jan. 12. Early submissions are strongly encouraged, officials said.

The county’s rent relief program is designed to help small, mom-and-pop landlords who own up to four rental units. The goal is to reduce tenant evictions, maintain the viability of small rental businesses and ensure the availability of affordable housing.

Priority goes to landlords who demonstrate the most “substantial” financial distress, those serving the most vulnerable tenants and properties located in areas of highest need, as identified by the L.A. County Equity Explorer Tool.

In November, county supervisors voted to extend a cap on rent freezes until June, while increasing rent increases to 4 percent in that time frame, according to the Los Angeles Times. The cap applies to rent-controlled units in unincorporated L.A. County, which means apartments built before 1995 and mobile homes.

At the same time, the Los Angeles City Council thawed its three-year-old rent freeze on 624,000 rent-controlled apartments by voting to approve a plan to allow up to a 4 percent rent increase, or up to 6 percent if landlords cover the cost of utilities. The rent hikes can begin Feb. 1. 

Landlords in the city haven’t been able to raise rents since the dawn of the pandemic in March 2020.

— Dana Bartholomew

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