The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors narrowly voted Tuesday in favor of a proposal to limit rent increases for many tenants in unincorporated areas to 3% or less starting next year.
The proposal was put forward by Sup. Holly Mitchell, who said the move came in response to the region’s continued affordable housing crisis.
“We all know that costs have gone up for everybody,” Mitchell said. “Insurance cost increases are astronomical across the state, particularly here in L.A. County. And we also know that double-digit rent increases for tenants are untenable and lead to increased houselessness.”
The county’s current rent hike limits
Most apartments built before Feb. 1, 1995 are already covered by a county rent control ordinance passed in 2018. The rules only apply to unincorporated areas such as East L.A., City Terrace and various pockets of South L.A.
Tenants living in these covered properties currently have their annual rent increases capped at 4%, but the county’s ordinance allows increases of up to 8% during periods of elevated inflation.
Mitchell’s motion keeps the current 4% limit in place for the rest of 2024. If the board had not taken action, a new 4.275% allowable increase would have taken effect on July 1.
Lower rent caps divide the board
The more contentious proposal involved a significant decrease to rent caps starting on Jan. 1, 2025. That part of the proposal will limit increases in covered units to 60% of the annual change in the consumer price index — a measure of how much costs in general are rising throughout the economy — with a ceiling of 3%.
Ultimately, Mitchell voted in favor of the 3%…
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