Tenants Displaced By Palisades Fire Get Eviction Protections

LOS ANGELES, CA — Those who have been displaced by the Palisades Fire will get extra protections from evictions under an ordinance approved by the City Council this week.

Under the new law, landlords will be temporarily prohibited from evicting tenants for having unauthorized occupants and pets who have been displaced by the multiple fires that erupted in January. The law is expected to be in place for a year.

The council also approved amendments to the ordinance that will pause rent increases solely for additional occupants in rent-stabilized units during that one-year period. Council members instructed the Housing Department to create a standardized form that tenants can use to notify their landlords of new occupants and pets.

Thousands of Angelenos fled their homes as the fires broke out in early January, forcing them to shelter across the city and the region.

"Acts of kindness and compassion should not be punished, and anyone who has opened up their home to provide shelter, peace and security should not have to worry about risking eviction for taking on additional pets or occupants," Councilwoman Traci Park said.

Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, introduced the protections, which she called a "targeted common sense measure." But not everyone agrees.

"While we understand the intention behind promoting pet friendly housing, we believe the current proposal would create significant harm to existing renters and rental housing providers," said David Kaishchyan of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles.

Unauthorized pets could lead to some housing providers losing their insurance, Kaishchyan said, while the pets could cause issues for tenants who have allergies or asthma.

Meantime, the LA County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 approved a similar measure that enacted eviction protections for renters who opened their homes to people or pets displaced by the wildfires. It also promoted increased short-term rental availability.

Tenants in the unincorporated areas of the county are protected against eviction when hosting unauthorized occupants or pets displaced by the fires until May 31, 2026.

The City Council voted on the matter almost a week after shooting down a separate proposal from council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Eunisses Hernandez, who called for a more widespread set of tenant protections for residents who lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of the fires.

City News Service contributed to this report.