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Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance

What is landlord harassment?

Landlord harassment is one of the main tactics that landlords, or anyone working on their behalf, use to unlawfully evict tenants.

Landlord harassment can take many forms: allowing a unit to become uninhabitable, removing essential services (such as parking or security features), repeated pressure to vacate, or constant disruptions that make it difficult to live in peace. The goal of landlord harassment is simple: make it unbearable for tenants to stay in their homes.

LA City TAHO’s Definition of Harassment

Under the LA City Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO), landlord harassment can be proven in either of these ways:

  1. A specific act that fits one of the 18 definitions below, or
  2. A pattern of conduct likely to lead a tenant to self-evict.

LA City TAHO also requires that the conduct is not an innocent mistake. To qualify as landlord harassment, the conduct must be:

  1. Willful: someone knew what they were doing and did it on purpose.
  2. Reckless: acting with no care for the likely consequences. Harm may not have been intended, but the person did not care if it occurred.
  3. Grossly negligent: an unintentional mistake, but so extreme that no reasonable person would have made it.

Finally, landlord harassment under LA City TAHO must cause a tenant some kind of harm. Tenants must be able to describe and document how the alleged harassment hurt them, either financially, medically, emotionally, mentally, or otherwise.

Types of Landlord Harassment

The 18 definitions of harassment under the LA City TAHO are as follows:

1

Reducing or eliminating, or threatening to reduce or to eliminate, housing services required by a lease, contract or law.

2

Failing to perform and timely complete necessary repairs and maintenance required by Federal, State, County, or local housing, health, or safety laws.

3

Abusing the right of access into a rental unit as established and limited by California Civil Code Section 1954.

4

Threatening a tenant, or their guests, by word or gesture, with physical harm.

5

Attempting to coerce the tenant to vacate with offer(s) of payments.

6

Lying or tricking tenants to evict.

7

Filing a false or fraudulent eviction.

8

Making the unit so uninhabitable that it could interfere with the tenant’s right to use and enjoy their rental unit.

9

Refusing lawful rent payments or rental assistance.

10

Asking about or sharing a tenant’s immigration status.

11

Reporting a tenant to a government agency.

12

Engaging in an activity prohibited by federal, state, or local housing anti-discrimination laws.

13

Retaliating, threatening, or interfering with tenant organizing activities, including forming or participating in tenant associations and unions.

14

Intervening with a tenant’s right to privacy.

15

Unilaterally changing the tenant’s lease.

16

Disclosing immigration/citizenship.

17

Other repeated acts or omissions of such significance as to substantially interfere with or disturb the comfort, repose, peace, or quiet of a tenant(s) and that cause, are likely to cause, or are committed with the objective to cause a tenant(s) to surrender or waive any rights in relation to such tenancy.

18

For LA City Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) properties, municipal code section 151.33 non-compliance with tenant buyout (cash for keys) requirements

What To Do If You Are Experiencing Landlord Harassment?

Tenants have three main options when they are experiencing harassment from their landlord:

  1. Try to resolve it informally (often through a demand letter and community support)
  2. File a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD)
  3. File a LA City TAHO lawsuit (in small claims court or civil court)

Each of these options will require tenants to be organized and properly document the landlord harassment. The stronger your records, the stronger your options.

How to Collect and Document Your Evidence:

  1. Keep all communication in writing. After calls or in-person conversations, document everything immediately by summarizing what was discussed or occurred and confirming it via text or email.
  2. Save and photograph everything. Take photos of every notice, letter, or document you receive. Document repairs needed, unsafe conditions, missing services, and any changes over time.
  3. Track financial impacts. Keep receipts and notes on costs (repairs you paid for, missed work, lodging, etc.).
  4. Document health impacts. If harassment affects your physical or mental health, consider seeing a provider and keeping copies of records.
  5. Note household impacts. Write down how children, elders, or people with disabilities/medical conditions are affected.
  6. Protect your digital evidence. Screenshot texts, save voicemails, back up photos/emails, and keep copies outside your phone.
  7. Keep a harassment log. Track dates, times, what happened, who was involved, witnesses, and any proof (photos, texts, letters).