Things to Consider

Most of Los Angeles rental units are governed by "rent control". Rent control ordinances limit or prohibit rent increases and notices to vacate tenancy.

The major exceptions are buildings completed after 1978, one house on a lot, government funded units, and luxury units. West Hollywood, Santa Monica & Beverly Hills have rent control.

Leases:

There are two types of rental agreements:

Month-To-Month Agreement

A month-to-month agreement is a 30-day contract. Each time you pay rent, you renew the contract for another 30 days. You can end a month-to-month agreement and move out by giving your landlord a 30-day written notice.

Leases

With a written lease agreement, the terms of the lease and the monthly rent are fixed for the time period specified in the agreement, usually six months or one year. As long as you follow the terms, a lease agreement prevents the landlord from raising the rent or asking you to move until the lease expires. Note: if the property goes into foreclosure, or the landlord goes bankrupt, your lease may be terminated.

When your lease expires, you can:

• Move out.
• Try to renew the lease for another term, or,
• Stay and pay rent on a month-to-month basis.