Landlord Guide · Los Angeles
How to Rent Out Your Home in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is one of the strongest rental markets in the country — and one of the most regulated. If you own a home here and are considering renting it out, the upside is real: tenant demand is persistent, rents are among the highest in the nation, and a well-managed property can generate substantial monthly income. But the legal landscape is more layered than almost any other city in the United States.
This guide covers the four essential steps every LA homeowner needs to take before placing a tenant — from city registration and rent control status to deposit rules and tenant screening.
Step 1: Register Your Property with LAHD
Before you collect a single dollar in rent, you must register your rental property with the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD). This applies to virtually all residential rental units in the City of Los Angeles — single-family homes, condos, duplexes, and apartment buildings alike.
- The annual registration fee is $38.75 per unit.
- Registration is completed online at housing2.lacity.org.
- Landlords who fail to register may be prohibited from collecting rent and can face administrative fines.
Note: LAHD registration is separate from rent control compliance. You can be properly registered and still face violations if you charge above the allowable rent on a covered unit. Registration is the starting point — it does not determine your rent control status.
Questions? Contact LAHD directly at housing2.lacity.org or by phone at (866) 557-7368 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.).
Step 2: Determine Your Rent Control Status
This is the step most new LA landlords get wrong — and the consequences can be significant. Los Angeles has two overlapping systems of tenant protection that apply to most residential rentals, and they interact in ways that are easy to misread.
LA City RSO (Rent Stabilization Ordinance)
The RSO applies to residential properties built before October 1, 1978 with two or more units. If your property falls into this category, you are subject to annual rent increase limits set by the city — currently 3% to 4% depending on whether you or the tenant pay utilities. You can also only remove a tenant for specific, legally defined reasons; you cannot simply choose not to renew a lease.
Single-family homes and condos first issued a certificate of occupancy after October 1, 1978 are generally exempt from RSO — but this does not mean unlimited landlord flexibility.
California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act)
For properties not covered by RSO, California's statewide AB 1482 likely applies. This law caps annual rent increases at 5% plus local CPI (currently 8.7% in the LA region) and requires just cause to terminate a tenancy after the first 12 months.
Single-family homes and condos may qualify for an AB 1482 exemption if they are not owned by a corporation or REIT, and if the tenant receives written notice of the exemption in the lease. This notice — from California Civil Code Section 1946.2 — must be included verbatim in your lease to be enforceable. Without it, the exemption will not hold.
Just Cause Ordinance (JCO): Even if your property is exempt from both RSO rent caps and AB 1482, once a tenant has lived in your LA property for 12 months, you generally cannot end their tenancy without a valid legal reason — such as non-payment of rent, a lease violation, or an owner move-in. This applies citywide to nearly all residential rentals.
Step 3: Cap the Security Deposit at One Month's Rent
As of July 1, 2024, California AB 12 significantly changed the deposit rules for new tenancies. The maximum security deposit you can now collect from a new tenant is one month's rent — whether the unit is furnished or unfurnished.
- Collecting more than one month's rent as a deposit violates California law and exposes you to liability equal to twice the amount wrongfully collected.
- A narrow exception exists for individual landlords who own no more than two residential properties totaling four units or fewer — they may collect up to two months' rent if the tenant is not using the property as their primary residence. This exception rarely applies in LA.
- The deposit must be returned within 21 calendar days of the tenant vacating, along with an itemized written statement of any deductions.
Step 4: Price Your Home and Screen Applicants
Los Angeles is not one rental market — it is dozens of micro-markets. Rent for a three-bedroom single-family home can range from $2,800/month in parts of the eastern San Fernando Valley to $7,000+/month on the Westside or in Silver Lake. Pricing accurately requires looking at recent closed leases of comparable properties in your specific neighborhood, not city-wide averages.
The factors that move rent most in LA: school district quality, proximity to freeways and transit, updated kitchen and bathrooms, in-unit laundry, garage parking, and private outdoor space. A private yard, newer HVAC, or recently renovated kitchen can add $300–$600/month to your asking rent in most LA neighborhoods.
For tenant screening, most professional LA landlords apply these benchmarks:
- Income: Gross monthly income of at least 3× the monthly rent.
- Credit: A minimum score of 650–700, with no prior evictions or outstanding landlord collections.
- Rental history: Verifiable landlord references for at least the prior two years.
Fair Housing: California's Fair Housing laws prohibit discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, sexual orientation, source of income, and other protected characteristics. In Los Angeles specifically, refusing to accept Section 8 housing vouchers is prohibited — source of income is a protected class. Screening criteria must be applied consistently to every applicant and documented in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my home in Los Angeles subject to rent control?
It depends on when the property was built. As a general rule: if your building was constructed before October 1, 1978 and has two or more units, it is likely covered by LA's RSO. Single-family homes and condos built after October 1, 1978 are typically exempt from RSO but are subject to California AB 1482 and the city's Just Cause Ordinance. The LAHD maintains a searchable database where you can look up your property's status at housing2.lacity.org.
What is the maximum rent increase in Los Angeles?
For RSO-covered properties, the current annual allowable increase is 4% if the landlord pays gas and electricity, or 3% if the tenant pays utilities. For non-RSO properties subject to AB 1482, the cap is currently 8.7% (5% base plus 3.7% regional CPI). Properly exempt single-family homes — with the required Civil Code 1946.2 lease notice — can adjust rent to market value at lease renewal with proper written notice.
How much can I rent my house for in Los Angeles?
Rental pricing in LA varies significantly by neighborhood. Three-bedroom single-family homes currently range from approximately $2,800/month in parts of the Valley to $7,000+/month on the Westside. The best way to set an accurate asking rent is to review recent closed leases — not just active listings — of comparable homes within a half-mile of your property. An experienced leasing agent can pull this data and help you avoid leaving money on the table or sitting vacant.
Ready to rent out your Los Angeles home? Our leasing services cover pricing analysis, professional photography, syndicated listing, tenant screening, and lease preparation — including all required California disclosures and AB 1482 exemption language. Contact Boris today.