The LA fired burned down 12,000 structures and 150,000 people were displaced. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors signed into law a moratorium on evictions for tenants affected by the fires who claim to have lost at least 10% of their income. Rent is no longer due until July 31, 2026 – more than a year from now! Tenants can self-certify financial hardship.

In 2020, during the COVID scam, the LA County Supervisors extended the eviction ban for a whopping three years. Renters accumulated over a billion dollars in back due rents, and most of it was owed to mom and pop landlords who are still struggling to this day. Many individuals had to sell their properties; corporation and big investors picked up the homes for a fraction of the value. The ban on evictions is likely to lead to more individual landlords being shaken out of the market.

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L.A. County adopts eviction moratorium; rental assistance funding remains uncertain

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a countywide eviction moratorium in response to the January wildfires, prohibiting evictions for qualifying tenants through July 31, 2025, while discussions on rental assistance funding for unpaid landlords continue.

Despite efforts to refine the measure, an amendment aimed at improving the ordinance failed in a 3-2 vote, with Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell in support. Supervisors Janice Hahn, Lindsay Horvath and Hilda Solis voted against truly helping those in need and failing to protect property owners. The board has committed to further discussions on rental assistance and funding allocations in follow-up meetings.

How the moratorium works

Unlike the COVID-era eviction moratorium, this measure:

Protects income-eligible tenants who lost at least 10% of their income due to wildfire-related job loss, business closure, or other direct financial impacts.

Requires tenants to self-certify financial hardship under penalty of perjury and submit documentation within seven days of rent being due.

Grants a 12-month repayment window, meaning back rent must be paid by July 31, 2026.

What landlords should know

Landlords retain the right to challenge fraudulent hardship claims if they believe a tenant's self-certification is false.

Landlords cannot automatically apply payments toward past-due rent unless the tenant provides written consent, which may complicate collection efforts.

The moratorium applies countywide, overriding local eviction rules, including those in the city of Los Angeles.