The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed the Resolution of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Protecting Qualifying Income Eligible Tenants Directly Financially Impacted by the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Wildfire Events, effective February 1, 2025.
This Resolution protects L.A. County (and its incorporated cities, including Culver City) tenants, including those who rent a mobile home from a mobile homeowner, from eviction for non-payment of rent due during the protected time period of February 1, 2025, through July 31, 2025.
This Resolution provides an affirmative defense against, but does not prevent, unlawful detainer actions for tenants who have been directly financially impacted by the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Wildfire Events – such as the Palisades and Eaton fires, etc. Landlords may not impose late fees, interest or other charges on rental debt during the protected time period.
Do I Qualify?
To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:
Have resided in your rental unit since before January 7, 2025.
Have a 2024 household income equal to or less than 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Have experienced at least a 10% loss of monthly income due to the wildfires. A “direct” financial impact means:
Your place of employment or business was destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, resulting in actual loss of wages.
The economic impact of the fires led to layoffs or reduced work hours from your employer.
A loss of clients located in fire-impacted areas resulted in a significant income reduction.
Be enrolled in or have applied to a wildfire relief program, unemployment benefits or other qualifying income assistance program, or be actively seeking employment.
What Should I Do If I Cannot Pay Rent?
You should inform your landlord, or landlord’s agent, in writing within seven days of rent being due for each month you are unable to make your rent payment due to wildfire-related financial hardship. To assert these protections for February 2025 rent, you must inform your landlord within seven days after the resolution is adopted. This notification must be done via self-certification under penalty of perjury. A sample form may be available with the County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.
Is There Anything Else I Should Know?
Qualifying tenants cannot be evicted for nonpayment of rent between February 1, 2025, and July 31, 2025, if they have been financially impacted by the County wildfires and meet the resolution requirements.
Tenants who meet these requirements can provide self-certification under penalty of perjury to their landlord within seven days of rent being due, which serves as a legal defense against eviction.
This resolution does not cancel rent obligations. Tenants will have a 12-month repayment period for any missed rent (starting after July 31, 2025) and are encouraged to make partial payments, if able to.
Landlords are prohibited from applying a rental payment to any rental debt other than to the prospective month’s rent, or such other month or rental debt that the tenant specifies. If the tenant agrees for rent payments, or rent relief payments, to be applied to any other rental debt, it must be done in writing.
Landlords cannot evict tenants for failing to repay back rent within the 12-month repayment period.
What Should I Do If I Receive A Notice?
If you are a tenant facing financial hardship due to the wildfires, and you receive an eviction notice from your landlord, contact Stay Housed LA for help understanding your rights and to see if you qualify for free legal assistance. You are not required to leave your unit unless you are served with a five-day eviction notice from the Sheriff’s Department.
Are There Any Opportunities For Further Rental Assistance?
Los Angeles County is also providing immediate financial assistance to impacted households through the L.A. County Household Relief Grant Program. This program helps affected individuals and families move toward recovery while waiting for further insurance or government resources with grants ranging from $6,000 to $18,000.
To be eligible, you must:
Be a Los Angeles County resident (homeowner or tenant) who has been physically displaced due to the L.A. County Eaton and Palisades fires and windstorm events.
Meet any of these criteria:
Your primary residence was completely destroyed
Your primary residence was within the impacted zones and was partially destroyed or severely damaged, making it uninhabitable
Your household experienced a death related to the events
Residents must apply online by March 12, 2025, at the L.A. County Relief Fund website. If you have any questions, please call the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer & Business Affairs at (888) 788-0335.