LOS ANGELES — Renters across Los Angeles are facing higher housing costs as a new round of rent increases takes effect on Feb. 1. 

What You Need To Know

  • Under Los Angeles rent control laws, landlords can raise rents on regulated units by up to 4% per year, with an additional 2% allowed if they cover gas and electricity

  • 63% of Angelenos rent, and nearly half spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to U.S. Census data

  • The Feb. 1 rent increases come after the Los Angeles City Council ended the COVID-19 rent freeze last year

For many, even small hikes are making it harder to stay afloat. Elizabeth Rivera, a special education teacher, has lived in her Koreatown apartment for eight years. When she struggled to make ends meet, her sister moved in to help.

“She moved in to help me with the rent when I fractured my leg, to help take care of me, because my daughter no longer lived here,” Rivera said.

On Jan. 1, Rivera received a notice that her rent would increase by 1% next month. “It does affect me because I help my daughter with my grandchildren since she earns less and there’s three kids,” she said.

Rivera said she is already struggling to keep up with rent payments. Under Los Angeles rent control laws, landlords can raise rents on regulated units by up to 4% per year, with an additional 2% allowed if they cover gas and electricity. According to U.S. Census data, 63% of Angelenos rent, and nearly half spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The latest rent increases come after the Los Angeles City Council ended the COVID-19 rent freeze last year. Landlord and multi-family apartment broker Errol Spiro said property owners are facing their own financial challenges.

“People don’t realize it’s a business that the landlords are running. And if the smaller landlords can’t make money or break even, there’s no incentive for them to stay in the business,” Spiro said. “Multiple factors. We could go back through COVID-19. No rent increases for three to four years. Multiple tenants didn’t pay rent for no reason. Landlords had to eat that cost.”

Spiro said the cost of maintaining properties has risen sharply.

“There’s been the seismic retrofit — you had to retrofit these buildings. You can pass a small amount off to the tenants, but nothing like the cash outlay that the landlords had to do,” he said. “Seismic retrofitting, balcony retrofits, and now upgrading electrical panels. Garbage has tripled, utility bills are up, and insurance companies are canceling policies. Landlords need an incentive to stay in the business.”

Rivera said her goal is to provide a safe and stable home for her family without the constant anxiety of rising costs. With both renters and landlords struggling to manage rising expenses, the affordability crisis in Los Angeles shows no signs of easing.