Code
Currently, the LAHD is making every effort to inspect all Tier 1 residential rental properties at least once every four years and Tier 2 residential rental properties at least once every two years. The inspections are comprehensive, that is, the housing inspector will inspect all buildings, rental units, and common areas of the property to verify they meet the building codes and standards for rental housing.
LAHD conducts Complaint based inspections whenever a complaint is received by LAHD. The purpose of complaint inspections is to protect and promote the existence of sound and wholesome residential buildings and dwelling units.
Generally, your concern can be addressed by a housing inspector. However, a site visit is necessary in order to verify the presence of the alleged violation. Would you like to place a complaint? Once the complaint is placed, Code Enforcement staff will contact you in order to schedule a site inspection.
If you prefer, you may place your complaint online or by phone, please see below:
LAHD Report a Violation or contact the Code and Rent Helpline at 866-557-RENT (7368).
LAHD’s Code Enforcement division has a Complaint Inspection group that is dedicated to responding to situations where alleged violations exist. There are two ways to contact LAHD to file a Code Complaint.
Online: LAHD Report a Violation
Telephone: The Code and Rent Hotline number is 866-557-7368
The complaint intake will only take a few minutes. After the complaint is filed, staff will attempt to contact you to schedule a complaint inspection with a local district inspector.
Due to temporary exemptions received by LAHD, the property is currently not under our purview, however, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) can conduct an inspection. If you have additional questions regarding LADBS or to place a complaint, please contact Building and Safety directly at 3-1-1 or 213-473-3231.
If you require formal documentation, you may request records by completing and submitting the CPRA Records Request Form online, or by using one of our alternate methods of submission*. A fee schedule is provided on the form. Please indicate any relevant case numbers in your records request. NOTE: CPRA requests only apply to existing records held by LAHD. Requests for information (e.g. questions, clarifications, etc.) are not subject to the CPRA and
should instead be directed to LAHD’s public information hotline at (866) 557-7368 to be forwarded to the appropriate staff member.
Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, a CPRA request will be responded to within ten days of receipt by the Custodian of Records. This response will comprise either an invoice for the production cost of the records requested or an explanation from the Custodian of Records as to why the records are not currently available.
* Alternate methods of CPRA Request Form submission
Submitting a CPRA Request Form online typically results in faster processing of your request and is the preferred submission method. Alternatively, the same form can be printed and submitted via one of the following methods:
via email as a PDF file to lahd.custodian@lacity.org
via US Mail to:
ATTN: CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS
LOS ANGELES HOUSING DEPARTMENT
1200 W 7TH ST STE 450
LOS ANGELES CA 90017
via fax to (213) 808-8404
In person at the Public Counter of lahd’s Main Office at 1200 West 7th Street, 1st Floor, Los Angeles.
The following link is to Code Enforcement’s Property Activity Report. This will provide you an inspection case history regarding any property within LAHD’s jurisdiction.
If you require formal documents, please visit CPRA Request Form. .
Please note, the Code Enforcement Division does not issue a form/letter or report indicating that the violations have been resolved. Once all violations have been resolved, the case will appear as Closed on the Property Activity Report.
The Home Sharing Ordinance (No. 185931) was adopted on December 11, 2018 and became effective on July 1, 2019. The new ordinance established a registration process and enforcement policies against any unpermitted Short Term Rentals throughout the City.
For additional information or to place a complaint, please visit the Department of City Planning or call their 24/7 hotline at 213-267-7788.
Vehicles blocking a driveway, next to a red zone, in violation of an ordinance or parking sign are handled by Parking Enforcement. Dial 3-1-1 or the Department of Transportation directly at (213) 485-4184 or (818) 752-5100.
Properties owned/operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) are not subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance or the Systematic Code Enforcement Program. Please contact the HACLA Inspection Office at:
Inspections Office: S8.Inspections@hacla.org
Central (Downtown): (213) 252-1802
South: (310) 225-4741
Valley: (818) 756-1194
Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs: http://dcba.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dca/
Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner of Weights and Measures Bee Hotline: 1-800-BEE-WARY (1-800-233-9279)
City Property
- City of Los Angeles Street Trees – (800) 996-2489, other locations 311
- City of Long Beach, Long Beach Vector Control – (562) 570-4132
County Property
- County Property Street Trees – (626) 458-4357, other locations (213) 974-1234
Los Angeles County Vector Control – 311
You may contact the Rent Stabilization Ordinance division at (213) 275-3493 or (866) 557-7368 (RENT).
Household appliances are not under Code Enforcement authority. If the appliance was included in the lease agreement, you may have a right to a reduction of rent for loss of service. Please contact the Code and Rent Helpline at (213) 275-3493 or (866) 557-RENT (7368) to receive information regarding the possibility of a rent reduction and your rights as a tenant.
Under California law, air conditioning is not a feature that landlords must provide to ensure that a rental property is habitable. However, if the air conditioning unit was included in your lease agreement you may have a right to a reduction of rent for loss of service. Please contact the Code and Rent Helpline at (866) 557-RENT (7368) to receive information regarding the possibility of a rent reduction and your rights as a tenant.
If it is a centrally located AC unit which services the entire building, an LAHD housing inspector can make a site visit to inspect the property.You may place the complaint online at LAHD Report a Violation or contact the Code and Rent Helpline at 866-557-7368.
Depending on the situation, the installation of window air conditioning units is not specifically prohibited by the Housing Code; however, the installation of the window air conditioning unit requires pre-approval by the ownership/management of the premises. I suggest you contact the Code and Rent Helpline at 866-557-RENT (7368) regarding your concern. The Helpline staff will be able to provide you with rights and responsibilities for both landlords and renters under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). Helpline staff will also provide you with additional resources that may be able to provide you with assistance.
Concerns regarding water taste/quality is not under the scope of a LAHD, however, you may contact the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power at:
LADWP Water Quality Concerns
213-367-3182
Unfortunately, condominiums are not under the scope of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) or the Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP). The RSO generally applies to rental properties that were first built on or before October 1, 1978 as well as replacement units under RSO Section 151.28 and is any of the following:
- Apartment
- Condominium
- Townhome
- Duplex
- Two or more single family dwelling units on the same parcel
- Rooms in a hotel, motel, rooming house or boarding house occupied by the same tenant for 30 or more consecutive days
- Residential unit(s) attached to a commercial building.
You may also visit, LAHD What is covered under the RSO for additional information.
The Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) through routine inspections ensures that all residential living spaces with two (2) or more units on parcels within the City are safe and habitable (Ordinance No. 172,109, effective 7/15/98).
There are many aspects of the landlord tenant relationship that the RSO does not cover. The following link includes key resources to housing laws outside the scope of the RSO.
LAHD Resources for all Rental Properties
We suggest you contact the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
You may place a complaint with LADBS by dialing 3-1-1.
The Los Angeles Housing Department promotes compliance with property standards through enforcing statutory laws, building maintenance codes and ordinances that directly impact health, safety and welfare; thereby contributing to their overall quality of life in the City of Los Angeles.
ALL multifamily dwellings are required to have “”Hard wired”” (110 volt) Smoke Detectors in all sleeping rooms and areas providing access to those areas AND ALL multifamily dwellings are required to have CO (Carbon Monoxide) Detectors installed (per manufacturer’s instructions) when fuel burning appliances are located within a building.
The Code Enforcement division has a Complaints Section that is dedicated to responding to situations where alleged housing code violations exist. However, based on your message, your concern of mold would be better handled by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. They can be reached at 888-700-9995.
If you have additional concerns regarding housing code violations, you may place a complaint online or by phone, please see below:
LAHD Report a Violation or contact the Code and Rent Helpline at 866-557-RENT (7368)
LAHD Housing Inspectors do not enforce or monitor occupancy limits. Occupancy is governed by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LABDS), they may be reached at 213-473-3231 or 3-1-1.
Los Angeles County renter information: 213-974-1452
Housing Rights Center/Fair Housing: 800-477-5977
Better Business Bureau: 213-631-3600
The requirements to replace carpeting or repaint surfaces are based on the condition and not the age of the materials.
Due to the dynamic nature of the Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) and the current inspection cycle, I am unable to provide you with an exact date of inspection. The current code requirement is to inspect all residential units once every four (4) years, however, some properties may be inspected more frequently.
The following link is to Code Enforcement’s Property Activity Report. This will provide you a case history regarding any property within LAHD’s jurisdiction. You can use the link to estimate the next SCEP inspection date based on the last SCEP inspection conducted.
Noise complaints related to loud music are unfortunately out of the scope of work of Code Enforcement Inspectors. You can contact the Los Angelese Police Department (LAPD) at their non-emergency line (877) ASK-LAPD (275-5273).
Noise insulation standards are enforced by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). I have provided their contact information below for your convenience:
3-1-1
Please contact the Code and Rent Helpline at 866-557-7368 for an Appeal to Senior Inspector which you can use to appeal the Order/Notice in its entirety. An appeal processing fee of $150.00 is to be submitted prior to processing your request and a determination being made. The processing fee is only refundable if a Departmental error has occurred.
- LAHD notifies the property owner of an upcoming SCEP inspection at least one month (30 days) prior to the scheduled inspection by mailing a Notice of Inspection (NOI) to them at the mailing address provided by the owners to the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office and to LAHD. It is the responsibility of the property owners to make sure that LAHD has a current mailing address for them.
- LAHD also notifies tenants of an upcoming Inspection by mailing a Notice of Inspection to them or posting a copy at their unit at least 30 days prior to the inspection, as well as posting a copy in the common areas of the property.
- On the day of inspection, the Housing Inspector will inspect the property to verify that the property meets the requirements of applicable building codes and standards.
- If violations are not observed, the inspector will close the case and no further action will be required. If violations are identified, a written order describing the violation will be mailed to the owner. A copy of the order will be posted at the property as well. Learn more about orders issued by LAHD.
- Property owners must correct all cited violations by the compliance date specified on the order.
- After the compliance date indicated on the order, an inspector will conduct a re-inspection to verify compliance.
- If violations are corrected, the inspector will close the case and no further action will be required. However, if violations are not corrected, the property owner may be subject to further enforcement actions, including acceptance of the property in the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) and/or referral to the Office of City Attorney.
- Inspection staff can grant up to two extensions of time only after re-inspections are conducted and staff determines there is significant progress towards compliance.
- Anyone can report a violation. There is no charge to report a violation. You can report a violation either online, by calling (866) 557-RENT (7368), or visiting one of our public counters located throughout Los Angeles.
- If a contact number is provided, you will be contacted by phone within 72 hours. If the reported violation is within an individual rental unit or an enclosed property, the person reporting the violation must include a contact number and provide consent/access to the rental unit/enclosed property. If the person reporting the violation cannot be present at the time of inspection, another responsible adult must be available for the inspection.
- On the day of the initial complaint inspection, the Housing Inspector will inspect for alleged violations.
- If violations are not observed, the inspector will close the case and no further action will be required. If violations are identified, a written order describing the violation will be mailed to the owner. A copy of the order will be posted at the property as well. Learn more about orders issued by LAHD.
- Property owners must correct all cited violations by the compliance date specified on the order.
- After the compliance date indicated on the order, an inspector will conduct a re-inspection to verify compliance.
- If violations are corrected, the inspector will close the case and no further action will be required. However, if violations are not corrected, the property owner may be subject to further enforcement actions, including acceptance of the property in the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) and/or referral to the Office of City Attorney.
- Inspection staff can grant up to two extensions of time only after re-inspections are conducted and staff determines there is significant progress towards compliance.
- If you would like to file a complaint and the property is within the City of Los Angeles but not subject to the Los Angeles Housing Code, please call the Department of Building and Safety at 311 or (888) LA4-BUILD. If the property is located within an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, please call (877) 966-CODE (2633). Cities within Los Angeles County which have their own individual code enforcement agencies may be contacted directly.
Unpermitted rental units are subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), and a landlord must follow the proper procedures to evict a tenant in order to comply with a government order that requires the unit to be vacated and/or converted back to its original use. The procedures include:
The landlord must file with LAHD a Declaration of Intent to Evict in Order to Comply with a Government Agency’s Order,
The landlord must serve the tenant a 30 or 60 day written notice of eviction attached to a copy of the filed Declaration of Intent to Evict,
The landlord must either pay relocation directly to the tenant or deposit it in an escrow account with escrow instructions to the tenant within 15 days of the date on the notice of eviction.
If you receive an eviction notice, feel free to call us at (866) 557-7368 or file a complaint. If an investigation reveals a violation of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance RSO, you will be contacted before your landlord is notified of the violation.
Unapproved Dwelling Unit (UDU) ordinance
Thank you for contacting HCIDLA’s Code Enforcement Division. It appears that you are referring to the Unapproved Dwelling Unit (UDU) ordinance. Please see the attachments for frequently asked questions and additional information on how to participate in the program.
The Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) applies to properties within the City of Los Angeles which contain 2 or more units on the lot/parcel regardless of the year built. Routine SCEP inspections apply if at least one of the residential units is rented or offered for rent. Code Enforcement housing inspectors would also respond to complaint based inspections if a complaint is received.
For more information regarding RSO based complaints please contact the Rent Stabilization Division at 866-557-RENT (7368).
Landlords who rent properties subject to the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) must post a notice providing information about the RSO, as well as contact information for the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (LAHD).
For further information, please contact the Code and Rent Hotline by dialing 866-557-RENT (7368)
The version of the Los Angeles City Building Code in place at the building’s initial construction determined room light fixture requirements. Options at the time include permanently wired light fixtures or switched outlets.
The intent of the Tenant Habitability Program is to protect tenants from untenantable housing conditions and/or forced permanent displacement. If an owner/manager plans on renovating, repairing, or altering a building subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), the proposed work may qualify within the scope of the Tenant Habitability Program.
Please contact the Code and Rent Hotline by dialing 866-557-RENT (7368)
Please see the link below to LAHD’s ”What is REAP” page for information on the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP). If you have additional questions, you may contact REAP directly at 844-864-REAP (7327) or by email at lahd.reap@lacity.org.
What is REAP?
The California Civil Code Section 1954 governs the right of access. Generally, a landlord may access the premises with consent from the tenant at the time of entry, if the landlord has provided a reasonable advance notice of entry, or certain other exceptions to these requirements. For further information, please contact the Code and Rent Hotline by dialing 866-557-RENT (7368).
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) is tasked with issuing the Courtesy Notices and Orders to Comply regarding the Soft-Story Retrofit Program.
For more information regarding Courtesy Notices and Orders to Comply from LADBS please contact:
Soft-Story Retrofit Unit
201 N. Figueroa Street, 8th Floor, Ste 890
213-482-SOFT (7638), 213-202-9924 or soft-storyretrofit@lacity.org
For more information about what to do if you have received a Notice from LADBS please contact the Tenant Habitability Plan Unit at 213-252-1464 or housing.code.seismic@lacity.org
The concern may fall under the Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 91.8104.8.2. A site inspection will be required in order to make a decision on the alleged violation.
I’ve attached a link to LAHD’s Building Codes and Standards webpage that links you to applicable City of Los Angeles Codes.
Building Codes and Standards
Cool roofs are not under the scope of work of LAHD housing inspectors. I suggest you contact the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) or the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) for more information regarding the Cool Roofs and the City of Los Angeles Cool Roof Ordinance. I have provided their contact information below for your convenience.
LADBS or 3-1-1
LADWP Rebates and Programs (click on Building Products) or 1-800-DIAL DWP
Cool Roofs FAQ
A landlord is required to provide at least one working phone jack per California Civil Code Section 1941.4, however, the testing of the phone jack is not under the scope of work of LAHD housing inspectors. If you are able to provide documentation from your service provider indicating that the jack is in need of repair or replacement, a housing inspector will then be able to issue an order to the owner.
The testing of air quality is not under the scope of work of LAHD housing inspectors. However, you may contact the resources below for additional assistance.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Toxicology and Environmental Assessment Branch at 213-738-3220 or tox@ph.lacounty.gov.
South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD):1-800-CUT-SMOG (288-7664)
California Air Resources Board: 1-800-952-5588
Inspections regarding utility meters are not under the scope of LAHD housing inspectors. Utility meter inspections are handled by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
LADWP Electric Meter Inspection Request: 213-367-6937
LADWP Water Service: 213-367-2130
A garage can only be used for the parking of a vehicle or as otherwise specified by the housing code. If you have additional questions or would like to speak to a housing inspector directly you may contact the Code and Rent Helpline at 866-557-RENT (7368)
To place a complaint online: Please only enter the street number along with the street name while on the first page of “”Report a Violation”” (do not include street suffix or unit/apartment number). Once the search result has been populated, you can select the property/APN. You are then able to click “”Report a Violation””. The system will then prompt you to enter your name, contact information, unit/apartment number, and the violation that you are reporting.
“SUBSCRIBE TO LAHD E-UPDATES
Choose among the categories below. Select the check boxes with respect to the categories and enter your details. Press “”Subscribe”” button to finish the process.”
Yes, here is the link to LAHD’s webpage: https://housing.lacity.org/affordable-housing-linkage-fee
The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is a required part of the housing element update process that is used to quantify the housing needs for each jurisdiction in California.
You can find information about the City’s Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) Plan and process by visiting LAHD’s AFH webpage: https://hcidla.lacity.org/assessment-fair-housing
