The City of Bell Gardens’ Rent Stabilization and Tenant Eviction Protections Ordinance is a local law enacted in October 2022, which limits rent increases and provides tenant eviction protections for most residential rental units within the City’s boundaries. Here is a summary of the eviction protection components of the Ordinance. 

Covered Properties

Covered properties include all residential rental units in the City with a lawful tenancy of twelve months or more.

Just Cause Reasons for Eviction

Tenants can only be evicted for the following “Just Cause” reasons, which fall into two categories: At-fault and No-fault. At-fault reasons are:

• Failure to pay rent

• Material breach of the lease agreement

• Creating waste or nuisance, or using unit for illegal purposes

• Failure to sign a substantially similar lease

• Assigning or subletting in violation of lease agreement

• Refusal to provide reasonable access to landlord for necessary repairs after notice

• Failure to vacate after termination of employment

• Failure to move out after providing landlord notice of intent to terminate

No Fault reasons for eviction are:

• Landlord or immediate family is moving into the rental unit for use as their primary residence

• To demolish the unit

•  Landlord is removing the property permanently from the rental housing market

• Landlord must comply with a government order

Relocation Assistance

A relocation assistance payment is required where the tenant is evicted for a “No-Fault” reason.  The amount is equal to three times the tenant’s monthly rent. Certain “qualified tenants” (seniors, families with children, low-income households, and tenancies of five years of more) are entitled to four times the monthly rent. If a tenant is temporarily displaced to complete repairs that cannot be done while the tenant remains in the unit, landlords are required to provide a per-diem payment or comparable accommodations.

Registration Requirements

All rental units, including exempt rentals, must be registered. Landlords are required to register all rental units, on or before September 30, 2023. After initial registration, landlords must update the registration following changes in tenancy or ownership. Landlords are required to pay an annual fee for each rental unit registered with the City commencing September 30, 2023.

Buyout Agreements

Property owners may pay a tenant to vacate a unit, so long as they disclose that the tenant (1) has a right not to enter into buyout negotiations/agreement (2) may consult with attorney, (3) may rescind agreement up to 30 days after signing, and (4) may contact the City for information.

Prohibited Conduct

Tenants are protected from retaliatory evictions and landlord harassment. Property owners cannot evict because tenants exercise their rights. In addition, landlords and agents cannot: (1) fail to provide services that violate laws or the lease, (2) fail in bad faith to do repairs, accept rent, or ask for information that violates right to privacy, (3) abuse the tenant’s right of access, (4) try to influence a tenant to vacate through misrepresentation or intimidation (5) threaten a tenant with physical harm or language to induce fear or provoke violence (6) violate discrimination laws (race, gender, age) and (7) interfere with rights of tenants to organize. 

Please contact Lynx Legal with any questions regarding the above, and for all your eviction needs.  We can be reached at 888-441-2355 or [email protected].  You can also schedule a telephonic consultation on our website.  Our experienced professionals are standing by to answer any questions or complete the intake if you are ready to start a case.