The City of Santa Monica has enacted eviction control ordinances that limit the reasons a tenant can be evicted from a rental unit.  Here is a summary of the City’s eviction protection laws.

Exemptions

Santa Monica’s eviction control laws cover most multi-unit buildings within the City’s borders.  Most single-family residences and condos are exempt.  To find out if a unit is covered use the Look Up a Rent feature on the City’s Rent Control webpage. You may also call Rent Control at 310-458-8751 and speak to an Information Coordinator.

Just Cause Reasons for Eviction

The just-cause reasons for eviction under the City’s eviction protection laws are the following:

1. Failure to pay rent.
2. The tenant continues to materially and substantially violate an obligation under the lease. The tenant must be given a reasonable amount of time to correct the violation(s) before a landlord may serve a notice to perform or quit.
   
   
3. The tenant is causing a nuisance or doing substantial damage to the unit.  The tenant must be given a reasonable amount of time to correct the problem before a landlord may serve a notice to perform or quit.
4. The tenant has been convicted of using or allowing the property to be used for illegal purposes.
5. The tenant refuses to execute a proposed rental contract extension or renewal that is materially the same as the previous agreement.
6. The tenant refuses to allow the landlord reasonable access to the unit.  The tenant must be given a reasonable amount of time to correct the problem before a landlord may serve a notice to perform or quit.
7. The tenant is not the original occupant, is not approved by the landlord, and is holding over after the original occupant vacates.
8. The landlord seeks to do an owner or relative move-in that meets the specific requirements of the eviction ordinance.
9. The landlord seeks to withdraw all rental units in a building from the rental market.

There are special eviction protections for teachers and students.  Any tenant who is a student under the age of eighteen or any tenant that works at a public, private, or parochial school in Santa Monica, and who has lived in the unit for a year or more may not be evicted through one of the no-fault eviction reasons if the date of termination of their tenancy falls during the school year. 

Relocation Assistance

The ordinances require the landlord to pay relocation assistance to tenants who are displaced from any unit that has eviction protection.  If a tenant is evicted through no fault of their own, the tenant is entitled to relocation benefits. Tenants can recover temporary or permanent relocation assistance as specified in the ordinances. When a tenant is forced from their residence temporarily, the property owner must pay the tenant’s expenses.

The amount of relocation assistance is based on the number of bedrooms the unit.  These fees can range from $15,000 to over $30,000 for units with two or more bedrooms.  The most up to date information on relocation payments can be found on the Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s website.

Please contact Lynx Legal Service with any questions regarding the above, and for all your eviction needs.  We can be reached at 888-441-2344 or [email protected].  You can also schedule a free telephonic consultation on our website to discuss your case.  Our experienced staff is ready to assist in any way we can.