Policy Missteps: Helping Bad Tenants, Hurting Good Landlords

Under the Auspices of “Preventing Homelessness” and Protecting Tenants, the County and City Continue to Pass Policies that Reward the Worst Tenants While Punishing Mom and Pop Landlords who try to Follow the Rules

In the last few years elected officials at the County and City of Los Angeles have passed a slew of “pro-tenant” regulations under the guise of protecting tenants from predatory landlords and preventing homelessness. The problem is that these regulations only enable bad tenants, while punishing mom-and-pop landlords who try to follow the rules. The result will be the continued exodus of mom-and-pops from Los Angeles.

First an explanation of terms. When I say “mom-and-pop” landlord, I’m referring to someone who owns a few units and doesn’t make their living from those rentals. When I say “bad” tenant I mean someone who grossly violates their lease (e.g. doesn’t pay rent). I am a mom-and-pop landlord and I also own a boutique property management company. Almost all of my clients are mom-and-pop landlords. What I can tell you is that the City and County and cutting these people off at the knees, while emboldening the worst tenants in the City. Here are several very recent examples.

On April 1, 2025 the L.A. City Council passed a “Right to Counsel Ordinance,” providing free attorneys to low-income tenants who are facing eviction to stop homelessness and balance the landlord/tenant playing field. However, this ordinance just enables bad tenants and punishes good landlords. Almost all other public benefits have some sort of cost sharing. Medicaid and Medicare, even Section-8 Housing Vouchers all require the recipient to pay something. So why are the City and County providing attorneys at no cost? This sends a terrible message, that you as a tenant don’t have to play by the rules, because if you break them, the City will take care of you, while me as a landlord has to pay almost $10,000 for an eviction that goes to trial. Make no mistake, the right to counsel will cost mom-and-pop landlords thousands more per case, while doing nothing to prevent homelessness, and rewarding tenants who stop paying rent with free lawyers on the taxpayer’s dime.   

 On December 29, 2024 the L.A. City Council strengthened its anti-tenant harassment ordnance, by amongst other things, increasing money for lawyers who bring these cases, and increasing punishments for landlords that “harass” their tenants. One recent report found that out of 13,000 cases brought to the City of Los Angeles, only 24 were prosecuted. One could conclude that the City has not done enough to enforce this. But perhaps there are just thousands of frivolous claims being filed. Here once again, the City is emboldening the worst tenants. You as a tenant can now speak to and treat your landlord however, you’d like, knowing your landlord must tiptoe around how they speak to you for fear of a harassment claim. Because of this ordinance, I put as many communications as possible down in writing. But my tenants speak to me however they choose and in whatever tone they choose.  On more than one occasion I’ve had tenants physically threaten me for doing things that were legally within my rights (like entering a unit after giving 24 hours’ notice), yet there is no recourse for me. The worst tenants are once again emboldened.

Finally, there is the ban on eviction until a tenant is behind the equivalent of one month “fair market rent,” not one month of their rent, but one month of the equivalent of what the market rent is for a unit of their size. So if you rent a two-bedroom apartment in the City you have to be behind over $2,600 before an eviction notice can be served. In addition, a landlord can only go back 12 months for this. So, if your rent is $2,500 a month you can skip two months’ rent before you can be evicted. And you can actually deduct $200 off your rent every month and never be evicted, once again empowering bad actors at the expense of mom-and-pop landlords.

Why should you care? We should not be creating landlord/tenant laws that embolden the worst tenants among us. Do we want tenants that can threaten their neighbors and landlords? Second, why should so many good tenants pay full rent when, by L.A. City Ordnance you no longer have to? Finally, mom-and-pop landlords will eventually leave and all that will be left will be corporations and slumlords.

Joshua Kamali is a landlord in Los Angeles and a member of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. He worked for almost 10 years in Democratic politics and policy in Washington, D.C. and in California before becoming a nonprofit fundraiser. He now works in property development and construction and owns twelve units in Los Angeles County.