As landlords in our community prepare for the 2024 deadline for rental registration fees on July 31, now is an ideal time for both landlords and tenants to refresh themselves on Culver City’s rent control and tenant protection requirements. Here’s what you need to know:

Rental Unit Registration and Required Actions for Landlords

The City Council approved annual rental registration fees, as well as fees for late payment, failure to register and change in rental property ownership to support rent control and tenant protections in Culver City. 

Culver City landlords: you must register or re-register your rental units each year by July 31 on CulverCity.HdLgov.com. Your registration includes payment of an annual registration fee of $167 per residential rental unit and any applicable change in ownership fees. If registration or payment is not submitted or postmarked on or before July 31, late payment penalties of 20% per rental unit will go into effect on the first day of each month starting September 1, up to a maximum of 100%. If the rental unit experiences a change in ownership, new tenancy or change in housing services, the registry must be updated immediately. If you need any assistance with the registration process, call (424) 348-3733.

In addition, a Rent Control Ordinance Notice must be provided to tenants and posted in a common area of your building(s) or unit(s). This could be at the entry (or entries) of the building/unit or another similar location.

Rent Increases

To regulate rent increases, the City caps annual rent increases at an amount tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all Covered Rental Units. The maximum allowable increases are released monthly, about 6 weeks in advance of the first of each month. 

Landlords cannot impose more than one rent increase in a 12-month period. Large reductions in housing services, like parking, storage access, laundry facilities, etc., without rent payment adjustments are considered a rent increase. Landlords may use the "Application for Rent Adjustment" form to apply to increase rent beyond the maximum increase permitted by the Rent Control Ordinance. If a unit is undergoing new capital improvement projects, a landlord may utilize the Capital Improvement Pass-Through Program to pass-through 50% of the costs to tenants, not to exceed 3% of rent. In order to impose a rent adjustment or a Capital Improvement Pass-Through, the landlord must register all units.

Eviction Protections

Most Culver City rental units are subject to local eviction protections. Evictions must be based on “for cause” or “no fault” grounds.

“For cause” includes:

• Failure to pay rent
• Breach of rental agreement
• Failure to provide reasonable access to the unit
• Use of the unit to create a nuisance or for illegal purposes
• Tenant was the resident manager who has been terminated

“No fault” includes recovery of the unit to:

• Demolish
• Remove from the rental market
• Move forward with an eligible relative landlord occupancy
• Comply with a deed or regulatory restriction
• Comply with government or other order necessitating the vacancy

Tenants protected from landlord occupancy evictions include:

• Long-term (10+ years) tenants who are 62+ years old or disabled 
• Terminally ill tenants
• Low-income tenants
• Tenants with school-aged children (protected during the school year)

These protections do not apply to units that lack their own bathroom or kitchen facility, or in cases where a tenant has occupied the unit for less than 1 year. If you believe your unit is exempt, please contact the Housing and Human Services Department by emailing Rent.Control@CulverCity.org or calling (310) 253-5790.

Relocation Assistance

Once a no-fault eviction has occurred, the landlord may be required to pay the evicted tenant relocation assistance (3 times the greater of current rent or small area fair market rent established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, plus $1,000). Landlords may deduct past due rent and amounts to cover extraordinary wear and tear, except for back rent accrued during the Residential Tenant Eviction Moratorium period (March 16, 2020 through September 30, 2020). Only in the case of a landlord occupancy eviction, "small landlords" (defined as those owning 3 units or less within and outside of Culver City) may be able to pay only 50% of the amount of relocation assistance due.

The landlord does not need to provide relocation assistance if: 

• The tenant was on notice before entering the rental agreement of the property plan to subdivide or convert to a condominium, stock cooperative or community apartment was on file or approved by the City
• The eviction complied with the government or a court order to vacate due to a natural disaster or act of God. 

If a tenant faces uninhabitable conditions, the landlord must provide temporary relocation in a hotel, motel or comparable living arrangements, or (if the tenant agrees) a per diem payment. These relocation requirements can come with projects requiring substantial rehabilitation, fumigation or the need to meet State or City housing, health, building or safety laws. Landlords must provide 30 days’ notice prior to any work being performed.

As Culver City landlords or tenants, knowing these protections and necessary deadlines is crucial. If you have any questions, please email the City's Rent Control and Tenant Protections Program at Rent.Control@CulverCity.org. Visit the City’s Tenant Protection and Rent Control webpage for more information.