Temporary Ordinance Allows Lease Flexibility, Extended Hotel Stays, and Fee Waivers
The West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved an emergency urgency ordinance during a special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. The ordinance is part of the city’s effort to address housing challenges for evacuees and mitigate the fires’ broader impacts and to reach out a helping hand to those in need.
The ordinance introduces temporary changes to the city’s rental regulations to support individuals displaced by the fires. Key measures include:
- Lease Flexibility: Suspending the city’s one-year minimum lease requirement for evacuees of the 2025 fires. Leases must be longer than 30 days but can be shorter than one year and may be subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO).
- Hotel Accommodation: Allowing hotels and lodging houses to house fire evacuees for more than 30 days without creating tenancy or triggering obligations under the RSO.
- Fee Waivers: Waiving business license fees for home-sharing applications and expediting the processing of those applications to increase available housing options.
The ordinance also grants authority to the city manager to allocate resources toward emergency response efforts and authorizes the city attorney to report instances of price gouging to appropriate agencies.
Governor Gavin Newsom has also issued an executive order extending a state of emergency for Los Angeles County. This order includes price-gouging protections for housing, essential building materials, and services related to recovery efforts.
West Hollywood has a long-standing commitment to renter protections, with most rental units falling under the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits annual rent increases for existing tenants to 3%. Residents who suspect their property is subject to the RSO or who have received a rent increase above the allowable limit are encouraged to contact the city’s Rent Stabilization Division at (323) 848-6450 or email rsd@weho.org.
Price gouging during a state of emergency is prohibited under California State Code Section 396. Rent increases and other goods or services exceeding a 10% price hike are considered illegal. Victims of price gouging can file a complaint with the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs at (800) 593-8222 or online.
