The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday voted in support of repealing a rule allowing tenants to be evicted while landlords remodel their buildings.

“underneath” the cityjust reasonUnder eviction rules, landlords can only evict tenants for certain reasons; one of which is the “major remodeling” of their properties.

Tenant advocates consider the renovation exemption as a evasive This allows property owners to evict long-time tenants to increase rents. Landlords say the proposed new rules could place unnecessary obstacles in the way of property owners who want to maintain and improve their properties.

The council voted 11-0 to instruct the Housing Department and city attorney to draft a recommendation for an ordinance amending the just cause rules to remove the substantial renovation clause.

“Hundreds of families are caught in this type of eviction process and are unable to keep their units,” said Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who co-wrote the resolution with Councilman Katy Yaroslavsky. “My policy will ensure that tenants have the opportunity to maintain their tenancy, continue paying rent and remain in their apartment.”

Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Assn. The Los Angeles Mayor said “people aren’t going through the permit process and spending thousands of dollars on renovations just to evict people.”

“Once again, the Los Angeles city council is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” he added.

Since California’s Tenant Protection Act of 2019 became law, renovation evictions have become controversial across the state. This law limits rent increases and gives tenants some protections against no-fault evictions, but allows tenants to be evicted for major renovations, defined as “the replacement or substantial alteration of any structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical system that requires a permit.” from a government agency” or abatement of hazardous substances.

The motion, approved by the City Council, calls for new rules that would allow tenants to continue paying rent and maintain their tenancies during renovations. Similar rules already exist for properties under rent control. Tenant Livability ProgramThis requires property owners to make significant renovations and provide plans to protect tenants while they stay in their unit or temporarily move to another residence.

The motion also asks the city attorney to draft an interim control ordinance to temporarily remove the amendment clause while the permanent ordinance is finalized; This is a process that can take months. They also request more data on major citywide renovations and Tenant Livability Plans.

Fred Sutton, senior vice president of community relations for the California Apartment Assn., said in a letter to the city’s housing and homelessness committee this month that housing infrastructure in the city is aging “but there is no effective process to improve these properties.” .”

He said the city needs to better understand how things work before changing the rules.

Lourdes Mata and her daughter Erika Hernandez were at the meeting Tuesday to push the city to make changes. Mata has lived in her two-bedroom apartment in Echo Park for 35 years, and her landlord is trying to evict her for the third time under the major renovation exemption.

Hernandez said he currently pays about $975 a month and if he were evicted, he wouldn’t be able to afford a market-rate apartment in his neighborhood, where two-bedroom apartments often rent for more than $3,000. Eviction will likely force him to leave the community.

“This is an issue that affects thousands of families in Los Angeles,” said Hernandez, who was with his mother as she fought eviction attempts. He said he was very excited after hearing that the city had approved the motion.

“I have to tell my mother immediately,” he said. “It will give me great peace of mind to tell him this.