Los Angeles has mandated seismic retrofitting for thousands of soft-story apartment buildings to improve earthquake safety. Tenants in these buildings have specific protections during retrofit work, including limits on pass-through costs, relocation rights, and the right to return to their unit after work is completed.
LA's mandatory seismic retrofit program (Ordinance 183893) requires owners of wood-frame soft-story buildings to strengthen them against earthquake damage. Soft-story buildings — those with a weak ground floor, often with parking or large openings — are particularly vulnerable to collapse. The program applies to buildings with two or more stories and five or more units built before January 1, 1978.
Landlords can pass a portion of the retrofit cost on to tenants as a monthly surcharge, but the amount is capped by LAHD. Under the RSO, the maximum pass-through is typically a set dollar amount per unit per month spread over a period of years. The surcharge must be approved through the LAHD capital improvement process. Tenants have the right to contest the pass-through amount if they believe it is excessive or improperly calculated.
If the retrofit work requires tenants to temporarily vacate their unit, the landlord must provide relocation assistance. This includes temporary housing at no cost to the tenant or a per-diem payment to cover alternative accommodations. The landlord must provide advance written notice of the expected duration of displacement. Tenants have the right to return to their unit at the same rent after the work is completed.
After seismic retrofit work is completed, tenants have an absolute right to return to their unit at the same rent they were paying before the work began, plus any allowable annual increases. The landlord cannot use the retrofit as an opportunity to evict tenants or raise rent above the RSO-allowable amount. If you are not allowed to return, contact LAHD immediately to enforce your rights.
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Your landlord can pass through up to 50% of retrofit costs (max $38/month for RSO tenants). You cannot be permanently displaced — you have the right to return to your unit at the same rent after work is completed.
You can check LAHD's soft-story building database at housing.lacity.gov, or search on Lucid Rents — we flag soft-story hazard zone status on building pages.
This guide is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, contact a qualified attorney or one of the free legal services listed above.