Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order temporarily prohibiting landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants who offer shelter to survivors of the Los Angeles-area firestorms. The order is scheduled to remain in effect until March 8, 2025, and explicitly prevents landlords from using the unlawful detainer process to evict tenants for sheltering individuals displaced by the recent fires.  

It partially suspends Paragraph 3 of Section 1161 of the Code of Civil Procedure in Los Angeles County, ensuring tenants who host displaced individuals cannot face eviction actions for this reason alone. However, it allows landlords to enforce other lease provisions, such as those addressing criminal activity or property damage. The order also makes an exception for eviction notices issued at the direction of fire marshals or other government officials acting within their official duties. 

“Opening your place of residence to help shelter those in need is not only encouraged and generous, but deserves to be protected,” the governor said in a news release.  

The executive order follows a previous action by Newsom that extended to March 8, 2025, the provisions of Penal Code Section 396 that prohibit rent increases of more than 10% after a state of emergency is declared. These restrictions apply to both new and existing tenants and remain in effect alongside any local rent control or “just cause” eviction ordinances. 

For more information on the legal obligations of housing providers during this emergency, visit the California Apartment Association’s resources at the Wildfire Resources Page.