Facing strong opposition from the California Apartment Association, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday postponed action on a sweeping rent freeze and eviction moratorium tied to recent wildfires. The proposal, criticized by CAA as overly broad and lacking targeted relief, was sent back to the Housing and Homelessness Committee for further review.
The committee is scheduled to take up the issue on Wednesday, Feb. 5, providing an opportunity for additional public input.
Councilman John Lee and Councilwoman Traci Park spoke against advancing the proposal, emphasizing its broad scope and lack of connection to those directly affected by recent fires. Councilmembers Tim McOsker, Bob Blumenfield, Katy Yaroslavsky, Heather Hutt, Imelda Padilla, and Adrin Nazarian also voiced concerns and advocated for further discussion before a final vote.
The proposal would prohibit evictions for non-payment of rent, allowing tenants to self-certify a fire-related hardship as justification for non-payment. Additionally, it includes a citywide rent freeze, mirroring previous COVID-era restrictions. The measure would also ban no-fault evictions, evictions related to unauthorized occupants or pets, and evictions for failure to obtain renters’ insurance through Jan. 31, 2026.
Two amending motions, 15D and 15E, have been introduced in an effort to narrow the scope of the proposal. However, these revisions have not been finalized, and a long-lasting eviction moratorium remains a serious concern.
“We saw these types of policies abused in COVID, and it only undermines efforts to help those truly devastated by these tragic fires,” said Fred Sutton, CAA’s senior vice president of local public affairs. “Unlike COVID, there is no citywide unemployment crisis or forced shutdowns. There’s also no rental assistance fund, meaning tenants would be set up to incur large debt without a safety net.”

CAA argues that such measures are an overreach and exploit the wildfires for political purposes. Instead, the association urges the city to use Measure ULA funds to provide direct rental assistance to those in genuine need, rather than enacting broad, easily abused regulations.
CAA urges housing providers to attend the Housing and Homelessness Committee meeting on Feb. 5 and voice their opposition. The meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the John Ferraro Council Chamber, 193 N. Main St., Los Angeles. Members are also encouraged to contact the committee directly to express their concerns.
CAA and local housing providers attended the previous meeting in large numbers, urging the council to reconsider the measure’s potential consequences. Their presence and testimony underscored landlords’ concerns about additional restrictions on rental housing.
“Let’s keep our focus on the real recovery and on efforts that don’t make this tragic situation worse,” Sutton said.
The association continues to encourage members to remain engaged as the proposal moves forward, emphasizing the importance of direct outreach to policymakers and urging them to reject the unnecessary and harmful proposal.
Related content: