Compliance for LA landlords isn't a single once-a-year task — it's a rolling set of obligations that recur monthly, quarterly, and annually. Some are date-specific (RSO annual registration is due by end of July). Some are calculated from lease dates (annual rent increase timing turns on the lease anniversary). Some are event-driven (Right to Counsel notice is required whenever specific tenancy events occur). This guide organizes them into a calendar you can plan against.
How to use this calendar
Compliance obligations for LA rental property fall into three categories:
- Always-current requirements — postings, disclosures, and record-keeping that must remain in effect throughout the year.
- Date-specific annual requirements — obligations that must be completed by a specific date, like RSO registration by July 31.
- Event-driven requirements — actions triggered by specific events, like serving a notice of termination.
The calendar below organizes date-specific requirements month by month. Always-current items are addressed in the first section, and event-driven items in the last.
For any specific action you're contemplating — a rent increase, a notice of termination, a lease renewal — the LandlordOS engine can give you a checklist specific to your property. This guide gives you the calendar-view context.
Always-current requirements
These must remain in place throughout the year, regardless of month.
Posted Right to Counsel notice. LAHD requires a posting in a common area for RSO-covered properties. The current LAHD-provided poster must be visible.
Posted RSO notice. For RSO-covered buildings, an LAHD notice must be posted in a common area disclosing RSO status. The content is specified by the ordinance.
Habitability standards. Continuous obligation. LAMC and state Civil Code § 1941 require the unit to remain in a habitable condition — plumbing, heat, weatherproofing, electrical, and pest control all subject to ongoing standards.
Current lease disclosures. Each active lease must contain (or be accompanied by) the required disclosures: lead-based paint (pre-1978 buildings), mold, bedbug history (last 5 years), and prior habitability violations if any.
Current AB 1482 exemption notice. If you're claiming an exemption from AB 1482 (single-family, family trust, or LLC without corporate members), the exemption notice must be in effect at all times on the lease.
Security deposit records. Records of deposit amount, condition inspection at move-in, and interest calculations where applicable.
Rental unit registration status. RSO-covered units must be registered with LAHD. Once registered, they remain registered — the annual renewal cycle is separate from initial registration.
January
Prepare for annual rent increase noticing (if applicable). Under RSO, the annual permitted increase amount is published each July for the year that follows. For AB 1482, the regional CPI figure used for the year is published in April. Use January to prepare noticing for anniversary-date increases you plan to serve later.
Review lease expirations. Leases coming up for annual renewal in the next 90 days should be identified. Any renewal terms that would increase rent above the applicable cap require noticing that's tied to the anniversary date.
Update posted materials. LAHD publishes updated versions of required posters annually. Check the LAHD website for current versions of RSO and Right to Counsel notices.
February–March
Track LAHD updates. LAHD typically publishes updated relocation payment amounts for JCO no-fault evictions in early spring. If you're planning any no-fault evictions in the year, note the current-year amounts.
Review vacancy activity. Any RSO units that turned over in the prior year triggered vacancy re-registration obligations. Confirm the units were properly re-registered.
Renew any required licenses. If you hold LA city business licenses or permits related to rental activity, these often renew in this quarter. Non-renewal can create compliance downstream issues.
April
Regional CPI figures published. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the April CPI figures that will govern AB 1482 rent caps for the year starting July 1. Use these to calculate the maximum permitted rent increase for the year.
For 2026, LA-area April 2025 CPI ~ 3.9%, meaning AB 1482 cap = 5% + 3.9% = 8.9%.
Property tax bills. Second installment of LA County property tax is due April 10. Non-payment doesn't directly affect tenant-facing compliance, but a tax delinquency can complicate downstream operations.
]May
Prepare for RSO annual registration. The RSO annual registration window opens in June and closes at end of July. May is the time to:
- Confirm which units are registered
- Verify current addresses, unit counts, and ownership information
- Prepare payment for the registration fee (approximately $38.75 per unit for 2026, subject to LAHD's annual adjustment)
Review upcoming lease expirations. Same as January — leases expiring in the summer season should be identified for renewal noticing.
June
RSO registration window opens. LAHD opens the annual RSO registration window on June 1 (or the first business day of June). Registration can be completed online through LAHD's portal.
Review AB 1482 exemption notices. For any single-family units where you're claiming AB 1482 exemption, confirm the notice is currently in effect and matches the statutory language.
July
RSO annual registration deadline: July 31. All RSO-covered units must be registered by the end of July. Non-registration can:
- Prevent you from raising rent (rent increases are void for unregistered units)
- Prevent you from evicting the tenant on certain grounds
- Trigger administrative fines
- Create private civil liability
Serve summer anniversary rent increases. For tenancies with anniversary dates in summer, this is the noticing window. Notices must be served with at least 30 days' advance for increases of 10% or less, or 90 days' advance for increases over 10%.
LAHD publishes annual RSO permitted increase. The RSO cap for the year running July 1 through June 30 of the following year is published in late June or early July. Note this figure for any RSO-covered rent increases.
August
Confirm RSO registration status. LAHD sends confirmation of registration. Verify that all your RSO-covered units are showing as registered. Any that aren't require immediate remediation.
Review Right to Counsel notice postings. With increased LAHD activity around registration, this is a good time to walk your properties and confirm required postings are visible and current.
September
Q3 property tax planning. LA County property tax first installment is due November 1 (delinquent after December 10). September is the time to plan cash flow around this obligation.
Fall lease expirations. Same as January and May — identify leases with September, October, or November expirations and plan renewal noticing.
October
Review the year's compliance record. With three-quarters of the year past, this is a useful check-in point:
- Are all required postings still in place?
- Have any tenant complaints or violations been received?
- Are all Right to Counsel service requirements documented for any tenancies served?
- Has any property changed status (registered, sold, converted) that affects compliance obligations?
November
Property tax due November 1. Non-payment doesn't directly affect tenant compliance but creates downstream complications.
Prepare year-end lease renewal notices. Any leases expiring in January or February need to be noticed in November or December to comply with 30-day or 60-day advance notice requirements.
December
Annual compliance record retention. Ensure records for the year are properly archived: leases signed, notices served, proofs of posting, registration confirmations, tenant communications, and any inspection or violation records.
Prepare next year's compliance calendar. Use the current year's experience to plan for the following year. New rules may take effect January 1 — track LA City Council and California legislature actions from the fall session.
Serve year-end anniversary rent increase notices. For January anniversary tenancies, this is the window for 30-day notice.
Event-driven requirements
These aren't tied to a calendar date — they're triggered by specific events. Key ones:
Right to Counsel notice service. Required whenever specific tenancy events occur — most commonly when serving certain notices to tenants. Timing is strict; the notice must be served at a specific point relative to the triggering event, not before or after.
Notice of termination for at-fault evictions. 3-day notice for non-payment or curable material violations; 30-day or 60-day notice for other categories. Serving on the wrong grounds can void the notice and require restarting.
No-fault eviction procedures. Owner move-in, substantial rehabilitation, Ellis Act withdrawal, and other no-fault categories each have their own procedural requirements. Relocation payment must be tendered at or before service of the notice.
Habitability response. State law requires landlord response to specific tenant complaints or notices within timeframes ranging from 24 hours (emergency) to 30 days (routine). Failure to respond within the timeframe creates additional tenant remedies.
Security deposit return. Under Civil Code § 1950.5, deposits must be returned within 21 calendar days of the tenant vacating, along with an itemized statement of deductions. Late returns create automatic damages.
Rent increase noticing. Depending on the increase amount and applicable ordinance, either 30-day or 90-day notice is required. Notice served on the wrong timeline is void.
Lease renewal. Under AB 1482 and JCO, refusing to renew a lease without a permitted just-cause reason is treated as termination and triggers just-cause requirements.
What to do next
This calendar is a reference. For any specific compliance action you're planning — a rent increase, a lease renewal, a notice of termination, a registration — the specifics matter more than the general timing.
The LandlordOS engine takes your property's specific details and produces a customized compliance record showing exactly what applies to you and when. For calendar-driven items like RSO annual registration, the engine surfaces the deadline. For event-driven items, it activates when the triggering event occurs.
Add your property to get the specific version of this calendar for your unit.