LA's Just Cause Ordinance (JCO) requires landlords to pay relocation assistance to tenants who are displaced through a no-fault eviction — that is, an eviction for a reason not attributable to the tenant, such as owner move-in, substantial rehabilitation, or withdrawal from the rental market. The amounts are set by the LA Housing Department (LAHD) and updated annually. Underpayment can void the eviction and expose the landlord to damages.
The 2026 relocation schedule
LAHD publishes the schedule annually. For 2026, the amounts are approximately:
Standard tier — one-bedroom or smaller unit:
- Under 3 years tenancy: $9,900
- 3+ years tenancy: $13,200
Standard tier — two-bedroom or larger unit:
- Under 3 years tenancy: $13,200
- 3+ years tenancy: $18,500
Qualified tenant tier (elderly, disabled, or household with a minor child) — one-bedroom or smaller:
- Under 3 years tenancy: $13,200
- 3+ years tenancy: $18,500
Qualified tenant tier — two-bedroom or larger:
- Under 3 years tenancy: $18,500
- 3+ years tenancy: $23,700
When payment is due
The payment must be made at or before service of the notice of termination. A notice of termination served without accompanying relocation payment is defective and does not start the notice period running.
This is a strict rule. Landlords who serve notice first and pay later — even by a few days — have had their unlawful detainer actions dismissed. The tenant is entitled to keep the payment; the landlord must start the process over.
When relocation is required
JCO relocation applies to no-fault evictions specifically. The category includes:
- Owner move-in (owner or immediate family member)
- Substantial rehabilitation requiring vacancy
- Withdrawal of the unit from the rental market (Ellis Act)
- Government order requiring vacancy
- Conversion to condominium
- Demolition
Relocation does not apply to at-fault evictions — non-payment of rent, material lease violation, nuisance, criminal activity. Those follow different notice and process rules and don't trigger relocation payments.
What counts as delivery
Payment can be made in the form of:
- A check made payable to the tenant
- A cashier's check or money order
- A direct deposit or electronic transfer to an account the tenant has designated
- A waiver of a specific number of months of rent (subject to statutory conversion rules)
Payment must be delivered to the tenant, not held for pickup. Landlords who mail the check to the wrong address, or leave it with a leasing office, have been found not to have satisfied the requirement.
What if the tenant refuses to accept
Occasionally a tenant refuses to accept the relocation payment, hoping to void the eviction on payment grounds. LAMC § 165.02 specifies procedures for this case: the landlord may deposit the payment with LAHD, which is deemed constructive delivery. Consult the LAHD guidance before pursuing this path.
What to do next
If you're contemplating a no-fault eviction, the payment amount is the first calculation to nail down. Understanding your tenant's tier, tenancy length, and unit size determines whether you owe $9,900 or $23,700 — a substantial difference.
LandlordOS surfaces the applicable relocation schedule as part of the JCO compliance surface for each property, and flags when a proposed no-fault eviction would trigger the higher tier. Add your property to see the calculation for your specific unit.