City of Bell Gardens
The following is a brief overview of the tenant protections available in this city. For more details please refer to the ordinance itself and any other resourced linked below.
Overview
What tenant protections does the city have?
Rent Control
Just Cause for Evictions
Who enforces the tenant protections?
Complaint based system
When were these protections adopted and most recently updated?
Adopted: 2022
Rent Stabilization
Exemptions
SFH and condos per Costa Hawkins Act; Anything built after 2/1/1995; All deed restricted affordable housing except for any unit for which the landlord receives Section 8 vouchers
A rental unit on a property with a maximum of three units that is owner-occupied.
How much can rent be increased and how often?
50% of CPI or 4%, whichever is less
Is banking allowed?
No
Are passthroughs or additional costs allowed (pets, utilities, parking, etc)?
Landlords may pass through 50% of costs related to certain capital improvements with Department approval. Allowable pass-throughs are not considered rent and should be listed as a separate line item and cannot exceed five percent (5%) of rent.
Eviction Protections
Exemptions
All residential rental units in the City with a lawful tenancy of less than 12 months.
Under what circumstances is the landlord obligated to pay relocation assistance to tenant?
If a tenant is evicted for a “No-Fault” reason, landlords are required to pay relocation assistance for permanent displacement in an amount equal to three (3) times the tenant’s monthly rent. Certain “qualified tenants” (seniors, families with children, low-income households and tenancies of five years of more) are entitled to four (4) times the monthly rent. If a tenant is temporarily displaced to complete repairs that cannot be done while the tenant remains in the unit, landlords are required to provide a per-diem payment or comparable accommodations.