The Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO), which was adopted in 2004 and amended in 2017, requires landlords to provide relocation benefits to tenants who are displaced under specific circumstances. The recently modified TPO now covers situations in which a change in property ownership has occurred within 18 months prior to the tenant being issued a notice of eviction, tenancy termination, or rent increase which exceeds 5% plus the percentage annual change in the Consumer Price Index. Other circumstances which require landlords to pay relocation benefits to displaced tenants are: demolition, conversion to condominium, or permanent removal of the unit from the rental market; occupancy by the landlord or landlord’s family member; government order to vacate; or the displacement of tenants from housing owned by educational institutions under certain situations. Multifamily rental properties with two or more units on a single parcel are subject to TPO. Single-family homes and condominium units are exempt from TPO.
To be eligible for TPO relocation benefits, tenants must be in good standing with incomes not exceeding 140% of the Los Angeles County area median income. The current annual gross income limit for a household of four persons is $102,340. TPO benefits consist of a relocation allowance and a moving expense allowance. For a two-bedroom unit, the current relocation allowance is $4,478. The moving expense allowance is currently $1,338 for adult households and $4,033 for households with dependents, disabled or senior members. In addition, qualified tenants may be eligible for increased TPO benefits if they have maintained a continuous period of tenancy in their rental units for at least 10 years.
For more information, visit the Tenant Protection section of the Housing Department website at cityofpasadena.net/housing/ or contact the Housing Rights Center at (626) 799-0211.
