Beverly Hills landlords who want to evict a tenant in a rent-stabilized unit must now cite one of 12 specific legal grounds, follow strict notice timelines, and in some cases pay relocation fees exceeding $17,000 under the city's updated Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
The rules took effect Wednesday, July 1, across most multi-unit residential buildings in the city. The ordinance also raised CPI-adjusted relocation fees, which we covered here. But the full framework goes well beyond those dollar amounts.
12 grounds, no exceptions
According to the city's Tenant Eviction Protections page, landlords may only evict for one of these reasons: failure to pay rent, violation of a lease obligation, maintaining a nuisance, illegal use of the unit, refusal to sign a new lease, refusal to provide access, harboring unapproved subtenants, owner move-in, change of building manager, demolition or condo conversion, withdrawal from the rental market under the Ellis Act, or a finding that the tenant is disruptive.
For fault-based evictions like nonpayment or nuisance, landlords can reset the unit to market-rate rent for the next tenant. For no-fault removals like owner move-in or demolition, they cannot. A disruptive-tenant eviction also bars the landlord from charging market rate to the next renter.
Relocation fees for no-fault evictions
When a landlord removes a tenant for a no-fault reason, the city requires relocation payments effective Wednesday, July 1: $8,636.20 for a studio or single unit, $12,756.96 for a one-bedroom, and $17,283.53 for two or more bedrooms. Households with at least one tenant age 62 or older, disabled, or a minor receive an additional $2,000.
Disruptive tenants: a three-step process
Landlords cannot simply file to remove a disruptive tenant. The city requires a mandatory sequence first:
- Deliver a written notice describing the behavior and giving the tenant 10 days to stop.
- If the conduct continues, send a second written notice to the tenant and affected neighbors offering mediation, with a 30-day response window.
- Only after the tenant declines or ignores mediation may the landlord serve a copy of the application and file it with the city.
A city hearing officer then decides whether the tenant qualifies as disruptive. Without that determination, no eviction can proceed on those grounds.
Ellis Act: pulling units off the market
Landlords who want to withdraw units entirely from the rental market must comply with state Ellis Act rules incorporated into Beverly Hills Municipal Code Sections 4-5-513 and 4-6-6(L). Under state law, tenants get at least 120 days' notice before withdrawal. Tenants age 62 or older or those with disabilities who have lived in the unit at least one year are entitled to a full year's notice.
Also under state law, if a landlord returns a withdrawn unit to the rental market within five years, the displaced tenant must be offered the unit back at the same rent-controlled rate. Between five and 10 years, the former tenant still gets right of first refusal, but the landlord may charge market rent.
Who's covered
The RSO applies to most residential rental properties in Beverly Hills with two or more units. Exempt: single-family homes, most condos, buildings that received a certificate of occupancy after February 1, 1995, short-term hotel stays of 30 days or fewer, non-profit co-ops controlled by residents, and government-owned units.
The city divides covered units into two chapters. Chapter 5 covers older buildings constructed before September 20, 1978, with original rents of $600 or less per month; those units face a maximum annual increase of 3.34%. Chapter 6 covers all other pre-1995 rent-stabilized buildings, with a current cap of 3.6% through June 2027.
The Rent Stabilization & Housing Division at 455 N. Rexford Drive handles questions and enforcement. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can call (310) 285-1000 or email [email protected].
