L.A. Mun. Code ch. XV art. 1; ch. XVI art. 5 § 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE (Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance)
Operative Text
(Added by Ord. No. 169,363, Eff. 3/1/94.) A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance any provision of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply to any mobile home, which is subject to the provisions of the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, rendered untenantable, as a result of the January 17, 1994 earthquake and its aftermath: The ground for eviction set forth in Section 151.09 A.1. (non-payment of rent) of the Los Angeles Municipal Code shall not apply if a mobile home within a mobile home park was made untenantable on or after January 17, 1994, because of damage to utility-related facilities on a mobile home pad or a shut off of any utility to the mobile home pad as a result of the earthquake and its aftermath, where park management has the obligation to effect the necessary repairs to the utility system or facilities. A tenant is not required to pay the rent otherwise allowed pursuant to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance for those days that the utility was or is not provided. Once the utility facilities or services to the pad have been repaired, replaced or restored, the tenant shall be required to pay the rent allowed pursuant to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance for the period after that repair, replacement or restoration. B. The provisions of this section shall remain in effect for a period of 90 days from the effective date of the ordinance adding the section and shall apply to any proceeding which has not resulted in a final judgment on or before the effective date of that ordinance. This section shall apply to mobile homes, as provided in Section 151.02 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, regardless of whether rent is paid for the mobile home and the land upon which the mobile home is located or rent is paid for the land alone. The Rent Adjustment Commission shall have the authority to promulgate any regulations or guidelines it deems necessary to implement this amendment to the Los Angeles Municipal Code.
Section 151.20 of the L.A. Municipal Code established a temporary, earthquake-specific rule for RSO-covered mobile homes that were rendered untenantable by the January 17, 1994 earthquake. Under this provision, a landlord could not pursue eviction for nonpayment of rent on days when utility services to a mobile home pad were lost due to earthquake damage, provided that park management held the repair obligation. Once utilities were restored, normal RSO rent obligations resumed, and the entire framework was set to expire 90 days after the ordinance's March 1, 1994 effective date.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of mobile home parks subject to the RSO should understand that Section 151.20 suspended the nonpayment-of-rent eviction ground for pads that lost utility service due to the 1994 earthquake, but only for the days service was actually interrupted and only where management bore the repair responsibility. A compliant operator during the covered period would have tracked the specific dates utilities were unavailable, refrained from pursuing eviction actions based on rent withheld for those days, and resumed normal rent collection once service was restored. Because the provision also granted the Rent Adjustment Commission authority to issue implementing regulations, operators at the time would have monitored any guidance the Commission issued during the 90-day window.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 151.20 gave RSO-covered mobile home tenants the right to withhold rent for days their pad lacked utility service due to the January 1994 earthquake, without that withholding forming a valid basis for eviction under Section 151.09 A.1. Tenants who faced eviction proceedings during the 90-day effective period could raise this provision as a defense in those proceedings, provided the utility disruption stemmed from earthquake damage and park management was responsible for repairs. Tenants with questions about how this historical provision may relate to an ongoing matter can consult a tenant-rights organization or reach out to the Los Angeles Housing Department for guidance.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.