Info for TENANTS / RENTERS from LAHD

Information for TENANTS / RENTERS off of the Los Angeles Housing Department's website regarding building inspectors.

http://cris.lacity.org/cris/informationcenter/code/tenants.htm


SCEP (pronounced "skep"), requires that multi-family rental properties with two or more units be inspected on a scheduled basis (current schedule is once every five years). Inspections are done to ensure that the units are safe and habitable.

Inspectors from the Los Angeles Housing Department schedule each property for a thorough inspection. A notice is mailed to the owner approximately 30 days before the scheduled inspection. A notice is posted 5-7 days before the inspection to inform the tenants of the date and time to expect the inspector. Properties that do not meet City and State codes regarding issues of maintenance, use, or habitability are cited with a "Notice to Comply". Property owners are generally given 30 days to have the required repairs completed. A re-inspection is performed to verify that the corrective work was done.

If repairs are not completed within the time period specified on the Notice to Comply, the owner will be summoned to an administrative hearing at the Housing Department to determine the reason for non-compliance and when the required repairs will be completed. If further enforcement steps become necessary, the file may be forwarded to the Office of the City Attorney as a criminal complaint.

Property owners are charged $35.52 per unit, per year, whether or not the units are inspected during that year. The fee is paid to the Los Angeles Housing Department once every year.

It is not necessary to wait for the regularly scheduled inspection if your unit (or surrounding common areas) need repairs that the landlord is aware of but has failed to make.

If you believe that there are Housing Code violations in your unit or the surrounding common areas, you can file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing Department using one of the following methods:

Call the Code Enforcement Complaint Line weekdays between 9:00 am-4:00 pm at (866) 557-RENT;

Visit one of the Los Angeles Housing Department's Public Counters. ( http://cris.lacity.org/cris/informationcenter/code/offices.htm )

Submit a complaint via the Internet. ( http://cris.lacity.org/cris/informationcenter/code/propprofile.htm )

You will be contacted by LAHD Code Enforcement personnel--usually within 72 hours of filing the complaint.

There is no fee for filing a complaint. You cannot be evicted for filing a complaint. Complaints by phone can be left anonymously but must include the property address, unit number (if the violation exists inside the unit), nature of the complaint and a contact phone number for the inspector to arrange to meet you for an inspection.

You can designate another person, such as a friend or family member to be available at your unit at the time of inspection if it is inconvenient for you to meet the inspector as scheduled.

If you reside in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, call (877) 966-CODE to file a code complaint, as the County, like incorporated cities such as Burbank, Inglewood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, and the City of West Hollywood, have their own code enforcement agencies. Please see the White Pages in your local phone book under City or County Government Offices for your Department of Building & Safety or Public Works.

For more information about the Code Enforcement program, call the LAHD Information and Complaint Line at (866) 557-RENT or send an email to ceuemail@lahd.ci.la.ca.us, our Code Enforcement Unit.