In another huge victory for LA tenants, the Los Angeles City Council on Oct. 30 approved major changes to the city's Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO), three years after the law's initial passage. The new TAHO changes will provide stronger protection for tenants against abusive landlords by providing enforcement mechanisms and legal remedies. This marks the culmination of the TAHO 2.0 campaign, launched in 2022 by ACCE Los Angeles leaders, and later joined by our Keep LA Housed (KLAH) coalition partners.

When TAHO went into effect in 2021, the law's weakness was immediately apparent because no funds had been allocated for enforcement. Organizers and attorneys continued to report cases of rampant intimidation, unlawful eviction notices, threats of physical harm, unlawful lockouts, refusal to make necessary repairs, unilateral reductions in key rental amenities, and abuse of a landlord’s right to enter a tenant’s home. Soon, TAHO 2.0 campaign was born. 

TAHO 2.0 demanded several amendments to the ordinance including:

• ensuring landlords are fined for each violation
• triple damages when landlords willfully engage in harassment
• requiring landlords to pay attorneys fees to tenants who win their case
• remedies for tenants, such as emotional damages

ACCE and KLAH members worked tirelessly to turn out for public comment at City Hall, made phone calls and lobby visits to council members, and held media events to highlight impacted tenant stories to the press and public. This hard work resulted in a City Council vote of 11-0 in favor of passage, with all the amendments ACCE and KLAH asked for. The strengthened TAHO will become law at the end of 2024. Tenants in LA will now start off the New Year 2025 in a stronger position to fight back against landlords who violate their rights!