TAHO AUDIT
Audit of the City's Implementation of the
Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance
TAHO applies to all rental properties in the City and prohibits landlords from engaging in harassing actions directed towards tenants.
Examples of Tenant Harassment
- •Threatening physical harm
- •Reducing housing services
- •Withholding repairs
- •Evicting based on false reasons
- •Interfering with habitability
- •Abusing right to access unit
- •Asking a tenant's immigration/citizenship status
Learn more at: housing.lacity.gov/residents/tenant-anti-harassment
KEY FINDINGS
Of over 11,000 TAHO complaints, only 23 were referred to the City Attorney to consider enforcement beyond sending an educational letter. 4 citations were issued - all to one landlord.
72% of respondents to our audit survey (tenants who had recently submitted TAHO complaints) reported that their landlord continued to harass them even after their TAHO case was closed.
LAHD has not provided its housing investigators with adequate guidance for managing TAHO complaints.
Inadequate staffing and resources have limited LAHD's ability to carry out investigations and enforcement of TAHO.
LAHD's ability to enforce TAHO has mainly consisted of sending educational letters to offending landlords. For enforcement beyond that, it has heavily relied on the City Attorney's Office.
TO LAHD AS OF JULY 2024.
TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE,
AS OF JULY 2024.
VIOLATIONS.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The City should assess the feasibility of revising TAHO to provide LAHD with the authority to independently issue administrative citations and fines.
The City should assess the feasibility of increasing citation fine amounts for TAHO violations.
City Council should consider increasing the maximum civil penalty amount for TAHO violations.
City Council should consider amending TAHO language to guarantee the awarding of additional civil penalties to prevailing tenants that are older than 65 or that have disabilities.
LAHD should establish formal policies and procedures for managing TAHO cases.
LAHD should provide formal training on TAHO for housing investigators.
LAHD should hire additional housing investigators.
LAHD should develop a tracking and enforcement protocol that will allow the department to identify and track rental units which become vacant due to confirmed violations of TAHO.
TAHO COMPLAINT SUBMISSIONS
BY COUNCIL DISTRICT
FEB 2022 - DEC 2023
