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The Mom-and-Pop reduced relocation schedule

By los-angeles.com EditorialEdited by Last updated Payment schedule checked against LAHDReviewed by , Brown & Charbonneau, LLP

Los Angeles applies a reduced relocation schedule where the landlord qualifies as a Mom-and-Pop owner. A Mom-and-Pop owner is one who owns no more than four residential rental units plus one single-family home in Los Angeles. It applies where the eviction is for occupancy by the owner or an eligible family member, rather than to every no-fault ground. And it may be used only once every 3 years, so a second no-fault eviction inside that window does not take the reduced amount.

The reduced amounts are $10,550 for an eligible tenant and $21,250 for a qualified one, with no split by length of tenancy: a tenant of six months and a tenant of fifteen years are owed the same figure. A low household income does not change it either, because there is no higher amount on this schedule for it to reach.

It reduces the amount owed, not the obligation. A qualifying owner still has to pay, still has to pay on time, and still has to have a valid no-fault reason. The relocation assistance calculator applies the reduced schedule once you tell it the owner qualifies.

On this page
  1. Qualifying is a question of fact
  2. What it does not change
  3. Common questions

Qualifying is a question of fact

It turns on how much the owner holds in Los Angeles and on what the eviction is for, not on how small the operation looks. An owner claiming the reduced schedule should be able to say why they qualify, and there are three things to hold them to.

The holding test: no more than four residential rental units plus one single-family home in the city. It counts what the owner holds, not what is in this building, so an owner of four units here and four elsewhere does not qualify.

The ground: the reduced schedule is for an eviction so the owner or an eligible family member can occupy the unit, which is a narrower set of grounds than relocation assistance covers in general.

And the three-year limit: the reduced amount may be used only once every three years, so an owner who used it on another unit recently cannot use it on you.

Ownership records are public, so all of that is checkable rather than something you have to take on trust.

What it does not change

The deadline for payment, the escrow route, the appeal window, and the requirement for a valid reason are all unaffected. Only the figure changes.

LA Relocation Assistance Calculator

Computes relocation assistance for a no-fault eviction in the City of LA, under the RSO schedule or the Just Cause Ordinance.

Common questions

My landlord says they are Mom-and-Pop. Do I have to accept that?
No. It is a defined status with criteria, and you can raise it with the LA Housing Department if the claim does not hold up. Ask them in writing why they qualify, because a written claim that turns out to be wrong is a useful document later.
How can I check how many units my landlord actually owns?
Ownership records are public. The Los Angeles County Assessor names the owner for every parcel, and the Registrar-Recorder holds the deeds, so a search on the owner's name turns up the other properties held in it. Where the owner is a company, the California Secretary of State's business search names the people behind it.
If my landlord qualifies, do I get nothing?
No. The schedule is reduced, not removed. A qualifying owner still owes a relocation payment, still has to pay it on time, and still needs a valid no-fault reason for ending the tenancy. What changes is the amount and nothing else.
Does the reduced schedule change when the money is due?
No. The payment deadline, the escrow route and the appeal window are the same whichever schedule applies. If a landlord is treating the reduced schedule as a reason to pay late as well as pay less, those are two separate problems and the second one is not a consequence of the first.

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The rules on this page were last checked by a person on October 7, 2026