Frequently Asked Questions
The Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program will provide direct financial assistance to qualified landlords, helping to mitigate the detrimental economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in tenants falling behind on rent.
Any individual, group, or corporate entity seeking relief from rental arrearages or other eligible expenses of one or more rental properties.
- Property must be located within the County of Los Angeles, excluding the City of Los Angeles.
- Unit must still be occupied by impacted tenant(s). Units where tenants voluntarily left but still owed landlord arrears will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A “qualified landlord” must meet all the following criteria:
- Owns a rental property is located within the County of Los Angeles, excluding the City of Los Angeles.
- Provides authentic proof of ownership.
- Has W9 information can be validated against IRS records.
- Provides evidence of rental relationship is confirmed of a rental agreement.
- Has an affected unit that is currently occupied by the impacted tenant(s) and is verifiable. Units where tenants voluntarily left but still owed landlord arrears will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Confirms rental arrears have occurred April 1, 2022, and beyond excluding any months where monies were received through the following relief programs:
- Stay Housed LA
- DCBA Rental Housing Supports and Services
- A. County Mortgage Relief Program
- Supports eligible expenses with verifiable documentation.
A tenant can provide their landlord with the website link: https://lacountyrenstg.wpengine.com/ where they can learn more about the program.
- The Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program received thousands of applications for relief. As applications from that period continue to be actively reviewed, the Program has determined that after all qualified landlords have been awarded relief grants, there will be funds remaining. As such, the application will be reopened for a short period of time.
- Round 2 landlord applicants will have the opportunity to apply for rent relief to cover back rent accrued from April 1, 2022 to current, whereas Round 1 applications covered back rent accrued through January 2024.
- If an applicant has already been awarded a grant from the Program, their existing application will be reviewed to see if they qualify for additional assistance with rental debt. If they qualify, the grantee will be notified by the Program. Grantees should not reapply.
- During Round 1, there were applications from high need communities initiated but not completed. Round 2 will allow these applicants to apply and submit a completed application.
- If you submitted an application during Round I and have not yet received a decision, please log into your Program portal to identify any remaining open tasks that require your attention and to confirm the current status of your application.
The Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program is a program targeted toward landlords. As such, a landlord is required to submit a complete application in order to be considered for a grant. If the landlord refuses to participate, they will not be eligible for a relief grant for their impacted unit(s).
Tenants are not required to submit a full application for the Program. However, after their landlord has applied, the tenant will be invited to complete a brief application that collects additional information and confirms the tenant’s identity and tenancy in the impacted unit. Tenant cooperation is essential. If a tenant refuses to participate, the Program cannot verify key information provided by the landlord and the landlord will not be eligible for a relief grant.
Priority will be given to applicants that meet all the following criteria:
- The affected unit(s) is located in the high and highest-need geographies as defined and identified in the LA County Explorer Tool.
- The landlord or tenant has a household income is 80% or below LA County Area Median Income (AMI).
- The landlord fully satisfies the tenants’ debt for the eligible period upon receipt of the rent relief grant.
- The landlord owns no more than four rental units.
Grant awards may be used to cover eligible expenses incurred from April 1, 2022, to date on a rolling basis. Eligible expenses include qualifying unpaid rental debt and any other substantiated related expenses, such as utilities.
- Utilities such as gas, electric, water, and/or waste removal from companies including, but not limited to, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, WM, Consolidated Disposal Service, Allied Waste Services;
- Landscaping services;
- Any applicable fees passed on to the tenant as part of their lease agreement and rent payments;
- Upkeep/maintenance costs for amenities included in the lease and included in the rent for the unit;
- Any late fees incurred because the landlord was not able to make payments for any of the allowable utility and upkeep/maintenance costs outlined above.
The application portal for the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program will re-open on May 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. PT.
Landlords can apply online or may work through a program representative in person and/or over the phone.
- To apply online, visit lacountyrentrelief.com
- To apply over the phone, call a Program Representative at (877) 849-0770 (toll free) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 7 days per week.
The close date for this Program is June 4, 2024. Please continue to check www.lacountyrentrelief.com for updates.
- English
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
- Chinese
- Tagalog
- Arabic
- Armenian
- Persian
- Mandarin
- Filipino
Additional language support for more than 200 languages is provided by on-call translation services.
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- A network of local partners (Local Partner Network) will be established to assist those unable to apply online with the application process, either by phone or in person.
- Applicants can also reference the Program and Application Guide provided at www.lacountyrenstg.wpengine.com for step-by-step instructions on the application process. The Program and Application is available in the following languages:
- English
- Arabic
- Armenian
- Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
- Farsi
- Hindi
- Japanese
- Khmer/Cambodian
- Korean
- Russian
- Spanish
- Tagalog
- Thai
- Vietnamese
Once an application is submitted, applicants may monitor the status of their application by logging into their Neighborly Portal at https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/LACOUNTYRENTRELIEF/participant or by calling a Program Representative toll-free at (877) 849-0770 seven days a week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT.
Applicants found to be ineligible for this Program will be notified by email with the reason why the application was found to be ineligible. In that communication, there will be instructions on how to appeal the ineligibility decision.
On the application login page, click the question mark (?) button on the bottom right of the sign in section, which will give you options to contact a Program Representative for help.
Any updates regarding the Program will be shared www.lacountyrenstg.wpengine.com.
Important note: Funding for this Program is limited, and the number of applicants who meet the eligibility requirements may exceed the available funds. Submitting an application and/or meeting the Program’s eligibility requirements does not guarantee funding.
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- Current rent ledger documenting tenant arrears (by each month, including any rental assistance previously paid directly to the landlord, if available); or
- Current rent due statement/letter from the landlord or management company; or
- Prior eviction notices, including 15-day, 3-day, or other payment notice (must include amount of rent outstanding); or other documents may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
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- Deed: A copy of the property deed showing the applicant’s name as the owner; or
- Title Insurance Policy: A copy of the title insurance policy that confirms ownership and any encumbrances on the property; or
- Property Tax Statement: A current property tax statement or receipt indicating ownership; or
- Mortgage Statement: A recent mortgage statement showing the applicant as the borrower; or
- Homeowners Insurance Policy: A copy of the current homeowner’s insurance policy for the property; or
- Property Appraisal: A recent property appraisal report that includes the applicant’s name as the owner; or
- Property Assessment Notice: A copy of the property assessment notice from the local tax assessor’s office; or
- Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Statement: If applicable, a statement from a home equity line of credit account; or
- Home Purchase Agreement: A copy of the agreement used when purchasing the property; or
- Settlement Statement (HUD-1): The HUD-1 settlement statement used during the property purchase; or
- Quitclaim Deed: If the property ownership was transferred via a quitclaim deed, a copy of the deed; or
- Property Survey: A recent property survey report; or
- Warranty Deed: If the property ownership was transferred via a warranty deed, a copy of the deed; or
- Utility Bills: Recent utility bills addressed to the applicant for the property address; or
- Other documents may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
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- Current signed lease agreement; or
- Other written agreement; or
- Copies of canceled checks or bank statements showing rental payments to the landlord; or
- Other documents may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
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Yes, applicants may be eligible to receive up to $30,000 per rental unit.
The Los Angeles County Rent Relief program will review applications for eligibility; However applicants will not receive funding under this program if assistance has already been provided from another program in the same period.
In order for the landlord’s application to be considered, tenant participation is required, and they will need to completed and submit a Tenant Profile that will be used to support the landlord application.
No. An applicant’s immigration status will not impact an applicant’s eligibility for this Program, nor will it be reported. There are no questions in the application that asks for immigration status.
Payment will be issued via Automated Clearing House (ACH) to the bank account the applicant provided during the application process. Prepaid card or peer-to-peer accounts (i.e., Cashapp, Venmo) are not acceptable as an award payment method.
Rental assistance payments are scheduled to begin on a rolling bi-weekly basis starting January 26th. It is important to note that applications which are eligible, prioritized, fully complete, and verified will have the highest likelihood of being processed and receiving payments promptly, as long as resources are available.
To ensure your application is included in the upcoming payment schedules, both landlords and tenants are strongly encouraged to respond promptly to any inquiries from the program. To stay updated on the status of your application, you should regularly check your Neighborly Portal at https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/LACOUNTYRENTRELIEF/participant, as well as your email and text messages, for any updates regarding their application status. If you have any questions, please contact the customer service call center toll-free at (877) 849-0770. The call center is open seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT.
Applicants with no bank account should contact a Program Representative at (877) 849-0770 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT.
Yes, however, the information and documentation provided for the application must be representative of the individual who owns the LLC.
Landlords who rent out individual rooms are limited to $30,000 per rental unit with a unique address and not individual room.
Customer Call Center
(877) 849-0770
Monday – Friday*
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. PT
*Except for state and federal holidays