Property management for rentals inside the City of Los Angeles

Three city obligations owners miss

The annual registration bill. LAHD bills RSO, JCO and SCEP fees per unit each calendar year. The bill is due in January and goes delinquent after the last day of February; for 2026 the regular per-unit amounts were $38.75 (RSO), $31.05 (JCO) and $67.94 (SCEP). Registration is not complete until rents, tenancy details and an emergency contact are on file for every unit, including one you live in. If an RSO unit’s registration statement was never obtained and served on the tenant, the tenant can raise that as a defense in an eviction case.

SCEP inspections. Rental properties with two or more units are inspected about once every four years whether or not anyone has complained, with at least 30 days’ notice. An Order to Comply sets a 30-day compliance period, with limited extensions. Left open, it can lead to a hearing and placement in the Rent Escrow Account Program, which reduces the rent and lets tenants pay it into an escrow account instead of to the owner. Our guide covers the full sequence: SCEP inspections and REAP.

Retrofit orders. Soft-story wood-frame and non-ductile concrete buildings have their own deadlines once the city issues an order. If you have one in the file, start here: LA soft-story retrofit and cost recovery.

Rules change, and fees and percentages reset each year. Confirm anything you will rely on for a notice, a sale or a buyout with LAHD or your attorney before you act. For this quarter’s rents, vacancy and rent caps across the area, see our Q4 2026 market update.

Neighborhoods we cover inside the city

We have dedicated pages for Mid-City, Pico-Robertson and Palms, Koreatown and Wilshire Center, Westchester, Hollywood and Studio City. Outside city limits, see Culver City, Inglewood and Beverly Hills.

Questions owners ask before switching

What’s the fee structure?

One flat monthly fee, not a percentage of your rent. It covers rent collection and maintenance coordination; leasing is quoted separately. We’ll go through the exact numbers on a free 30-minute call, and you’ll have everything in writing before you commit. Here is how our flat fee works.

I already have a property manager. Is switching a hassle?

We handle the tenant notices, the security deposit transfer, the vendor introductions and the accounting handoff. Our checklist walks through each step: Switching Property Managers in LA.

What kinds of properties do you manage?

Single-family rentals, condos, duplexes and apartment buildings for long-term tenants, including furnished units. We do not manage short-term or vacation rentals.

How do I know if my building is under the RSO?

Start with the certificate of occupancy date and the parcel’s city. A building inside the City of Los Angeles with a certificate of occupancy on or before October 1, 1978 is generally RSO. LAHD can confirm a property’s status, and we check it before we take over a building.

Do you handle Section 8 tenants?

Yes. California fair housing law counts a Section 8 voucher as a protected source of income, so an owner cannot turn down an applicant because the rent is paid with one (Government Code sections 12927 and 12955). We know the HQS inspection process, and if your building has a mix of tenants, we manage it as a mix. If a specific applicant decision worries you, confirm it with a fair housing attorney.

What about the state rent cap and LA’s eviction rules?

We work out which cap applies to each unit, calculate the allowable increase before each renewal, and do not serve a notice that does not comply. For ending a tenancy or withdrawing units, see our guides on the eviction process and the Ellis Act.