A pet-friendly law in L.A. pleases landlords and tenants alike

Good morning. It’s Thursday, Jan. 25. I’m Anthony De Leon, a reporting fellow who just joined the newsletter team. You’ll be hearing from me more often. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• A new law protecting tenants goes into effect in L.A.
• Two ‘thousand-year storms’ hit SoCal in weeks. More could be coming.
• These 13 bike shops will help you discover L.A.’s thriving cycling culture
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

L.A. City Council extends law to protect tenants with pandemic-era pets

Nearly 23 million households added a furry friend to their homes during the pandemic, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals data. But for renters, that’s not always straightforward. Leases often forbid tenants from owning pets, or require they receive permission first.

But as pandemic loneliness soared, more and more tenants sneaked their pandemic pets in without their landlords’ knowledge.

For a few years in Los Angeles, tenants were safe. The L.A. City Council adopted temporary COVID-related tenant protection measures in 2020 which allowed tenants living in “no pets” buildings to foster or adopt animals without fear of eviction.

This protection was supposed to expire next week, which would have forced residents to decide between their homes and their pets.

But the City Council has extended it, voting on Tuesday to prevent landlords from evicting tenants who adopted a pet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How the new law works

Tenants must disclose their unauthorized roommates to their landlords within a month to be protected, essentially letting the cat out of the bag. The protection only applies to pets that started residing in a rental unit before Jan. 31, 2023.

The new law goes into effect immediately.

The law eases two crises plaguing the city

Passing the ordinance eases two crises plaguing the city: homelessness and animal shelter overpopulation, the L.A. Times’ Angie Orellana Hernandez reported.

Evictions across L.A. County increased by thousands last year after pandemic-era moratoriums expired. Roughly 46,000 tenants were evicted countywide, according to court data compiled by the nonprofit advocacy group Strategic Actions for a Just Economy.

At the same time, animal shelters are “bursting at the seams,” the Board of Animal Services Commissioners President Larry Gross told Orellana Hernandez.

The decision eliminates the need for residents to make a tough decision, preventing more animals from going to already overwhelmed and at-capacity shelters.

“It will keep families together because many of these pets were brought in three or four years ago, and they’re part of people’s families,” Gross said.

The California Apartment Assn., representing landlords and property owners, expressed support for the ordinance in a letter to the City Council in December. The organization endorsed the “city’s goal of resolving this unique situation.”

A February 2023 report from the city Department of Animal Services highlighted the concern that the January 2024 expiration of the temporary protection would force people to decide whether to remain housed or give up their pets.

Today’s top stories

(Denis Poroy / Associated Press)

Extreme weather

• SoCal saw two ‘thousand-year’ storms within weeks. More could be coming.
• Dangerous floodwaters got ‘deeper and deeper’ as epic storm submerged San Diego.

Driving deaths

• Car crashes killed more people than homicides in Los Angeles last year.
• L.A. socialite’s lawyer sought to shift blame in killing of 2 boys in crosswalk at her trial: Hers wasn’t first or last car.

Politics

• L.A. County D.A. to pay $5 million in civil rights case over bungled election conspiracy prosecution.

Crime and courts

• Five suspects, including one juvenile, have been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 2 ransacking of Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food.
• Six people were found shot to death in a desert community in San Bernardino County.
• Jailed for missing a court date, he died after not being given his HIV medicine, a lawsuit says.
• A former Pomona High student who says a track coach raped her in the ’90s is awarded $35 million.
• An appeals court finds the FBI did violate rights of some Beverly Hills safe-deposit box holders.
• Code words, smuggled phones, $50 tips: Mexican Mafia micro-manages drug deals from prison.

Entertainment

• Jon Stewart to return as (part-time) host of ‘The Daily Show’ through 2024 election.
• Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera champion ‘Barbie’s’ Gerwig and Robbie after Oscar snubs.

More big stories

• California relaxes COVID isolation guidance. What you need to know.
• Groundwater levels are falling in parts of California and food-growing regions worldwide.
• A landslide in San Clemente halts train service indefinitely.
• How this executive got rich on California’s public charger system.
• L.A. County looks to require rental units to stay cool in summer.
• NFL conference championship picks: Which teams will go to the Super Bowl?
• A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook a wide swath of Southern California on Wednesday night.

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Commentary and opinions

• George Skelton: In an oddball way, Steve Garvey won California’s U.S. Senate debate
• Robin Abcarian: Is Steve Garvey, or his California campaign, for real?
• Jackie Calmes: Why 2024 may not be the worst political year ever.
• Editorial Board: Reelect Nithya Raman to the Los Angeles City Council
• Michael Hiltzik: California’s most improbable water project rebrands itself as a crusader for environmental justice.
• Gustavo Arellano: A pedophile priest. A $10-million payout. A monster who won’t leave my life.

Today’s great reads

(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Broken chargers, lax oversight: How California’s troubled EV charging stations threaten emission goals. California’s policies are at least partly to blame. The state chose not to require that charger companies meet performance standards as it doled out $1 billion in subsidies, grants and other assistance to charger companies, with billions more on the way.

Other great reads

• High-tech and war are integrating some ultra-Orthodox Jews into Israel’s secular society.
• After School Satan Club is coming to Orange County. It’s not what you think, organizers say.
• How an ankle injury helped a young Adrián Beltré become a Hall of Famer.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your downtime

(Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• 🚲 L.A. is home to a thriving cycling culture. These 13 bike shops will help you discover it.
• 💪 Paddleboarding without water? This new L.A. core workout will help you find balance.
• 18 L.A. chefs and restaurants named semifinalists for 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards.

Staying in

• 📚4 chilling debut thrillers to get you through the winter.
• 📺 The mind-blowing comedy of Jacqueline Novak explodes in debut special out now on Netflix, ‘Get on Your Knees.’
• 🥥 Here’s a recipe for coconut-pina-guava fresca.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

And finally ... from our archives

The Jan. 26, 1971, front page of the L.A. Times features coverage of the Manson murders trial.

(Los Angeles Times)

Here’s the front page of The Times, 53 years ago today. Charles Manson and three of his followers were convicted on all 27 counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in the killings of seven people, including actor Sharon Tate.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Anthony De Leon, reporting fellow
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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