In an effort to provide financial reprieve to landlords who've taken a hit during the pandemic, LA County has opened the floodgates for applications to its Rent Relief Program—an initiative aimed at backpaying landlords for tenant rent defaults. Announced by the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), this $68 million lifeline is set to alleviate some of the economic strains inflicted by COVID-19.
Applications for the aid are being processed by The Center by Lendistry. Landlords can apply by hitting up lacountyrentrelief.com, and for those less digitally inclined, a call center is operational on a daily grind from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PST at (877) 849-0770, offering assistance in multiple languages to ensure no one's left in the lurch. Landlords are looking at a maximum of $30,000 per unit to cover rents that fell through from April 1, 2022, up until the current day. Additionally, there are upcoming events and webinars providing further enlightenment, dates and times of which can also be found online.
The DCBA is leaving nothing to chance, incorporating a prioritized approach to review the applications housing the most vulnerable tenants, or positioned in the neediest areas, at the front of the line. Though everyone's urged to get their submission in sooner rather than later, crossing the Ts on your completed form doesn't promise you a dime, with a hard stop for applications set for January 12, 2024, just as the clock strikes midnight.
As a cornerstone of consumer protection in the region since '75, the County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs sticks up for consumers, tenants, homeowners, and more, working hard on consumer fraud cases and enforcing county wage rules, among a slew of other resources, all of which can be checked out at dcba.lacounty.gov or by giving a ring to (800) 593-8222, according to the department's statement.
