Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is hauling a South L.A. landlord into court, accusing him of running off tenants so he could jack up rents at an eight-unit building near USC. Her office filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday that claims the owner methodically harassed tenants at properties on Woodlawn Avenue and East 43rd Street, cutting services, tossing belongings and tacking on new fees to clear out rent-restricted units.
The case, brought against landlord Femi Olanipekun, is the latest in a growing push by city prosecutors to crack down on tactics that pressure tenants to leave regulated apartments instead of going through lawful rent-increase channels. Feldstein Soto said the lawsuit “sends a clear message” that her office intends to keep enforcing tenant protections, according to MyNewsLA.com. The complaint says Olanipekun issued an October 29, 2025 notice telling tenants to be out by March 2026, then allegedly pivoted to a pressure campaign when residents did not simply walk away.
What the complaint says happened
In court papers, the City lays out a laundry list of alleged harassment tactics, including serving eviction notices without just cause, interrupting water and trash services, rewriting leases without agreement and slapping on new charges that officials say were intended to push tenants out, MyNewsLA.com reports. The complaint also says tenants lost outdoor storage rights and that some of their personal property was simply discarded.
Public real estate records identify the building as an eight-unit multifamily property not far from USC and downtown, consistent with the addresses named in the lawsuit. The complex is listed on LoopNet.
TAHO and state enforcement tools
Los Angeles’ Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance, or TAHO, gives tenants who win in court a chance to recover triple compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, rent refunds and civil penalties that judges can set between $2,000 and $10,000 per violation, along with possible punitive damages and other equitable relief, according to the Los Angeles Housing Department. On top of that, California’s Unfair Competition Law lets city attorneys seek injunctions, restitution and statutory penalties of up to $2,500 per violation in civil enforcement actions, as outlined by the California Legislature. Together, those tools give prosecutors several ways to ask a judge for money damages and orders blocking alleged harassment.
Why this case is getting attention
Tenant advocates and local officials have been pressing City Hall for tougher enforcement after years of complaints with relatively little fallout for landlords. The Los Angeles Times reported that TAHO generated more than 13,000 complaints while only a handful of fines were issued, which helped spur the City Council to beef up the law’s remedies. How judges handle this lawsuit could shape whether civil actions by the City Attorney become a serious deterrent to forced vacancies and other displacement tactics.
What could happen next
If the City prevails, a court could order services restored, require restitution or civil penalties, and award punitive damages and attorneys’ fees to affected tenants. The case will also serve as a test of how effectively prosecutors can turn TAHO and state consumer-protection statutes into concrete remedies that keep people in their homes instead of pushed out.
Tenants who believe they have experienced harassment covered by TAHO can file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing Department or talk with tenant-rights legal services about potential private claims.
