Tenants FAQs
If you have a pending application or are waiting for an outcome of an appeal with the State’s Housing Is Key Program, you should apply to ULA ERAP and indicate the months of all of your unpaid rent.
New applications will be accepted from 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 19, 2023 through Monday, October 2, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.
Renters can complete an application online or by telephone beginning on September 19, 2023. The application can also be completed by calling the ULA ERAP hotline Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. To apply in person, visit one of our 15 locations throughout the City. To find a location near you, click here.
Household income is the total household income earned, so the household’s income must be at or below this amount before taxes, depending on the number of people in the household.
Yes, renters living in single-family rental properties may apply.
Condominiums located in the City of Los Angeles are eligible for the program.
Applicants need to provide documentation that they live in the rental unit and pay rent. It does not need to be the lease/rental agreement. It could be some other document that connects them to that address, such as a notice from the landlord or a utility bill.
Yes, a tenant does need to demonstrate they owe unpaid rent anytime from April 2020 through now. The program priority is to pay an eligible tenant’s past-due rent for the period of April 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021.
No, the program is open to all renters, regardless of immigration status.
A tenant will be required to provide:
- Proof that they are a resident in the City of Los Angeles, such as an identification card, etc.
- Proof of residential tenancy, such as a rental agreement/lease, or a notice issued by your current landlord, utility bill, etc.
- Proof of current and past due rental amount, such as a rent receipt, or rental ledger, etc. b
- Proof of household income, such as a tax return, 1099 or employer contact information, etc.
- Proof of loss of employment, reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or other financial hardship between March 2020 and now.
If a tenant does not have tax returns or pay stubs, they can provide an Employer Statement with contact information such as name, address, phone, date of employment & income earned.
Your government-issued photo ID with a different address will still be used to confirm your identity. You may provide a different document to prove your tenancy, such as a recent notice addressed in your name from your current landlord, or a utility bill in your name with your rental unit address.
A subtenant is eligible to apply for the program. However, as for all applicants, the landlord who will receive the payment must be the person in charge of the property. Financial assistance cannot be payable to a master tenant.
Household income is based on the total income of all members (related & unrelated) living in the same rental unit, so the total household income of all the roommates must be at or below 80% of AMI.
Yes, we need the information for your landlord, the property owner, or the management company you pay your rent. This way, if you are selected for the program, we know the person in charge to contact and pay the financial assistance on your behalf.
The financial assistance will be paid directly to the landlord on the tenant’s behalf.
If you are selected and no longer live at the current rental unit address listed on the application, you are no longer eligible for the program.
The rental arrears are paid directly to the landlord. The rent subsidy will not be paid to the landlord unless the tenant and the landlord have provided documentation to prove their eligibility.
In order for a landlord to receive the assistance, the landlord will be required to provide the following documents:
- Proof of Landlord Identification
- Proof of Ownership
- Proof of the tenant’s current monthly and past due rent.
- A Completed W9 - Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
No, there is no reimbursem*nt or back pay. The financial assistance is intended for rent-burdened tenants who were unable to pay their full rent due to loss of employment, reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship between March 2020 and now.
No. The last application you file will be kept and any earlier applications will be deleted.
Your status will be “Closed Landlord Paid.” To look up your status, click on check my status.
The rental grant should not have consequences under the public charge regulations. Participants should contact an immigration attorney with any specific questions.
Please direct your landlord to this information page so they can better understand how to apply the rental assistance. For additional questions, you may email lahd.erap@lacity.org.
Applicants who have met the first round of priority eligibility have been notified. Your application can still be selected if funding permits.
Applicants who have met the first round of priority eligibility have been notified. Your application can still be selected if funding permits.
The program guidelines require a landlord to participate in order for financial assistance to be paid by the program. Please ensure you have provided the correct contact information for your landlord to respond. If your landlord has opted out of the program (check the status of your application online) or has informed you they do not want to participate, you may use this as an affirmative defense in an unlawful detainer if your landlord attempts to evict you. For more information regarding Los Angeles Municipal Code 45.67 and 45.68, please contact the Housing Rights Center at (800) 477-5977.
Landlords FAQs
Small Landlord Providers who own 12 or fewer units will be able to apply beginning on October 23, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. A Small Landlord Provider will only need to apply if their tenant did not apply during the application period from September 19, 2023, through October 2, 2023. Although a landlord may apply, financial assistance will only be provided to landlords whose tenants meet the ULA ERAP eligibility criteria.
No, the City prohibited late fees, interest or other fees for COVID-19 rental debt due from April 1, 2020 through January 31, 2023.
- Proof of Landlord Identification
- Proof of Ownership
- Proof of the tenant’s current monthly and past due rent
- Completed W9 - Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
Yes, IRS rules require a 1099 to be issued for financial assistance payments.
Tenants who have met the first round of priority eligibility have been notified. This does not mean your tenant's application will not be selected. Tenants must wait until their application is chosen if funding permits. Landlords will receive notification to submit documents once their tenant application is approved.
