LA speeds up city intervention timelines for dangerous nuisance properties

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Council has passed a sweeping ordinance to fast-track the cleanup of dangerous, dilapidated properties across the city.

What we know:

The City Council approved the ordinance in a unanimous 13-0 vote on Wednesday, with Council members Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky absent. 

The new rules target properties that attract illegal activity and pose public safety risks.

Under the revised municipal code, the timeline for the city to begin abatement work drops from 30 days to 15 days. 

Property owners will now have just 45 days to complete required cleanups, down from the previous 90-day window.

If an owner fails to comply, the city gains explicit authority to:

Order buildings to be vacated and initiate enforcement actions.

Utilize outside contract services specialized in hazardous material removal.

Recover all cleanup costs and seek direct reimbursement from the property owners.

Demolish vacant structures when explicitly warranted.

The ordinance also expands the legal definition of a "building" to include surrounding land, allowing the city to clear outdoor debris.

Additionally, it shifts power to the Department of Building and Safety to declare a nuisance and issue a notice of intention to correct deficiencies, rather than relying on the property owner to act.

What we don't know:

While Mayor Karen Bass is fully expected to sign off on the ordinance, the exact date the new regulations will officially go into effect has not yet been finalized.

It is also unknown how many active nuisance properties will immediately face these accelerated 15-day enforcement timelines once the law is enacted.

What they're saying:

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who spearheaded the legislative push, emphasized that the current system is broken and exhausting for local neighborhoods.

"Most of us around this horseshoe have worked with our communities to address a number of nuisance properties, and we know that the current process can be incredibly cumbersome," Rodriguez said.

She noted that the overhaul is designed to protect local neighborhoods and free up overextended city resources.

"These reforms, I believe, are important to not just achieving greater public safety outcomes for residents, but most importantly helping to reduce sometimes the number of calls that are associated for first responders to have to go to some of these properties and respond to issues at these properties," Rodriguez said.

What's next:

The ordinance now moves to the desk of Mayor Karen Bass for final approval. 

Once signed, the Department of Building and Safety, alongside authorized city departments and outside government agencies, will begin deploying the accelerated enforcement measures to clear backlogged problem sites across Los Angeles.