Coalition of Small Rental Property Owners

"Landlords like me work hard to remain invested in the community. I attend local events, stay in tune with what is going on in the neighborhood, and support local businesses to help elevate and promote those who live and work in our community."

"What people don’t realize, is that small owners are just like our tenants. We live in the community too, and we care about keeping it affordable and diverse."

"I have seen how corporate ownership of housing changed my neighborhood. I work hard to be fair to my tenants and give families from my own neighborhood a clean and safe place to live."

“I worry that the way things are going, mom and pop landlords will lose the properties they’ve worked so hard for and care so much about and tenants will ultimately lose out.”

“I have rented to Section 8 tenants for over 10 years with no issues until last year. With the new laws, Mom & Pop property owners like me are losing control of our private investments. Tenants have rights, but we don’t. The City should use our tax dollars to provide affordable housing, instead of effectively taking control of our personal property.”

"I am so proud of the triplex that my husband and I own and operate on a humble street in Culver City. We have poured so much love, pride and effort into the building. It was standing on its last legs when we saved it by investing [our life savings] to address looooong deferred maintenance, which included four previously undiscovered gas leaks. The building could've blown at any point! It now is the nicest on the street. We get such a kick out of our interesting tenants and neighbors."

"I am careful to select a tenant who is a good fit for the property (ensuring that they can afford the rent). I charge a rent that is fair to both parties, and I keep my tenants in stable housing by only taking rent increases as an offset to increased expenses."

"I have provided affordable rental housing in the Los Angeles area for approximately 28 years. I have been involved with the Section 8 program for 27 years. I currently rent multiple units to kids coming out of the foster care system. Several of my [tenants] consist of homeless veterans with the VASH program."

"[As a "mom and pop" owner,] I provide affordable housing in our community. Without help, landlords like me will have long lasting pressure placed on them to be able to support full mortgage payments. I have been greatly affected by non-payment of rent. Besides my own household being under employed in Covid, I have also had to dip into retirement funds to offset. This has current and future tax consequences."

"I saved for years to buy a condo to live in but due to my job had to relocate. At the time of my relocation, I couldn't afford to buy a new place and selling my condo would've come at a loss so I became both a renter and a rental property owner. I am living proof that not all landlords are wealthy."

"As a small landlord, my main goal is to always keep up with building codes, providing excellent property maintenance and a smile on the faces of my tenants."

OUR MISSION

The Coalition of Small Rental Property Owners is a growing grassroots alliance of “mom-and-pop” property owners advocating for the rights of small rental housing providers and the viability of the rental housing industry. Our Coalition is made up of mostly black and brown “mom and pop” owners who provide safe housing to renters primarily in the City of Los Angeles. The Coalition formed organically in response to the Los Angeles Eviction Moratorium that went into effect on March 28, 2020 due to COVID-19. After a telephone conversation between two neighbors who both live and own small properties in South LA, they invited a few of their friends who own rental property in the area to join a virtual meeting via Zoom to discuss the matter further. The meeting convened during the first week of April 2020 with 7 small property owners, and now the Coalition has a roster of nearly 150 members and counting.

Watch our video below that focuses on how small rental property owners are essential to maintaining affordable housing and wealth building in BIPOC (black indigenous people of color) communities, and highlights the collaborative relationship between “mom and pop” landlords and our renters.

Small property owners are struggling. Every year, the cost to operate rental properties goes up and new responsibilities are placed on property owners by state and local governments. For small mom and pop landlords who own just a handful of units, it can become impossible to bear these costs because we operate on small margins and do not have the scale that corporate owners enjoy. With COVID-19, the situation has reached a boiling point. Many small owners are not receiving rent but still have to pay their mortgages, taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance. It’s an unsustainable situation for too many.

Representing the Rights of Small Rental Property Owners

OUR MEMBERS

OUR MISSION

KEY ISSUES

The Coalition of Small Rental Property Owners fights at the state and local level for fair policies for small landlords.

IN THE NEWS

EVENTS

No on Prop 21 South LA Town Hall

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