

(Photo by TRStudios2015 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)



Want to see if that apartment you have your eye on is rent controlled? That's now a feature you can find via Los Angeles' city zoning and planning site.

Simply click here, and then follow the prompt. You'll be taken to a page that shows you your place on a map, along with a bunch of other information. Click on Housing, and more information will appear. Towards the bottom, it will either say 'yes' or 'no' for Rent Stabilization Ordinance. If it says 'yes,' then you're in luck. Your landlord can only increase your rent by a certain percentage—for instance, 3% on buildings built prior to October 1978—once each year, and you have several protections. This is especially useful for renters who want to ensure they're locked in to affordable rates as housing prices continue to skyrocket across Los Angeles.

This new feature was announced by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti yesterday, according to Curbed Los Angeles.

"The Rent Stabilization Ordinance is a powerful tool that protects L.A. renters. It helps to keep rents reasonable as we work to create more affordable housing. Making these resources available online empowers Angelenos with more information about their rights, and helps us better enforce rent stabilization policies that play a crucial role in the stability of our communities," Garcetti said via a release.

Right above this line, you can also see if a landlord is trying to invoke the Ellis Act. This is what landlords use if they decide they no longer want to be landlords. Signed into law in 1986, the Ellis Act permits landlords to evict all of their rent-controlled tenants if they intend to convert their building to another use, such as a condo or hotel. (Or maybe they just want to kick out their long-term tenants and cash in on Airbnb.)

There are currently about 118,000 units in Los Angeles that have rent control, which accounts to about 85 percent of the rental stock.