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Los Angeles officials have sued a property owner they say tried to empty an apartment building almost as soon as he bought it.
Because the building is covered by local rent-control protections, tenants cannot be forced out without a legally valid reason.
What happened?
The case, announced Wednesday by Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein-Soto, names Femi G. Olanipekun, the landlord, and concerns an eight-unit apartment property in the Historic South-Central neighborhood.
As described in the complaint and reported by KTLA, Olanipekun purchased the building on Oct. 29, 2025. Within five days, residents were allegedly told they had until March 2026 to give up their units.
City attorneys say Olanipekun linked that demand to his view that the current rents were too low. They argue that reason does not satisfy Los Angeles' Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which permits evictions only for just cause.
The lawsuit also accuses him of shutting off water and waste services, imposing extra charges, removing parking and storage access, discarding tenants' belongings, and telling residents to remove their pets. The city is seeking an order to stop the alleged conduct, plus restitution, civil penalties, and punitive damages.
Why does it matter?
Sudden pressure to leave can disrupt work, school, childcare, transportation, and access to community support, all while forcing families to search for new housing in an already expensive market.
Rent-stabilized units are often among the few affordable options left in major cities. If tenants are pushed out so owners can pursue higher rents, the consequences can reach far beyond a single building.
Housing rules can also shape whether renters can make everyday, money-saving changes at home. Across the country, landlords have prevented renters from adopting practical habits such as gardening and hanging clotheslines to dry their laundry — steps that can help cut grocery and utility bills.
When tenants are dealing with harassment or threats of displacement, those kinds of lower-cost, lower-waste lifestyle choices can be even harder to maintain.
What's being done?
By bringing the matter to court, the city is trying to stop the alleged behavior and warn other landlords against similar actions.
Tenant protections are meant to prevent exactly this kind of abrupt upheaval.
"California and the City of Los Angeles have enacted tenant protection laws to ensure tenants can live in their homes free from harassment and unlawful eviction practices," said City Attorney Feldstein Soto, according to KTLA. "This suit sends a clear message that my office will continue to enforce these laws and hold accountable landlords who violate tenants' rights."
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