Los Angeles Earthquake Retrofit Rules for Apartment Owners (2026 Update)

26 Sep Los Angeles Earthquake Retrofit Rules for Apartment Owners (2026 Update)

Posted at 19:12h in MW Blog Posts, Property Management, Rent Control & Compliance by

Last updated September 2026. This article updates our 2015 post on Los Angeles’ then-new soft-story retrofit law.

In 2015 the City of Los Angeles adopted the most aggressive seismic retrofit requirements in the country. More than a decade later, the first program is essentially past its deadlines and the second is well underway. Here is what apartment owners, and buyers, need to know now.

Soft-story wood-frame buildings

The Soft-Story Retrofit Program (Ordinances 183893 and 184081) covers wood-frame buildings that:

  • were built under building codes in effect before January 1, 1978;
  • have two or more stories; and
  • have a ground floor with parking or similar open space, the classic “tuck-under” apartment building.

Residential buildings with three or fewer units are excluded.

The Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) sent orders in priority groups between May 2016 and November 2017, starting with the largest buildings. From the date of the order, owners had 2 years to submit proof of a prior retrofit or retrofit plans, 3.5 years to obtain a permit, and 7 years to complete construction. That means the completion deadlines for all priority groups have now passed.

If you own a building that received an order and has not completed the work or received a certificate of compliance, you are exposed to enforcement by LADBS. Talk to an engineer and the department before the situation escalates.

Non-ductile concrete buildings

The Non-Ductile Concrete Retrofit Program covers concrete buildings with a roof or floor supported by concrete walls or columns, where the building permit application was submitted before January 13, 1977. It runs on a much longer timeline: roughly 3 years from the order to submit a checklist, 10 years to submit proof of a prior retrofit or retrofit plans, and 25 years to complete the retrofit. Most owners in this program are still in the evaluation and design phase.

Recovering part of the cost on RSO buildings

For buildings under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) allows owners to pass through up to 50% of the retrofit cost, divided equally among the rental units, subject to LAHD approval. The increase is capped at $38 per unit per month for up to 120 months, extended if needed until the approved amount is recovered. The application must be filed within 12 months of completing the work. The owner bears the other 50%.

What this means when you buy or sell

For any pre-1978 wood-frame or concrete building in the city, retrofit status is now a standard due diligence item:

  • Check the LADBS records for a retrofit order and a certificate of compliance.
  • If the work is done, ask for the permits and final sign-off, and whether a cost recovery application was filed and approved with LAHD.
  • If the work is not done, get a contractor’s estimate. Unfinished soft-story work is a price issue and, for lenders, often a financing issue.

We check retrofit status on every building we list or help a client buy. If you have questions about a specific property, get in touch.

Related guides

This article is general information, not legal or engineering advice.

Sources: LADBS Soft-Story Retrofit Program · LADBS Non-Ductile Concrete Retrofit Program · LAHD Seismic Retrofit Work Program