Mayor Bass Directs City Crews to Clean and Secure Nuisance Properties Across Los Angeles

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Councilmembers Nazarian, McOsker, and Rodriguez Take Action in City Council

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass directed City crews to clean and secure nuisance properties citywide and applauded Councilmembers Adrin Nazarian (CD2) and Tim McOsker (CD15) for introducing two motions in support of this effort, including identifying funding and working to change City and State policy to strengthen enforcement tools so Los Angeles can intervene earlier and move faster.

On Wednesday, Mayor Bass sent a letter to all members of the L.A. City Council to restore $2 million in funding to clean up and secure vacant and nuisance lots. Mayor Bass allocated $2 million in her proposed FY 26-27 budget for this work. During the budget considerations, the City Council removed this funding.

"Angelenos should not have to live next to properties like this, and they have a right to be frustrated. While securing the legal authority against private property owners to address nuisance properties has been a challenge in the City of Los Angeles for decades, we are taking action to clean these sites and hold property owners accountable," said Mayor Bass. "I want to thank Councilmembers Nazarian, McOsker, and Rodriguez for their leadership and partnership on this issue, and our City crews for their dedication to delivering for Angelenos."

"Vacant, deteriorating lots and houses are damaging the quality of life for neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles," said Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, author of yesterday's motion to create a Citywide Vacant and Public Nuisance Property Abatement program. "Too often, these derelict properties become magnets for trash, fires and criminal activity. They pose severe health and safety risks for their neighbors while blocking the use of precious land for housing or community purposes."

"When properties become nuisances, entire neighborhoods feel the impacts," said Councilmember Tim McOsker. "We need a clear plan to quickly identify problem properties and get them cleaned up. Our residents deserve quicker action to resolve long-standing problems before they create even greater public safety concerns and further impact the surrounding communities."

This summer, Mayor Bass signed legislation led by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez to significantly shorten the nuisance-abatement process and increase penalties for negligent property owners.

"Communities should not be forced to live next to properties that threaten public safety, create health hazards, and diminish neighborhood quality of life," said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. "Shortening the nuisance-abatement process allows the City to hold property owners accountable, remove dangerous conditions more quickly, and ensure that nuisance properties do not remain unresolved for years while neighborhoods bear the consequences."

According to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), there are more than 100 priority vacant nuisance buildings across the City of Los Angeles. These sites are often blighted, abandoned, and can pose serious public safety risks to the community and the families living nearby. Unfortunately, securing the legal authority against private property owners to address nuisance properties has been a challenge in the City of Los Angeles for decades.

Specifically, these motions call for:

• City departments to develop and report on a Citywide Vacant and Public Nuisance Property Abatement Program to identify, secure, or otherwise abate vacant and nuisance properties that pose significant threats to public safety and quality of life.

• The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to report on the number, location, and status of priority vacant and public nuisance properties citywide, in addition to the enforcement and abatement actions available for the identified properties.

• City departments to immediately release any and all pending reports for policy options and code amendments to streamline matters related to the administration, enforcement, and oversight of nuisance abatement proceedings. This includes the feasibility of increasing fines, fees, or penalties related to failure to comply with a Notice to Comply (NTC), and the potential for changes in State law to better support enforcement of current and future nuisance abatement proceedings.

Since the end of last year, the Mayor's Office, in partnership with Council Offices and City Departments, has resolved more than 25 properties, including in Koreatown, West L.A., Melrose, and Downtown Los Angeles. After a fire broke out at a vacant property in Studio City last week, Mayor Bass visited the site with residents and leaders from the L.A. Department of Building and Safety and took action to secure the property. Crews are expecting to complete the demolition and cleanup of the property in the next few days.