LA & NY landlords - where does compliance live in your week?

Question

A landlord called me yesterday with a question I had to say no to.

He asked if the software I build handles LA compliance.

It doesn't. It tracks rent. That's all it does.

But I keep thinking about why he asked.

He wasn't shopping for features. He was tired. In his telling, LA is out to trip up landlords. Regulate them out of profitability. Fine them until ownership is impossible.

And it's not just LA. New York looks the same now.

I don't think he's the only one who feels that.

Here's where I land unsure. Compliance is a real pain - RSO registration, LAHD deadlines, just-cause rules, and every city writes its own version. Software that gets rent wrong costs you a month. Software that gets compliance wrong costs you a lawsuit.

So should rent software touch compliance at all? Or is that a separate job for somebody else?

If you own units in LA or NY, I'm asking honestly: where does compliance live in your week right now?

Diana Khan · Answer

@Yisroel Pollock, I actually think there's room for rent software to help with compliance, but I wouldn't want landlords relying on it to make legal decisions for them. Reminders, notices, and document tracking can be really helpful. The concern is when someone assumes that because the software says everything is complete, they're automatically complying with the law.

I'm a real estate attorney, broker, and investor in Maryland, and I work with landlords on lease agreements, tenant disputes, and other legal matters. One thing I've seen in my work is that having the right paperwork doesn't always mean something was handled correctly. Sometimes it's the timing, the wording of a notice, or the way a situation was handled that makes the difference.

I appreciate you bringing this up, @Yisroel Pollock. It's an interesting question, especially as more landlords use technology to manage their properties. I think software can make their work easier without trying to replace legal guidance. This is closely related to the work I do, and I'd be happy to stay connected!

Leo Stein · Answer

Yisroel, from the Southern California management side, compliance lives in two places for us: on a calendar and in a per-unit file. Rent tracking alone won't catch it. The calendar holds every date that has consequences: rent-increase notices, lease-end and renewal windows, deposit return deadlines after move-out, and any local registration dates. The per-unit file records which rules apply to that specific unit: whether it's covered by the statewide rent cap or a local ordinance, which notices were served and when, the move-in and move-out photos, and the deposit amount. The pain your caller described is real, because each city layers its own rules on top of state law. My honest view is that software should flag dates and store documents. Deciding what a rule means for a unit should stay with the owner, a manager who tracks it daily, and an attorney when needed. Not legal advice. For CA owners, the California Apartment Association's forms and updates are a good baseline. Feel free to message me if you want to compare systems.

LA & NY landlords - where does compliance live in your week?

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