Overview

Los Angeles County officials have alerted applicants of the Emergency Rent Relief Program about a technical glitch affecting notifications to landlords. This issue has impacted the completion of necessary application portions for some tenants who applied before the deadline.

The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) reported that a system error prevented automatic email notifications from being sent to landlords, which are essential for them to finalize their part of the application process.

Key details

  • LA County officials issued a warning on Thursday regarding a glitch in the Emergency Rent Relief Program.
  • Some landlords did not receive notifications to complete their required application portions.
  • The issue affects tenant-initiated applications submitted before the March 11 deadline.
  • The DCBA identified that the system error specifically involved automatic email notifications.
  • Both tenant and landlord sections of the application must be completed for review.
  • Affected landlords will have a new completion window from April 15 to April 25.
  • Notifications with instructions will be sent by the program's third-party administrator, Neighborly.
  • Tenants will not need to resubmit their applications.
  • Some tenants may need to update or provide missing landlord contact information.
  • Officials advised tenants to remind landlords to complete their portions.
  • No applications have been denied due to this issue, and pending cases remain open.
  • Landlords must complete their portion by April 25 for applications to progress.

Context

The Emergency Rent Relief Program is designed to assist tenants facing financial difficulties, ensuring that both tenant and landlord applications are processed efficiently. The recent technical glitch has raised concerns about the timely completion of applications.

What happens next

Landlords affected by the glitch will be notified and given a specific timeframe to complete their application portions, while tenants are encouraged to ensure their landlords are aware of the need to act promptly before the deadline.

What we don't know yet

Details regarding the exact number of applications affected by the glitch and the specific nature of the technical issue have not been confirmed.