Why coverage is the first question
Rent stabilisation changes almost everything: how much rent can rise, what grounds are needed to end a tenancy, whether relocation assistance is owed. Two similar buildings on the same street can fall on opposite sides of the line.
Because coverage is address-specific, general advice only goes so far — the definitive step is checking your own address against the relevant city's records.
What typically determines it
The city the property sits in — Los Angeles City, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and unincorporated LA County each have their own schemes with different scope. The type of building and the number of units. The date of construction or of the certificate of occupancy. Whether the unit is a single-family home or a condominium.
State law also provides a separate baseline of protections that can apply where a local scheme does not.
What coverage does and does not do
It generally limits annual increases and requires a stated ground to end a tenancy. It does not freeze rent, does not prevent all evictions, and does not cover every dispute between landlord and tenant.
It also frequently carries registration obligations on the landlord — and a landlord who has not registered can face consequences that are relevant to a dispute.
Check the address, not the story
Landlords sometimes state a unit is exempt when it is not — occasionally deliberately, more often because they were told so when they bought it. The city's own records are the answer, and checking is free.