Victory for Tenants: Supreme Court Rejects Landlord Challenge to Tenant Protections

After months of delays, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied certiorari in GHP Management v. City of Los Angeles, bringing an end to billionaire developer Geoffrey Palmer’s attempt to dismantle LA’s COVID-era tenant protections. This is a significant win for low-income tenants and the cities that seek to protect them.

NLSLA, alongside Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), Public Counsel, and pro bono partners at Susman Godfrey LLP, represented community-based intervenors — Coalition for Economic Survival (CES), Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) — in the case.

Palmer and his LLCs had sued the City of LA, claiming that its COVID-19 eviction protections constituted an unconstitutional “taking” under the Fifth Amendment. While framed as a damages case, it was part of a nationwide push by landlords and lobbying groups to roll back emergency tenant protections enacted during the pandemic.

We and the City filed motions to dismiss — and won. The court agreed, and the dismissal was upheld on appeal. Still, Palmer and his legal team pushed for one last chance, petitioning the Supreme Court to review the case. But the Court, consistent with how it treated similar cases, denied the petition — effectively ending the legal challenge.

This decision upholds the right of cities like Los Angeles to protect renters during times of crisis. It affirms that local governments can take action to keep people safely housed—especially during public health emergencies—without fear of legal retaliation from wealthy property owners. This outcome is a powerful reminder: tenant protections work, and community power matters.

We’re proud to have stood alongside our partners and community clients in defending these essential protections—and we’ll continue the fight for housing justice in every courtroom and every neighborhood.