Resident & Homeowner Guide

Property Taxes

In 2025 the L.A. County Assessor began proactively reassessing properties the City had red- or yellow-tagged for land movement, whether or not the owners had applied for relief. The City said those owners would receive a Notice of Assessed Value Change with an adjusted tax bill (City update, March 14, 2025). In the City's terms, a red tag means a building inspector found the structure unsafe to live in, for reasons such as foundation problems, blocked exits, severe structural damage, utility failures or gas leaks. A yellow tag marks damage in one area of the home, which may be restricted from use while the rest stays accessible.

Owners can also file for these programs. Both have deadlines:

• Decline-in-Value (Prop 8) review
  The 2026 filing window closes Monday, Nov. 30. The period runs July 2 through Nov. 30 each year, and an application postmarked by Nov. 30 counts. Owners who believe their home's market value has fallen below its assessed value may file form RP-87. A reduction is temporary: as values recover, the tax bill can rise by more than 2% a year.
• Misfortune & Calamity relief
  For property damaged or destroyed by a misfortune or calamity, such as land movement, with a loss of more than $10,000 of current market value: file form ADS-820 with the Assessor within 12 months of the date of the damage. Confirm the damage date with the Assessor, especially if your home was already reassessed. Questions: relief@assessor.lacounty.gov or 213-974-8658.
• City tax relief & insurance page
  The City's consolidated guide to relief programs.

Sources: City tax relief page (update of March 14, 2025) · L.A. County Assessor, Decline-in-Value · L.A. County Assessor, disaster relief · City Land Movement Updates (tag definitions). All checked Sept. 25, 2026.

Insurance — Know the Hard Truth

Standard homeowners policies in California exclude earth movement — cracking, sinking, shifting, or expanding land — and the California FAIR Plan does not cover landslide either. Specialized difference-in-conditions (DIC) policies can include land-movement coverage, but City staff's understanding is that these policies are nearly impossible to find, available only from large brokers who sell commercial insurance, extremely expensive, and/or may not be currently available in Southern California. The City notes they are different from the DIC policies paired with FAIR Plan policies to fill gaps in coverage. Talk to a licensed broker about availability in the landslide regulation area (Ordinance 692).

A possible state program (nothing exists yet as of September 25, 2026): After a staff review found that California law does not allow a Joint Powers Authority (a city-run insurance pool) to provide residential insurance to private property owners, the City Council on Sept. 1, 2026 approved sending a letter asking state lawmakers and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to consider creating a basic landslide insurance program modeled on the California Earthquake Authority and the California FAIR Plan. City staff planned to seek support from other landslide-affected cities first. Reports differ on timing: Patch reported on Sept. 3, 2026 that the City then expected to send the letter within weeks, while LAist reported on Sept. 9 that it planned to reach legislators and the commissioner by the end of the year. In the City's September 2024 survey, none of the 62 residents who answered its insurance question reported land-movement coverage. Track progress in Latest Updates.

Dropped or non-renewed? The City points residents to United Policyholders, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) insurance advocacy group: see its California guide for people dropped by their home insurer and its Ask an Expert forum, where you can post insurance questions for its staff and volunteer experts. The guide says that, with a few exceptions, an insurer can non-renew a home policy if it gives written notice at least 75 days before the policy expires and follows its own underwriting guidelines. For a claim dispute, the California Department of Insurance (1-800-927-4357) assists consumers.

Sources: City Land Movement Updates (DIC policies) · Patch (Sept. 3, 2026) · LAist (Sept. 9, 2026) · City tax relief & insurance page (United Policyholders links) · United Policyholders. All checked Sept. 25, 2026.

Repairing & Stabilizing Your Home

In September 2024 the City adopted an urgency ordinance streamlining approvals for homeowners to stabilize and re-level houses in the landslide area — leveling systems, alternative foundations such as I-beams and cargo-structure supports, and temporary modular housing and storage during repairs. The City said the Council would consider renewing it on August 4, 2026 for two more years, through December 31, 2028 (City update, July 29, 2026). The official minutes of that meeting record that the Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 700U, 5-0, extending the rules for temporary foundation measures and same-site temporary housing in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex; the minutes do not state the new end date. As of November 5, 2026, the City's Home Stabilization page still said these temporary solutions are permitted through December 31, 2026 unless extended by the Council. Before relying on it, confirm the current end date with the City's Planning Division, which the Home Stabilization page names for questions (310-544-5228 or Planning@rpvca.gov), or with Building & Safety (310-544-5280).

• Permanent construction ban (Ordinance 692)

  Since September 18, 2025, new residential construction — including additions — is permanently prohibited in the landslide area (Seaview, Portuguese Bend Community Association, and Beach Club areas; ~400 homes and ~130 vacant lots). Owners may repair, restore and replace development within its existing footprint with a Landslide Exception Permit; swimming-pool repair or replacement is not allowed. See the City's Landslide Area Development Regulations.

  Is my parcel inside? Check the City's official regulation boundary map (PDF, 3.8 MB; zoom in to see streets and lot lines), or search an address on the City's Landslide Area Map Address Search, which its disclaimer says is for general information and was not prepared for legal, engineering or surveying purposes. Confirm a parcel's status with the City at landmovement@rpvca.gov or with Building & Safety.

  Boundary details: The updated boundary added eight parcels that were not under the 1978 or 2023 moratoriums (seven in Seaview and one in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club). It removed a strip of cliffside lots south of Seacove Drive, which lie outside the landslide complex. Where the boundary line crosses a parcel, only the part inside is regulated. Owners can apply to have a parcel excluded under Municipal Code 15.20.100; the City says the criteria are strict and include a safety threshold.

• City Building & Safety Division
  Permits, inspections, red/yellow-tag questions, and landslide-area rules — including expedited permitting for solar and propane systems for homes without grid service. 310-544-5280 · BuildingSafety@RPVca.gov.
• Sewer
  Because of the power shutoff, the sewer system serving the PBCA neighborhood runs on generators the City rents and fuels (City update, Aug. 26, 2026). Report sewage overflows or sewer emergencies to the L.A. County Sanitation Districts' 24-hour line, 562-437-6520. Check with the City on current requirements for your street.

Sources: City Landslide Area Development Regulations page · City Land Movement Updates (address search link) · City 2026 updates archive (July 29 and Aug. 26, 2026) · City Home Stabilization page (checked Nov. 5, 2026) · Los Angeles Times via Yahoo News (Aug. 6, 2025) (about 400 homes and 130 vacant lots). Other items checked Sept. 25, 2026.

Daily Life

• Palos Verdes Drive South
  Expect ongoing repairs and occasional overnight closures. Unicycles, bicycles, motorcycles and other one-, two- and three-wheeled vehicles remain prohibited on the ~2-mile landslide stretch (most recently renewed Nov. 4, 2026, for another 60 days; the Council renews it at its regular landslide updates, so check the City before riding). The City's Nov. 5 weekly report, which reports that renewal, gives no new end date (City weekly report No. 26-44, p. 5; a large PDF). Staff had recommended the extension, describing the road through the complex as "continuing to deform and is not yet stable" (staff report for the Nov. 4 meeting, pp. 2 and 52; a large PDF). Next check: the adopted resolution; the next renewal is tentatively Dec. 1 (same staff report, p. 52). L.A. County Sanitation Districts work on the road can also bring early-morning delays: in August 2026 the City announced work from Schooner Drive to the eastern entrance of the landslide area for Aug. 12–13, about 4–11 a.m., then rescheduled it to Aug. 19–20 (City traffic alert, updated Aug. 11, 2026). Separately, the City said in a September 2026 traffic alert that the Sanitation Districts' long-term sewer repair on PV Drive South was expected to begin Sept. 28, 2026 and be completed by February 2027, with flaggers running alternating single-lane traffic "from the City's border with San Pedro east of La Rotonda Drive, to west of Schooner Drive," about 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturdays. The City says it is coordinating with the Districts to minimize impacts "when the road undergoes routine resurfacing in the landslide area." Neither the City's alert nor the project's state environmental (CEQA) notice attributes this work to land movement (City traffic alert, September 2026; LACSD project page). Traffic questions: Public Works, 310-544-5252. See also the LACSD Palos Verdes Action Plan.
• Trails & the Reserve
  The City's Land Movement Updates page says it has temporarily closed about 8 miles of trails in the Portuguese Bend, Abalone Cove, Filiorum and Forrestal reserves (checked Nov. 5, 2026). The City's staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting gives a different figure: about 12.5 miles of trails closed in the Portuguese Bend, Filiorum and Abalone Cove reserves, plus the open space around the Archery Range and three beaches (Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred Cove Beach and the beach below the Archery Club) (staff report, pp. 16–17; a large PDF). On Oct. 29, 2026, the City's trail page listed the closed trails by reserve; it said that since July 9, 2024, Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred Cove Beach and all beach access trails in the Abalone Cove Reserve had been closed until further notice, and that since Sept. 27, 2024 the open space east of Inspiration Point had been closed. The City closed the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, after 0.35 inch of rain overnight, and reopened the trails the next day after inspections (City weekly report No. 26-44, Nov. 5, 2026, p. 43; a large PDF). When we checked on Nov. 5, 2026, the City's trail page said "Palos Verdes Nature Preserve is Open" and again listed the closed trails by reserve, with the same Abalone Cove and Inspiration Point closures. The City says the Preserve may close again after significant rain; check the page before you go. Heed posted closures; ground near fissures can be unstable even when it looks fine. See the City's trail conditions page. For the trails, coastline and tide pools that remain open elsewhere on the Peninsula, see Palos Verdes Life's trails and coast guide.
• Everyday services by city
  Trash pickup, utility providers, permits and other routine services differ among the Peninsula's four cities. Palos Verdes Life's residents' guide lists them city by city, along with general contacts and a new-resident checklist. For landslide-specific contacts, use Who to call above.
• Rainy-season readiness
  The City says all originally planned 2026–27 winterization measures (securing canyon liners, cleaning and clearing drains, replacing sandbags, filling fissures, erosion control and drainage improvements) were completed in the first week of October, and that staff and the City geologists are evaluating additional measures in anticipation of a strong rainy season. It says drainage improvements on PV Drive South near the former Wayfarers Chapel and near Klondike Canyon have also been completed and will reduce the City's reliance on pumping and the risk of road closures during rain; it also reports that Wayfarers Chapel has completed erosion control and other protective measures on its hillside next to the road (City weekly report No. 26-42, Oct. 21, 2026, p. 20, repeating No. 26-41; our update). The City's Oct. 28, 2026 update says the winterization measures held up well during recent rainfall and that no pump trucks were needed on PV Drive South; its weekly report the same day says that in the week of Oct. 18, when the area got about half an inch of rain, the road's drainage worked as intended, with no pumping or road closures (City 2026 Community Updates Archive, Oct. 28, 2026 entry; City weekly report No. 26-43, p. 20; our update). The City's Nov. 5 weekly report says about 0.9 inch of rain fell on the area the weekend of Oct. 31, 2026, and that the PV Drive South drainage improvements "performed as intended and required no pumping operations or roadway closures" (City weekly report No. 26-44, p. 24; our update). Governor Newsom has proclaimed a statewide state of emergency to prepare for El Niño, which forecasters say could become the strongest on record. On Oct. 6 the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2026-78, 5-0, proclaiming a local emergency in anticipation of the 2026–2027 El Niño event, according to the meeting's draft minutes. The Council approved those minutes 5-0 on its Oct. 20 consent calendar, as recorded in the draft minutes of the Oct. 20 meeting, posted with the Nov. 4 agenda (our update; Meetings). Staff say the Council will be asked to renew that El Niño emergency at its Dec. 1, 2026 meeting (staff report for the Nov. 4 meeting, p. 32). Both El Niño emergencies are separate from the state emergency proclaimed on Sept. 3, 2024 for land movement in Rancho Palos Verdes, which a Governor's proclamation of Sept. 21, 2026 ended; the staff report says the City can continue to seek relaxed permitting and procurement processes as long as the Council extends its own local emergency (p. 53), and on Nov. 4 the Council renewed the City's landslide emergencies for another 60 days (City weekly report No. 26-44, Nov. 5, 2026, p. 5). The next renewal is tentatively Dec. 1 (tentative agendas in the same report, pp. 51–52). The L.A. County Fire Department will hand out filled sandbags at Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon; the limit is 25 per resident, with a drive-up option (County flyer posted by the City on Nov. 5, PDF). Do your part: keep water off the ground where you can, report new cracks or fissures to the City's Building & Safety Division (see If you see new cracks), and know what an evacuation warning or order means.
• Measure RS (Nov. 3, 2026)
  Measure RS (ballot title: "Rancho Palos Verdes Public Safety/City Services Measure") asked voters whether to raise the City's hotel tax, the transient occupancy tax, from 10% to 13%, which would bring in about $2.2 million a year. It is a general tax, so it needs a simple majority. The ballot language lists landslide and land-movement response among its purposes, alongside wildfire preparedness and road maintenance. In unofficial L.A. County Registrar results as of Nov. 6, 2026, 4:37 p.m., Measure RS had 75.14% yes (12,060 votes) and 24.86% no (3,989); counting continues until the results are certified. On Nov. 6 the Registrar estimated about 414,000 ballots still to be counted countywide and said the estimate is not currently available by jurisdiction (Registrar news release, Nov. 6, 2026 (PDF)). The Registrar is scheduled to certify the election on Nov. 27, 2026, according to its post-election update schedule (PDF), and the City Council's certification of the results is on its tentative agenda for Dec. 15, 2026 (City weekly report No. 26-44, p. 52). According to the City Attorney's analysis, if the measure is approved the new rate takes effect 10 days after the Council certifies the results. PVLandslide.com does not endorse candidates or take positions on ballot measures. Official details: the City's Measure RS page and the City Attorney's Impartial Analysis (PDF). For unofficial results, see the L.A. County Registrar's results page; more in our update.
• Mental health
  Living through a slow-motion disaster is hard. The Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) is free, confidential, and open 24/7.