Stone & Sallus are Los Angeles tenant attorneys that advise clients on legal matters. For years our attorneys have protected tenants using our legal expertise around landlord-tenant disputes in the Los Angeles area. If you are a tenant in Los Angeles, or throughout the state of California, a tenant attorney can help protect your legal rights and defend you against claims from your landlord.
Our Los Angeles tenant lawyers represent tenants’ rights. Let us guide and help you understand your legal options. Don’t wait with legal concerns where you have been a victim of financial loss, depleted use of the property, or uninhabitable living situations because of your landlord.
We cover a wide range of tenant disputes in both commercial and residential lease agreements where landlords have pursued unwarranted eviction, have failed to make repairs, or have not released adequate security deposits back to tenants. You are not alone and many others like you have been pushed to turn to an experienced Los Angeles tenant attorney to resolve legal complications with their landlords.
Matters Our Los Angeles Tenant Rights Attorneys Handle
At Stone & Sallus, we’ve seen many tenants being taken advantage of by negligent landlords. Our team of Los Angeles tenant attorneys and staff are strategic creating a legal plan for your case. We will sit down with you, figure out the best path of action and go through the legal procedure step by step. Our lawyers have handled tenant disputes including but not limited to:
Deposit Claims: I painted the walls on my apartment and the landlord won’t give me back my deposit.
Eviction Claims: I’m being locked out of my apartment because I was late on my payment.
Failure to Repair Claims: I stopped paying my rent because there was no water or heat. I just want the utilities to work.
Injury Claims: My landlord failed to provide habitable living conditions, causing a slip-and-fall accident.
Retaliatory Eviction Matters: My landlord is pursuing an unwarranted eviction because of a recent disagreement over the phone.
Rental Payment Issues: I paid rent a few days late and now my landlord is evicting me.
If any of these scenarios sound familiar, call us at 310.889.0233 so that we can schedule a consultation examining your case. Whether your landlord has provided uninhabitable living standards, has broken the lease, proceeded with a retaliatory eviction, withheld your security deposit or you’ve suffered another major loss, our Los Angeles tenant attorneys will help you make an informed decision.
Results-Focused Representation
Attorneys at Stone & Sallus represented a client whose father owned an apartment building and when his health was declining, he appointed her as his power of attorney. Around the time of her father’s death, the property was sold to a real estate investment company. The company owner sued for non-disclosure of defects including lack of permitting and wrongful eviction of a tenant. The attorney and company owner lapsed litigation deadlines for discovery, expert designations, and a 998 offer. When this was brought to their attention, the case was settled for a nominal amount which was a great deal for our client.
Our Los Angeles Renters Lawyers Protect Tenants
Stone & Sallus’ attorneys represent tenants’ rights. The firm has a proven record with complex matters in residential and commercial representation.
Three Common Los Angeles Tenant Issues Explained:
- Wrongful Eviction: Landlords’ liability for wrongful eviction to tenants occurs when a landlord retakes possession of a property without using the eviction process. A tenant can sue the landlord for trespass, wrongful eviction, assault, battery, slander, libel and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. You may receive damages for wrongful eviction if:
- Damages could be per day calculation or per day violation.
- Damages for Pain and suffering.
- Damages for Inconvenience and displacement.
- Compensated for court and attorney fees.
- Retaliatory Eviction: Acts of harassment by landlord- retaliation
- Increased rent.
- Decreasing services.
- Locking the laundry room.
- Holding rent for uninhabitable units/within 180 days from the date that a tenant has exercised a legal right.
- Lease Disputes: Written agreement disputes between landlord and tenant
- Rents are late or unpaid- keep receipts of transactions.
- Landlord violates the lease agreement- not returning security deposit.
- You suspect your landlord wants to break the lease- know your rights, a landlord without good reason can’t break a lease.
Do you feel your landlord has discriminated against you or is violating your tenant rights?
Hire an experienced real estate lawyer to represent you. Receive a consultation and call 310.889.0233 to learn how our tenant attorneys can stop your eviction. Stone & Sallus advocates for tenants’ rights.
Tenant Lawyers - FAQs
It’s a legal document that explains the terms of what is written on paper between the landlord and tenant. It states the agreement made between the parties involved.
Tenants in California must file a response with the court within five days of receiving the notice/summons. Filing form UD-105 or by filing a motion to quash service if you think the landlord did not serve the eviction properly.
Remember a landlord had the right to evict you if you breach the contract or don’t pay your rent but they have to play by the rules.
California Civil Code 1946 and 1946.1 rules to terminating a month-to-month tenancy, in California when a tenant has lived on property for: 30/60
- A 30 day notice is used when a tenant has lived less than a year.
- A 60 day notice is used when a tenant has lived more than a year.
California Civil Code 1161 discusses landlord’s rights to terminate a tenancy due to the tenant breaching a term of a rental agreement other than non-payment of rent (late rent form to serve would be ccp 1161(2) notice).
Therefore, Civil Code 1161(3) would be appropriate to serve if a tenant breached the contract by smoking, where lease/contract prohibits smoking on the property. Also, CCP 1161(3) would apply if tenants had pets when pets are prohibited in lease/contract. Landlords would serve tenants with CCP 1161(3) for these types of breaches cure and quit notice.
California Civil Code 1161(2) is used when a tenant is late with rent. Landlord serves the 3 day notice to pay rent or quit on the tenant. If the tenant doesn’t pay rent after 3 days the landlord would file an unlawful detainer eviction case in court.
- The best way to get a repair fixed by the landlord is put it in writing. It’s ok to call the landlord but a written letter detailing the repair(s) to the landlord is best. Make sure you state when you want it done and how the disrepair is affecting your life.
- Take lots of pictures of item(s) needing repair and when the landlord agrees to repair them, send a letter on the agreement. Keep a copy of everything you wrote. Good to have documentation in case it goes to court.
- If the landlord doesn’t make repairs then you have to file a complaint to the proper governmental agency, The Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department (hcidla.lacity.org).
California law “Repair or deduct” the state requires landlords to give tenants property meet basic structural, health, and safety standards and is in good repair. California tenants can withhold rent legally when a landlord fails to make necessary repairs to items like leaky roofs, or broken heaters.
A tenant can legally withhold rent, pay for repairs and deduct it from the rent, make a complaint with state or local building health inspectors, sue the landlord, or move out without notice.
