Slum Housing Lawyers

California law requires that all apartments and rental homes be safe and habitable. Unfortunately, many landlords and slumlords in large cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland neglect their rental units.

Abusive and negligent landlords allow their tenants to live in grossly substandard living conditions for two reasons. One, they simply don’t care about their tenants or their children. Two, they don’t want to spend the money to make their properties habitable and safe.

That’s the definition of a slumlord – and we hate slumlords

Slum landlords take advantage of tenants living in depressed neighborhoods by ignoring their tenants, by pushing them around, and by threatening them with eviction or worse. Some slumlords even threaten their tenants with deportation. That type of behavior is absolutely unacceptable and, frankly, makes our blood boil.

What is Slum Housing?

Slum housing can apply to a variety of conditions that a landlord is responsible for addressing. Things like cockroach or other bug infestations, lack of running water or hot water, serious plumbing issues, and other unsanitary conditions are a hazard to the health of you and your family. A tenant’s rights attorney can help – learn more on our site and reach out for a free case review.

How Do I Know if I Have a Valid Slum Housing Legal Claim?

The “implied warranty of habitability” is part of every residential lease whether you rent a house in South Central, a home in Oakland or an apartment in San Francisco.

The law mandates that every landlord take steps to meet basic minimum standards of health and safety from the time the tenant moves into their rental home to the day they move out.

If your rental unit has any of the following defects, you may have a valid claim against your landlord:

• Cockroach, bedbug, or rodent infestation
• No running water, or a lack of hot water
• No heat due to broken or missing furnace or heater
• Plumbing or water leaks of any kind
• Scalding hot water from showers, bathtubs, and kitchen faucets
• Deteriorated ceilings and walls
• Peeling or deteriorated lead-based paint
• Sewage leaks
• Mold or damp living conditions
• Broken or clogged up sinks
• Holes in the walls
• Broken or damaged windows and windows
• Defective stairs or railings
• Defective electrical outlets or wiring
• Unclean or unsanitary common areas
• Overflowing trash bins

Can I Be Evicted for Complaining to or Suing My Landlord?

Absolutely not. No landlord is allowed to trample on or ignore your rights. A landlord cannot retaliate against a tenant for asking for repairs, mobilizing other tenants in an apartment building to ask for repairs, for complaining to the housing or health department, or taking steps to sue a landlord.

This is where we come in. Riley | Ersoff LLP is the most trusted and the most successful law firm in California when it comes to making landlord pay for their negligent and abusive conduct. Unlike most lawyers, we love suing landlords.

Suing landlords is what we do and we do it better than anyone. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of tenants who have been forgotten and harmed by slumlords. Call us, we’re here to help.

How Can an Attorney Help?

First, a tenant’s rights attorney can ensure you have a valid case and that your claim will hold up under stern review. With Riley | Ersoff LLP, you’ll be able to explain your case and talk to a lawyer at no cost. If the attorney takes your case, they’ll walk you through the process and handle any negotiations along the way. They’ll also take your case to trial if that is the best course of action.