Los Angeles Lawyer Defending Your Rights under Rent Control
Rent control is the result of local ordinances created by lawmakers to ensure that there will always be adequate, affordable housing in California's major metropolitan areas, such as the Los Angeles metro and Oakland metro areas. The Law Offices of Kenny Tan are concerned with helping renters understand their rights if they live in a rent-controlled building.
Contact attorney Kenny Tan to schedule a consultation to discuss your situation with an experienced real estate and landlord-tenant law attorney. He can help you determine if your landlord is violating the rent control ordinances and what your next steps should be.
Rent control qualifications and requirements in the Los Angeles metro area
In order for a building to fall under rent control, two criteria must be met: The building is an apartment building, and it was built no later than 1979.
Rent control building landlords must (1) register their buildings with the local housing authority and (2) provide notice to all tenants about the building's rent control registration. Landlords can either post the registration notice in a common area or provide a copy to all renters: The landlord CANNOT collect rent until these requirements are met!
Rights that rent control tenants have that other renters do not
- Rent control limits how much a landlord can raise the rent in one year.
- Tenants have the right to be paid interest on their security deposits.
- Rent control tenants are protected under the Rent Escrow Account Program (REAP) in the event that the landlord is issued a citation and does not make necessary repairs to uninhabitable apartments.
- If the tenant is evicted and the landlord makes a demand on rent owed, if the landlord violated the rent control ordinance in any way, the tenant is not obligated to pay rent.
- Rent control also protects month-to-month renters from having their leases terminated with only a 30-day notice, especially in retaliatory eviction. Only under certain circumstances can a landlord terminate a rent control tenant's lease with a 30-day notice.
Rent control also provides other defenses in eviction and other landlord / tenant disputes. We can help you understand your tenants' rights under the rent control ordinances in your city and help you take practical steps to remedy any violations.
You have the right to affordable rent of a habitable apartment in the Los Angeles and Oakland metro areas. If your landlord has violated rent control, you have rights. Contact the Law Offices of Kenny Tan today to talk with an experienced tenants' rights attorney.
