30Apr
Thinking about suing your landlord? If you find yourself in a position where you are considering bringing a lawsuit against your landlord. Because the remedies available to tenants vary depending on the city you live in, be sure to consult with an attorney to find out more about how these tips apply to your situation.
In California, your landlord has a duty to provide you with a safe place to live free from interference or harassment. If you are experiencing poor living conditions, dealing with mold, bed bugs, rodents, or if your place needs repairs you may have grounds to sue or file a petition with the Rent Board. If your landlord is harassing you, this too may provide a basis to sue your landlord.
Before you can bring a lawsuit or move out you will need to document the problem. If you are dealing with serious issues with your housing the first step is to inform your landlord. If your landlord doesn't know you're having problems it makes it much harder to hold them accountable for the issues. As we have mentioned before, making requests in person or by phone is fine, but you should ALWAYS put those requests in writing as well. Letters and emails are better than text messages.
In addition to informing your landlord, be sure to take photos and videos. . For issues like mold or really bad living conditions consider getting mold testing done and contacting the applicable city agencies to come and inspect. Keep copies of everything you send or receive from your landlord. Without evidence it’s your word against theirs. This will also make it easier to find a lawyer willing to take your case.
Lawsuits are not fun and can take over a year to resolve. Before escalating the situation make sure you have tried to get your landlord to resolve the issue directly. Again, this means making sure your landlord is on notice of the problem at hand. If the relationship is beyond repair or you feel uncomfortable trying to discuss the issue further with your landlord, consult a lawyer first to discuss potential strategies. If you’ve asked your landlord repeatedly to address the issues and they continue to refuse or ignore your requests, it’s time to prepare your case.
There is no "right" time to hire an attorney. However, if you aren't sure how to deal with a problem or want assistance strategizing to protect yourself https://wolford-wayne.com/contact-us/ it can be extremely helpful to talk to a tenant attorney especially if you are considering moving out because of the problems. If you do feel like you have no choice but to take legal action, be sure the person or firm you hire is a dedicated tenant's rights lawyer. Some firms out there claim to be tenant advocates but also help landlords evict tenants, while other firms primarily practice other types of law. Landlord-tenant laws are highly specialized and differ greatly not just based on the state you live in but on the city.
Recovered on behalf of a group of 30 tenants living in an SRO in San Francisco who were living with horrendous conditions in their rent controlled apartments, including rodents, bedbugs, mold, water leaks and harassment.Read More
Recovered on behalf of three families living in a building in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood who were forced to live with substandard conditions for years as a result of their landlord’s negligence, including issues with lack of heat, lack of hot water and cockroach/rat infestations.Read More
Recovered on behalf of a couple living in a rent-controlled home in the outer Sunset neighborhood. Our clients were forced to vacate after the landlord served them with an Owner Move-In Eviction Notice. After the landlords failed to move into the property, our clients filed suit for wrongful eviction.Read More
Recovered on behalf of a San Francisco tenant in Russian Hill. Tenant was forced to vacate her illegal apartment in retaliation for reporting unlawful rent increases to the San Francisco Rent Board.Read More
Recovered for a single long-term tenant in San Francisco. Our client was forced to move out of his apartment as a result of extreme landlord harassment.Read More
Recovered on behalf of three long-term tenants in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood who were constructively evicted due to noise and nuisance conditions created by their downstairs neighbors, which the owner refused to address.Read More
Recovered on behalf of elderly, disabled tenant who was forced to move out of her rent-controlled San Francisco apartment of 50 years after landlord/owner failed to resolve numerous building code violations that remained outstanding for over a decade.Read More
Recovered on behalf of seven tenants living in a makeshift boarding house in East Palo Alto.Read More
Recovered on behalf of two former San Francisco tenants who were evicted via an Owner Move-In Eviction and owner failed to occupy the unit as her primary place of residence.Read More
Recovered on behalf of an elderly long-term tenant who was forced to vacate her long San Francisco apartment as a result of her landlord’s refusal to address longstanding defective conditions, including lack of heat, mold, rodent infestations, and defective plumbing. Read More
Recovered on behalf of a San Francisco tenant who was forced to vacate his home as a result of ongoing, disruptive construction and the owners’ refusal to provide him with alternative housing. Read More
Recovered on behalf of a San Francisco family that was constructively evicted from their home in the Richmond District as a result of unlawful rent increases, defective conditions and tenant harassment.Read More
Recovered on behalf of a tenant living in an illegal “in-law” unit. In this case, a new owner purchased the building and then demolished our client’s unit without permits while she was displaced for seismic retrofitting.Read More
Recovered on behalf of two long term San Francisco tenants who were fraudulently evicted from their home of over twenty years under the pretext of an owner move-in eviction.Read More
Recovered for tenant who was injured when their stairway railing collapsed at the tenant’s Mission District apartment building.Read More
Recovered in action for a group of tenants forced to vacate their San Francisco apartment house due to severe habitability defects including mold and water leaks.Read More
For more information or to discuss your legal situation, call us today at (415) 649-6203 for a phone consultation or submit an inquiry below. Please note our firm can only assist tenants residing in San Francisco, Oakland & Berkeley.