Areas of Practice

Habitability Defects

Tenants have the right to live in habitable spaces, and landlords have a legal responsibility to maintain those spaces. “Habitable” means that the apartment conforms to the standards set forth in California Civil Code Section 1941.1. When a rental property falls into serious disrepair, property owners are responsible for bringing the property back up to code; even if you knew that a unit was below code when you moved in, you still have the right to demand that it be brought up to habitable standards.

Wrongful Eviction

Under various Rent Ordinances in California, a wrongful eviction occurs when a landlord forces a tenant to move out of a rent-controlled unit. This can be either a permanent or temporary ouster. Landlords wrongfully evict tenants in many ways. Have you been wrongfully evicted?

Landlord Harassment

Landlord harassment is illegal. Whether physical or verbal, all landlord harassment has the same goal—to force the tenant to move out. Harassment occurs when a landlord uses persistent aggressive methods, fraud, coercion, or intimidation to violate a tenant’s rights. Harassment is meant to disrupt the tenant’s legal right to quiet enjoyment of their unit in order to force the tenant to move or to force the tenant to refrain from pursuing any potential legal rights they may have against the landlord.

Rent Ordinance and Eviction Control

Ezrin Law provides protection from illegal rent hikes and eviction.

Rights to Repairs

Landlords are required to make all necessary repairs to ensure a rental unit is habitable and to comply with state and local building and health codes. All residential rental agreements contain an “implied warranty of habitability”, meaning your landlord has a duty to ensure the unit is livable, safe, and not in need of repairs.