When it comes to owning a property, Los Angeles is one of the most competitive and highly sought-after markets in the world. In December 2024, the median price of a house in Los Angeles was $1 million, which was a 5.1% increase from the previous year.
With more than 100,000 apartment complexes in Los Angeles, the rental market is quite vast. However, this can also lead to landlord-tenant disputes.
This is why it’s important to be thorough with all the rules when leasing or renting any property. For effective mediation, a property lawyer can be your best option.
So, if you’re going through a landlord-tenant issue and you require professional help, here are some ways in which a property attorney can guide you.
Reviewing Leases
If the dispute between the landlord and the tenant is minor, it’s always best to resolve it as soon as possible without escalating things to court.
All reliable property lawyers Los Angeles will tell you that going through the lease agreement is the first step to solving things. A Los Angeles Apartment Complex Attorney will review the lease on your behalf and make sure that all the clauses in the lease comply with local and national laws.
For example, if you’re a tenant who gets injured in your new apartment due to the negligence of the owner, you have the right to sue your landlord. For this, it’s best to get help from an Apartment Complex Injury Lawyer in Los Angeles.
Rent Control and Compliance
Another major dispute area between landlords and tenants is related to rent. The California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) states that the annual rent can be increased only up to 5% plus the local Consumer Price Index or CPI, or 10%, depending on whichever is lower.
This serves to protect the rights of the tenants, so if you see that your rent has been unfairly increased and is not compliant with the law, you should get in touch with a lawyer for help.
A lawyer will help you understand the clauses of the laws and ensure that the rent you pay is within legal limits.
The Act also prevents unfair eviction of tenants, which means that your landlord has to provide a valid reason for asking you to leave. If you see that your landlord isn’t providing one, consult a property attorney to fight for your case.
Non-Payment of Rent
When it comes to landlords, many tenants often don’t pay their rent on time or even stop paying rent altogether. According to the official City Attorney documents, tenants have to pay their full current monthly rent to avoid eviction, starting from February 1, 2024.
Not paying rent on time or failing to pay the full amount can significantly impact a landlord’s cash flow and income.
If you’re a landlord and your tenants keep doing this, hire a lawyer to try to sort out the issue by sending the tenant a legal notice.
You also need to have a clear rent collection policy that includes the latest date of payment, methods of payment, and the consequences of not paying.
If the tenant has already agreed to follow the terms and conditions and still refuses to pay, you have the right to hire a lawyer and evict them.
Property Damage by Tenants
Property damage is also a nuisance for many landlords in Los Angeles. Most landlords ask tenants to pay a fixed amount of security deposit, which is equal to one or two months’ worth of rent.
Landlords hold this amount in case the tenant causes any damage to the property. In case the tenant moves out, the landlord is required to pay the deposit back to them, except to keep a certain amount to pay for any damage to the rental unit.
If you’re a landlord and you want legal advice regarding security deposits, ask a lawyer to draft a document for you. This document will contain a written notice that gives tenants the right to ask for pre-inspection.
The tenant can, therefore, repair the damaged items before moving out and get back their full deposit amount.
Lease Violations
Lease violations, such as keeping unauthorized pets, subletting, or conducting dangerous and illegal activities, are also a part of landlord-tenant disputes.
For this, a landlord should ask a property attorney to draft a clear document that zeroes in on the roles and responsibilities of the landlord and the tenant.
In case a tenant violates the lease, the landlord can notify the tenant with the help of a lawyer and give a notice. When things escalate, the landlord has the right to even evict the tenant with the help of a lawyer.
Uninhabitable Conditions
California’s implied warranty of habitability is a legal requirement that asks landlords to keep the rental unit in a safe and habitable condition before tenants move in.
This warranty applies to all residential leases in California, including Los Angeles, and covers important aspects of the rental unit, such as plumbing, electricity, and ventilation.
If a tenant sees that the house is not habitable due to severe damage or improper care, they have the right to ask their landlord to repair the unit as soon as possible.
If the landlord fails to make the necessary repairs and renovations even after this, tenants can get help from a property attorney and terminate the rent contract under California’s implied warranty of habitability.
Financial Obligations
Even after tenants evict the property, they’ll still be responsible for remaining costs, such as paying the remaining rent amount, or paying for excessive costs of repairs. If included in the document, tenants may also have to pay early termination fees.
If there’s a dispute between the landlord and the tenant regarding remaining financial obligations, they can ask a lawyer to go through the terms and conditions or draft a new document.
Conclusion
While handling landlord-tenant disputes through a legal attorney, it’s important to maintain clear and open communication with them.
Explain everything to your lawyer so that they can present the entire case in a transparent way. Always try to go for alternate dispute resolutions (ADR) through your lawyer to mitigate any major problems.
