Sage-Tips

What is considered uninhabitable living situations for a tenant California?

Situations that may be held to affect a tenant’s health can include lead paint, mold, unsanitary conditions, improper ventilation, a gas or sewage leak, pest infestations and bacteria causing illness such as Legionnaire’s Disease.

What makes a rental uninhabitable?

Broken plumbing or lack of running water would also make a rental unit uninhabitable. Another example would be failure to provide proper heating and air conditioning during extreme weather. Landlords have specific responsibilities when it comes to air conditioning, so it’s important to be aware of them.

Where do I file a complaint against a landlord in California?

The State of California Department of Consumer Affairs can help with questions or complaints regarding landlord/tenant relationships, including repair issues, safety violations, and Health and Safety Code violations. For further information, call (800) 952-5210, or visit the website at www.dca.ca.gov.

How do I write a repair request to my landlord?

Dear (Name of landlord or manager), I am writing to request repairs to the (appliance, heating/air conditioning, plumbing issue — be specific!) due to (reason for repair; this could include things such as broken handle, leaky sink hose, even normal wear-and-tear that would necessitate replacement).

What happens if you violate New York City HPD?

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) violations may result in civil penalties imposed by the Housing Court if an owner fails to comply with the violation and certify the correction, or if the owner certifies correction falsely. HPD inspections may result in inspection fees.

What happens if a tenant fails to file a HPD violation?

Failure to file may result in: A civil penalty of $250-$500 If the property has three or more units, an owner is not be allowed to bring an action for nonpayment in housing court against a tenant of this property The property owner will not be able to certify correction of HPD violations or file for a violation Dismissal Request

What should I do if my apartment fails HPD’s inspection?

If three months have passed since returning the signed contracts and lease, and the landlord has not received any payments, the landlord or broker should contact HPD’s Owner Services Unit. The apartment failed Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection, and the failure was not corrected and the corrected certified within 30 days.

What to do if your landlord has a health violation notice?

Give Landlord Time to Fix Issue: The landlord will be given a certain number of days from receiving the violation notice to fix any outstanding issues. Once the landlord has fixed the health violations, the landlord can contact the health department to have the inspector come out to re-inspect the property.