Mold, cockroaches, rats, no heat, leaking ceilings, broken plumbing, exposed wiring. If you reported it and your landlord ignored you, you have a lawsuit. The Law Office of Kevin P. Hermansen, P.C. sues landlords across Los Angeles County on behalf of tenants who were forced to live in substandard housing, and we handle these cases on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Every residential lease in California carries an implied warranty of habitability. The landlord must provide effective waterproofing, working plumbing, heat, hot water, electricity, and a unit free of vermin and garbage, and must keep it that way for the entire tenancy. A landlord who collects rent while ignoring those duties has breached the lease and broken the law.
Tenants can recover rent they paid for a unit that was not worth it, the value of property ruined by leaks or pests, medical expenses, and compensation for the stress and discomfort of living in the conditions. Where the landlord's conduct was outrageous, a jury can award punitive damages, and several statutes allow us to recover attorney's fees from the landlord on top of your damages.
Landlords often answer a repair request with a rent increase or an eviction notice. California Civil Code section 1942.5 prohibits that kind of retaliation and creates its own claim for damages and penalties. Reporting a problem never puts you in a worse legal position. It puts the landlord in one.
Do I have to move out to sue my landlord?
No. Many of our clients stay in their homes during the lawsuit. Filing a case does not give the landlord a right to evict you, and retaliating against you for filing is itself unlawful.
How much does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. Habitability cases are handled on a contingency fee, which means our fee comes out of the recovery. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
What should I do right now?
Document everything. Photograph the conditions, keep every text and email to the landlord, save your repair requests, and ask the Los Angeles Housing Department or your city's code enforcement office for an inspection. Then call us.