Renters have rights
By Elena
Popp
Staff Attorney, Legal AID Foundation of
Los Angeles
Venice tenants are
protected by rent control if your building was built before October 1978 and
there are two or more units on the lot.
Your landlord can only evict you for one of
the following 12
reasons:
1. Tenant fails to
pay rent.
2. Tenant has violated her/his
rental agreement.
3. Tenant is creating
a “nuisance” or causing
damage.
4. Tenant is using apartment for
an illegal purpose.
5. Tenant refuses to
sign a new rental agreement that is substantially the same as the old
one.
6. Tenant has refused landlord
reasonable access to the unit for repairs or
inspection.
7. The person in possession
of the unit at the end of the lease term is a subtenant not approved by the
landlord.
8. The landlord wants himself,
his immediate family, or a resident manager to live in the
unit.*
9. The landlord wants to demolish
the unit or do substantial
rehabilitation.*
10. The landlord wants to
remove the unit permanently from rental housing
use.*
11. The landlord is complying with
a government agency’s order to vacate the unit because of some violation
(e.g. illegal unit).*
12. HUD is the
owner and plaintiff and wants to sell the
property.*
*If the landlord is evicting
you for reasons 8, 9,10, 11 or 12 he/she must pay you relocation ($2,000 per
unit or $5,000 per unit with a minor child, adult 62+, or a disabled person).
There is a very specific procedure one must follow in order to do this. L.A.
Housing Department can answer any question about
this.
If you have questions or
problems, contact the Legal AID Foundation of Los Angeles at
213-385-1719.
Elena Popp is also the
Secretary of the Grassroots Venice Neighborhood Council.
Posted: Sun - September 1, 2002 at 06:53 PM