While Los Angeles is home to many rich and famous residents, it has also been declared home to some of the dirtiest slums on the planet. Some parts of the city have conditions that are worse than those found in third world countries.
If you are living in a bad situation where you’re paying rent, but your landlord isn’t keeping his or her part of the bargain by keeping the place inhabitable, it’s easy to think you have nowhere to turn.
Slumlords are notorious for wanting tenants to be ignorant of the law because if you realize you have renter’s rights and seek a Los Angeles slumlord litigation attorney, they stand to lose A LOT – mainly your rent money.
What is a Slumlord?
A slumlord is a landlord who put maximizing profit over properly caring for property maintenance and ensuring livable conditions for tenants. Often a slumlord is an absentee landlord who oversees multiple properties. Slumlords could care less that their lack of attention to the property poses many hazards for renters and the community. Their main concern is based on greed and centers around collecting rent while doing as little as possible as far as upkeep and repairs go.
5 Signs You are Renting from a Slumlord
Five of the most common signs you are dealing with a slumlord include:
- Neglect of Maintenance and Repairs. The physical condition of the property will almost always be a giveaway that you are renting from a slumlord. Overgrown landscape, trash, graffiti, boarded-up and broken windows and doors, and dim or no lighting are tell-tale signs the place is not being properly cared for. The fact that the property or the unit itself is dangerous doesn’t matter to a slumlord because all he or she cares about is collecting the rent.
- Ignoring Tenant Work Orders. Does your landlord disregard your pleas for repairs and maintenance? If something does get fixed, does it take him or her an unacceptably long time to do so? If that’s the case, you are probably dealing with a slumlord who will avoid putting any time or money into your residence.
- Cash Rent and No Legal Leases. If your landlord insists on you paying your rent in cash and has failed to produce a lease for you to sign, you can bet he or she is a slumlord. Slumlords tend to think if they don’t show a record of you renting, they are free and clear of legal obligation to you and the IRS. Such is not the case. You still have renter’s rights. With the help of a slumlord lawyer, you can still sue in a court of law.
- Non-licensed Workers. A common habit of slumlords is to do work, such as electrical, they are not qualified to do. Or they pay someone else who is not qualified to do the work a cheaper rate than a licensed professional would charge. There have been so many slumlords adhering to this dangerous practice that it has led to some states enacting laws requiring that property managers use licensed workers for all the maintenance and repairs conducted on the property.
- No Respect or Disrespect for Tenants. There is an attitude of superiority that runs rampant among slumlords. They tend to treat renters like second class, lowly individuals that are fortunate to be renting from them regardless of the poor conditions. They operate with a single goal in mind and that is to collect as much rent as they can while putting minimal time and money into the property. If you do try to approach them, you are likely to be ignored or put down. Trying to reason with them gets no results. Furthermore, confronting a slumlord can be extremely dangerous.
What Recourse Do I Have as a Tenant of a Slumlord
If you suspect you are doing business with a slumlord, the last thing you want to do is to address the situation alone. Making a formal complaint to the city or county your residence is in is an important first step. Continue voice your complaint as publicly as possible and meanwhile, seek the professional advice of a slumlord litigation attorney In Los Angeles like Jacob O. Partiyeli who has years of experience successfully fighting against with some of the city’s most greedy slumlords. Call today and find out how Jacob Partiyeli and his talented legal team can help – (310) 801-1919.