Landlords Must Make Repairs To Ensure Properties Are Safe

Most California property owners who rent homes to tenants realize that being a landlord comes with a lot of responsibilities. One of the most important of those responsibilities involves maintaining the properties they rent so they are free of dangers for the occupants who live in them. Nevertheless, there are some landlords who seem to prefer not to spend money on repairs, and these individuals are usually referred to slumlords.

Do you live in a property owned by a slumlord? If your landlord has failed to fix problems in your rental unit in spite of you notifying the landlord of the problems, it could be a sign that you’re living in a slum property, and your landlord could get into trouble with the law.

Although the law may look at each case differently, tenants should not have to wait very long for repairs to be made to their properties after they complain about the issue to their landlord. For example, heating and plumbing problems should generally be resolved within 24 hours of notifying the landlord. Other issues that are less pressing for the tenant’s health and safety, should be fixed within 48 hours.

All that said, landlords cannot simply walk into a renter’s unit unannounced to make repairs. For the sake of their own privacy and safety, tenants must be notified in advance of a landlord and/or the landlord’s repair people entering an apartment. A landlord is only permitted to enter unannounced in emergency situations, like in a fire or a flood.

Are there dangerous problems in your apartment that need to be repaired, but your landlord — or slumlord — is ignoring them? Have you suffered a serious injury because of these problems? A Pomona, California, premises liability attorney may be able to help you seek financial compensation relating to your injuries.

Source: FindLaw, “Landlords’ Duties Regarding Repairs, Maintenance, and to Provide Notice to Tenants for Entry,” accessed Nov. 28, 2016