Malas condiciones en los alquileres de REAP en el código postal 90001 - ¿Puedo demandar a mi casero?

What is REAP? It is very important that the tenants in the addresses listed above understand REAP – or the Rental Escrow Account Program. REAP is a program that was designed to resolve habitability issues found in rental properties in the area. Some of the goals of the program include reducing blight, preserving Los Angeles’ stock of affordable housing, and protecting tenants from poor living conditions.

When a property is placed in REAP, tenants get reduced rents. In addition, it creates an account in which tenants can pay their rent into (although tenants can still pay their rent directly to their landlords). It is important to note that the rental income in this account is withheld from property owners; this is in hopes of property owners being encouraged to address the habitability issues and make repairs promptly in order to get their properties out of the program and regain access to their rental income.

Property owners can access their rental income to make repairs while the property is in REAP but they must submit an application.

For more information about REAP, do not hesitate to contact the housing experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.

As mentioned above, the goal of the program is to resolve the different issues present in rental properties throughout Los Angeles. Properties are not placed in the program for minor issues; they are put in REAP for major issues that seriously affect habitability and must be addressed immediately. Unfortunately, it is very common for tenants to have been living in uninhabitable living conditions for months and sometimes even years before the property was finally placed in REAP. Some examples of the uninhabitable conditions that tenants often have to deal with include pest infestations (bed bugs, fleas, mice, rats, cockroaches, etc.), no working electricity, no running water, etc.

Under California’s Civil Code 1941.1, all rental units must remain in a habitable condition. The requirements for a rental to remain habitable include the following:

• It must be free of toxins (like mold, lead, and asbestos).
• It must be free of vermin or pests, in general.
• It must have a functional heater.
• It must have access to hot water.
• It must have exterior walls, a roof, and doors that keep the weather out of the unit.
• It must have generally clean premises.
• It must have sturdy floors, walls, stairs, and railings.
• It must have the appropriate trash bins.
• It must have working electrical (wiring and outlets).

If the rental unit fails to meet even one of the points listed above, the unit is considered uninhabitable under California law. Considering that landlords are required to keep their rental units in habitable condition, affected tenants can potentially have grounds to file a claim and recover compensation.

To better understand the rights of tenants, it is important to be familiar with the housing case law. Consider the two examples listed below:

• Green v. Superior Court (1974) – established the implied warranty of habitability meaning that even if the rental/lease agreement did not explicitly state the warranty of habitability, the warranty was implied. This made the landlord/property owner responsible for keeping rental units in habitable condition even if there is nothing about that in the rental/lease agreement.
• Knight v. Hallsthammar (1981) – established that tenants can withhold rent and even make repairs themselves if their landlords fail to make the necessary repairs to make the property habitable. Additionally, this case established that tenants are entitled to reduction in rent if landlords fail to repair the property.

In most cases, tenants are not aware of their rights, so they just put up with the poor conditions in their rental homes. In addition, many tenants simply do not have access to information about housing laws and their rights.

Yes – you could have the right to sue for the uninhabitable conditions at your rental property under REAP. Your right to sue is based on the warranty of habitability. In other words, if your landlord failed to keep the property habitable and was aware of the poor condition of the property, they could be held accountable for any resulting harm that the tenant suffered (whether its physical, emotional, and/or mental harm). Depending on the details surrounding your case, you could also be entitled to receive compensation; more specifically, you could receive compensation for medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, moving costs, and legal fees, for example. This can result in settlements ranging in value from $75,000 to $1.5 million, and even more in some cases.

For more information about your right to file a lawsuit for the poor conditions of your rental home or apartment and your right to recover compensation, contact us today.

El equipo de Downtown L.A. Law Group está listo para proporcionarle la representación que necesita para luchar por sus derechos y recuperar el pago que se le debe. La razón específica detrás de las condiciones inhabitables en última instancia, no importa tanto como el daño / daños que resultaron de las condiciones inhabitables. En última instancia, usted podría tener motivos para presentar una demanda. Los abogados especializados en vivienda de nuestro bufete tienen décadas de experiencia y pueden ayudarle a luchar por sus derechos y conseguir la indemnización que le corresponde.

Ofrecemos servicios jurídicos gratuitos. Estos incluyen consultas gratuitas y segundas opiniones gratuitas, que permiten a nuestro equipo legal proporcionarle la orientación que necesita para iniciar o continuar su reclamación. Nuestros expertos responderán a todas sus preguntas, abordarán todas sus preocupaciones y le proporcionarán la orientación que necesita para continuar con su reclamación de vivienda. Si está listo para beneficiarse de estos servicios legales gratuitos, póngase en contacto con nosotros hoy mismo.

Estamos orgullosos de ofrecer una garantía de Cero-Honorarios, lo que significa que nuestros clientes no tendrán que pagar costos legales por adelantado por ninguno de nuestros servicios legales. Además, como nuestro equipo trabaja en contingencia, nuestros clientes no serán responsables de pagar los costes legales a menos que ganen sus reclamaciones.

Si está listo para hablar con nuestro equipo legal sobre las condiciones inhabitables en su unidad de alquiler ubicada en el código postal 90001, póngase en contacto con nosotros hoy mismo.

Otras páginas de nuestro sitio web relacionadas con este tema
Malas condiciones en la unidad de alquiler en 1621 S Bedford St en Los Angeles
¿Puedo demandar a mi casero si me caigo en la entrada de mi casa o piso de alquiler?
¿Puedo demandar a mi comunidad de vecinos si me caigo en el balcón?