Landlords understanding habitability issues
California law dictates that a rental unit must be fit to live in, or “habitable”, and must comply with state and local building code standards that affect the tenant’s health and well being.
If the unit has suffered damage that makes it uninhabitable because the tenant has caused the damage, then the tenant is responsible for the repairs.
A rental unit may be considered uninhabitable (unlivable) if it contains a lead hazard that endangers the occupants or the public.
It may also be uninhabitable if the building is substandard, a structural hazard, has inadequate sanitation, or a nuisance, that endangers the health, life, safety, property, or welfare of the occupants or the public.
Consult us to ascertain whether you are responsible for repairs that affect your tenant’s health and well being.
Practice Area: Landlord Law
