Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California
(Asking on behalf of my neighbor, who does not have internet access and for whom English is a second language.) Thisis Los Angeles (SFV). My landlord is trying to force my neighbor to get rid of his large but non-nuisance (non-barking, non-biting) dog. Dog only goes out on a leash. My neighbor, a senior who has health problems such as diabetes, has had the dog for over six years. Though this is a no-pets building, it has not been enforced before and lots of the tenants have dogs, cats, birds, etc. My neighbor is scared and distraught. He knows the dog would be killed at the shelter. Now he's trying to find a new apartment on very short notice. He was hospitalized recently for diabetes and I'm worried my neighbor he'll end up back in the hospital due to the stress. I suspect the reason the landlord suddenly wants the "dog" gone is because my neighbor is a long-term tenant in a rent stabilized building, and he's hoping to intimidate my neighbor into moving out. I want to support my neighbor but don't want to give him bad advice. Might a doctor's note help him keep the dog as an emotional support dog? Might the length of time my neighbor has had the dog, or the fact that other residents have pets, be helpful factors? My heart is breaking for him. I am willing to do research for him if you could point me in the right direction.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Your friend needs to speak with a landlord tenant attorney or a tenant rights organization. There is an attorney named Fran Campbell in the L.A. area who only represents tenants. She has an excellent reputation. There is also a guide available at the department of consumer affairs website - a tenant's right's booklet. It includes a list of tenant's rights organizations.
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