Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California
I rent an apt and have lived there for 19 years w/rent control - therefore the rent is reasonable . The present landlord of aproximately 7 years has reduced some small services - ie gardener from x4/month to x1/month, garbage disposal removed and not replaced , ocean view obstructed by building in front by 1/2 to 3/4 of original view I rented the place with - Does this constitute grounds to reduce rent due to reduced services rendered? the rental agreement clearly states I cant paint w/out landlord approval which she refuses to give to me, but, at the same time she will not paint properly and only paints 1/2 the wall where mold was and in a different color! Is there a way to force her to let me paint and/or get her to paint properly?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Welcome to why very few cities have rent control. When a person puts their savings into the downpayment on a rental property (at least 25% of the purchase in almost every case) and then incur the ongoing expense of owning it (loan payments, taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, services, etc.) they need to make a return on that money. When you take away the ability to earn that return through market rents, you force them to make it up in reduced costs. When you throw in the right to raise rents when a tenant voluntarily moves (which is the only way rent control is constitutional) you make it all the more foolish for a landlord to do anything but the bare minimum required by law for existing tenants. In any case, the direct answer to your question is that you may have specific local rights under your rent control laws, but there is no state law remedy for your situation as long as the premises are legally habitable. Check with one of the tenants rights groups in your area that feed off this situation.
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