The People's Guide

36th Edition 2015

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61 The People's Guide 2015 Housing If you are looking to recover money for damaged person property, repairs that you made, or bad conditions, you can file a case in Small Claims Court for up to $10,000. 3. Rent Stabilization (Rent Control) If you live in the city of Los Angeles in a rental unit that has two or more units on the lot, and was built on or before October 1, 1978, your unit might be under rent con- trol. This gives you even more protections than state law. Your landlord can only evict you for a very limited number of reasons, which are in the rent control law. Your rent can only be increased by a set percentage, which the city decides. For more information contact Los Angeles Housing and Community Invest- ment Department (866) 557-RENT www.lacity.org/lahd You can also call the Housing and Community Investment Department to make a complaint if you think your landlord violated the rent control rules. If you are not in a rent control unit, your rent may be increased by any amount with a written notice. If it is increased by 10% or less, then you should get a 30-day notice. If it is more than 10%, then you should get at least a 60-day notice. Other Rent Control Information: Santa Monica (310) 458-8751 West Hollywood (323) 848-6450 Other Cities: Call your city hall or the city website on the Internet, or city government sectoin of the phone book (at the front of the white pages). 4. Evictions If you are not in a rent controlled unit, you can be evicted for no reason, but you must be given a 30-day notice if you have lived in the unit for less than a year or a 60-day notice if you have lived in your unit for a year or more. You can also be evicted from either a rent controlled or non-rent controlled unit for a good reason. There are special rules if you have a Section 8 voucher. Subsidized units (like Section 8 or project- based units) may have different notice periods. To best assure that you do not lose your housing, it is important to seek legal advice about your notice before the notice period has run out (expired). When you have received a 30/60 day notice to vacate, you are still responsible for pay- ing the rent on time. If you do not pay the rent, the landlord may proceed with a much shorter notice against you, usually a 3-day notice. Additionally, security deposits may not be used in place of last month's rent, unless the landlord agrees to do so, in writing. For questions about these issues contact: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles 800-399-4529. Eviction Process 1.Written Notice: in most cases, you must receive a notice in writing. The most com- mon notices are a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit, or a 30- or 60-day notice to vacate. 2.Summons & Complaint: This is the lawsuit, or Unlawful Detainer (UD). You have five days to answer it. 3.Sheriff's 5-Day Notice to Vacate: If you don't answer your summons and complaint or you lose in court, you will get a 5-day notice to vacate. If you do not move out, you will be locked out by the sheriff sometime after the five days. If your case is filed in another courthouse, there may be a Self-Help Center where you can get help preparing your answer. If you are being evicted and your case was filed at the downtown Stanley Mosk Court- house, visit: Eviction Assistance Center (EAC) 111 North Hill St., Room 115, LA, 90011. EAC staff can assist you with filing an answer, and provide full representation in some cases, free of charge. Service is also available in Spanish. You may also contact the following organiza- tions for assistance with an eviction: Legal Aid Foundation - 800-399-4529 Eviction Defense Network - 213-385-8112 Bet Tzedek - 323-939-0506 Neighborhood Legal Services (818) 896-5211 There are also organizations that offer low- cost assistance. The cost is based in part on your income and you may be able to work out a payment plan. BASTA (213) 736-5050 Eviction Defense Network (213) 385-8112 5. Illegal Lockout Landlords cannot lock you out without first going to court, even if you are late on paying rent. If your landlord locks you out without using the eviction process, you should immediately call LAPD. When the police respond to your call, you should show them some proof that you are a tenant (receipts, ID, etc.). Ask them to tell your landlord to let you back in. If the police officer does not respond, you should call LAPD and ask to speak to the watch commander. 6. 28 Day Shuffle If you have lived in a residential hotel for over 30 days, you are a tenant and can only be evicted through a legal eviction. You should not be asked to move rooms or leave for a few days every 28 (or 21) days. If this happens, you should file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing Department (866) 557-RENT. If you are locked out, you should call the police and show them your receipts. If you leave voluntarily, it is not a shuffle. 7. Housing Discrimination If you are discriminated against in trying to buy or rent property, or use services provided to other tenants, because of your race, color, religion, sex, nationality, disability, or because you are married or unmarried, or have children, call: Southern California Housing Rights Center (213) 387-8400 California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (800) 884-1684 (800) 700-2320 (TDD Line) Service or Assistance Animals: The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to provide reasonable accomodations to persons with disabilities who have assis- tance animals. There is an exception if the specific animal in question poses a threat to others' health or safety, or would cause substantial physical damage. If you are being discriminated against due to having a service or assistance animal,contact: Disability Rights Legal Center www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org 800 S. Figueroa St., #1120, L.A.90017 (213) 736-1334 213-736-8310 TTD

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