If you are a tenant in Los Angeles then you need to be aware of what options you have if you find out you are facing eviction. Many landlords do not complete the processes as required by law and still many other may force tenants out for reasons that are not considered lawful by the statute.
Knowing your rights as a tenant in the city, and throughout the State of California, is an important step in ensuring that you will know how to deal with any issues that may arise where the landlord asks or tells you to leave the property.
Reasons For Ending The Rental Or Lease Agreement:
It is important to understand that a landlord can only start the? eviction process for very specific reasons. They cannot simply evict you because they want to rent to someone else or because there has been some minor disagreement.
In a very general perspective the only reasons that a tenant can be given an eviction notice in Los Angeles include:
* Not paying the rent as indicated in the lease or rental agreement
* Violation or breach of the rental or lease agreement
* Damage to the physical property that impacts the property value
* Noise violations or becoming a nuisance to other tenants or neighbor after being notified of the issue
* Illegal activities on the property including weapons or ammunition violations, illegal drug use, manufacturing or distributing or using the property for an illegal activity.
In addition the landlord can also end the rental or lease agreement with a notice to vacate the property at the end of the lease or in mid lease provided that is a clause in the original rental or lease agreement.
What You Should Do:
As a tenant you have to option to correct the problem within 3 days of being notified if it is something that you can address. This may mean paying your current and back rent in full, repairing any damage caused, removing a pet that is not allowed, or getting rid of an extra car that is parked in an area not designated for your use. Correcting these things can stop the eviction and allow you to continue to live in the same place.
If you cannot do these things then you need to take action immediately, within 5 days, to file an answer to the Unlawful Detainer action in the Los Angeles court system.
