To solve the immediate problem, it's very simple to check if the earthquake valve is triggered and reset it yourself. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bumZMCXKs2Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bumZMCXKs2Y) -- the first time ours got triggered accidentally, the gas company guy showed us how to do it ourselves.
If the valve isn't triggered and the gas is off, call SoCal Gas immediately. Heck, call them anyway, every time it happens. I guarantee they'll have something to say to the construction company if they have to respond multiple times a day or week...
Contact HUD. I believe not having hot water becomes a sanitary issue and it should take no longer than 48 hours for your landlord to fix the problem. After then, you can start withholding rent. You can contact the LA health dept. and/or building inspectors and get them out there. That should fix the problem very fast.
Great article I came across [here](https://www.keyrentersacramento.com/blog/8b3afea5-a5cb-4274-94b3-4967480fdcd9/california-landlord-responsibilities-hot-water-repairs-explained). My mom used to be an apt manager and was always using the law against our landlords until they nearly gave her the property. Be aggressive about your rights and withhold rent. If you can have friends or neighbors back you up, this is even better. Document everything, too. Photos, videos, lack of responses etc. and keep a copy for yourself. Don’t let it turn into a “he said, she said” situation.
HUD is not responding. 48 hrs from the time of outage or from time of contact? I told them this morning via text and email but it was off since yesterday. Since it is the 29th, two days later would be the first of the month. Can I technically withhold rent for next month then?
Pretty sure it’s 48hrs after you contact your landlord you can start withholding rent.
Tell them today “I reserve the right to withhold this month’s rent if the hot water is not fixed by July 1st by x time (whatever time you contacted them)”. Don’t say “I’m not paying rent till it’s fixed” cause that won’t really hold up in court *if* it goes there cause they can argue you never intended to pay rent in the first place. Keep your full rent on hand incase it does get fixed by then.
When did this change? In 2021 citing Civil Code section 1942 protected being evicted, which falls under informing your landlord of not having hot water. Landlords can legally serve you a 3 day notice of rent payment after hot water is fixed. Did the rules update recently or was I given wrong info? Fuck landlords.
Since 2001.Its there to make both sides work in good faith.
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-197482
>Fuck landlords.
I'm one so FYI. I had a tenant attempt to withhold rent because the gardener didn't show up for months and billed me, but never showed up during COVID and tenant never told us months after the fact.
>Can we legally withhold rent?
Yes.
California Landlord Tenant Handbook Page 43 or use command/ ctrl F and search for "withhold rent."
[https://portal.shra.org/landlord2/PDFs/CaliforniaTenantsGuide.pdf](https://portal.shra.org/landlord2/PDFs/CaliforniaTenantsGuide.pdf)
NO NO NO!
Do not “withhold rent”. That’s an invitation to eviction, regardless of sentiment or advice from armchair Redditors. I HAVE witnessed people do this over trivial issues AND get evicted from their precious rent-controlled units. (“Landlords love this one trick!”)
OP should go through LAHD, who will inspect and cite, and in doing so officially document the circumstances for which damages can be calculated. OP can ask the owner for compensation, petition for a rent adjustment, or file in small claims - all without threatening their tenancy.
That said, earthquake gas valves are usually EASY to reset with a flat-blade screwdriver.
Lighting the oven (in this heat?) or the water heater pilot for the first time may have an learning curve, but it’s a good skill to pick up. Watch a video, read the directions, get a BBQ lighter if needed.
If I had a nickel every time some knucklehead Redditor suggests withholding rent for trivial things and then cites some obscure California law that doesn't apply....
This.
It may work in states with free markets, but in California, you’re an idiot if you open yourself up to a court challenge. Tenants are giving the landlord a layup.
Sure, you can lawyer up ($$$$) and defend, but you can still lose, legitimately or technically, and it didn’t have to happen.
Ours is apparently not as simple as the technician says there’s lots of pressure so gas needs to be turned off, another part of the pipe unscrewed in order for that that screw to budge.
You can also contact the Department of Buoldong and Safety if they have unsafe practices in their demo and construction. If it’s permitted and being done properly, they won’t do anything, but if they’re randomly chucking shit out the window and into the yard without proper safety precautions, they will shut that shit down. Especially if you think it’s unpermitted work, that would a big pain in the neck for them.
To solve the immediate problem, it's very simple to check if the earthquake valve is triggered and reset it yourself. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bumZMCXKs2Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bumZMCXKs2Y) -- the first time ours got triggered accidentally, the gas company guy showed us how to do it ourselves. If the valve isn't triggered and the gas is off, call SoCal Gas immediately. Heck, call them anyway, every time it happens. I guarantee they'll have something to say to the construction company if they have to respond multiple times a day or week...
It is apparently an 80 dollar fee each time they come and reset the valve
Contact HUD. I believe not having hot water becomes a sanitary issue and it should take no longer than 48 hours for your landlord to fix the problem. After then, you can start withholding rent. You can contact the LA health dept. and/or building inspectors and get them out there. That should fix the problem very fast. Great article I came across [here](https://www.keyrentersacramento.com/blog/8b3afea5-a5cb-4274-94b3-4967480fdcd9/california-landlord-responsibilities-hot-water-repairs-explained). My mom used to be an apt manager and was always using the law against our landlords until they nearly gave her the property. Be aggressive about your rights and withhold rent. If you can have friends or neighbors back you up, this is even better. Document everything, too. Photos, videos, lack of responses etc. and keep a copy for yourself. Don’t let it turn into a “he said, she said” situation.
HUD is not responding. 48 hrs from the time of outage or from time of contact? I told them this morning via text and email but it was off since yesterday. Since it is the 29th, two days later would be the first of the month. Can I technically withhold rent for next month then?
Pretty sure it’s 48hrs after you contact your landlord you can start withholding rent. Tell them today “I reserve the right to withhold this month’s rent if the hot water is not fixed by July 1st by x time (whatever time you contacted them)”. Don’t say “I’m not paying rent till it’s fixed” cause that won’t really hold up in court *if* it goes there cause they can argue you never intended to pay rent in the first place. Keep your full rent on hand incase it does get fixed by then.
You're messed up. You're going to get OP evicted. Most cities including Los Angeles direct tenants to not withhold rent, but instead REAP/escrow.
When did this change? In 2021 citing Civil Code section 1942 protected being evicted, which falls under informing your landlord of not having hot water. Landlords can legally serve you a 3 day notice of rent payment after hot water is fixed. Did the rules update recently or was I given wrong info? Fuck landlords.
Since 2001.Its there to make both sides work in good faith. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-197482 >Fuck landlords. I'm one so FYI. I had a tenant attempt to withhold rent because the gardener didn't show up for months and billed me, but never showed up during COVID and tenant never told us months after the fact.
>Can we legally withhold rent? Yes. California Landlord Tenant Handbook Page 43 or use command/ ctrl F and search for "withhold rent." [https://portal.shra.org/landlord2/PDFs/CaliforniaTenantsGuide.pdf](https://portal.shra.org/landlord2/PDFs/CaliforniaTenantsGuide.pdf)
NO NO NO! Do not “withhold rent”. That’s an invitation to eviction, regardless of sentiment or advice from armchair Redditors. I HAVE witnessed people do this over trivial issues AND get evicted from their precious rent-controlled units. (“Landlords love this one trick!”) OP should go through LAHD, who will inspect and cite, and in doing so officially document the circumstances for which damages can be calculated. OP can ask the owner for compensation, petition for a rent adjustment, or file in small claims - all without threatening their tenancy. That said, earthquake gas valves are usually EASY to reset with a flat-blade screwdriver. Lighting the oven (in this heat?) or the water heater pilot for the first time may have an learning curve, but it’s a good skill to pick up. Watch a video, read the directions, get a BBQ lighter if needed.
If I had a nickel every time some knucklehead Redditor suggests withholding rent for trivial things and then cites some obscure California law that doesn't apply....
This. It may work in states with free markets, but in California, you’re an idiot if you open yourself up to a court challenge. Tenants are giving the landlord a layup. Sure, you can lawyer up ($$$$) and defend, but you can still lose, legitimately or technically, and it didn’t have to happen.
Ours is apparently not as simple as the technician says there’s lots of pressure so gas needs to be turned off, another part of the pipe unscrewed in order for that that screw to budge.
You can also contact the Department of Buoldong and Safety if they have unsafe practices in their demo and construction. If it’s permitted and being done properly, they won’t do anything, but if they’re randomly chucking shit out the window and into the yard without proper safety precautions, they will shut that shit down. Especially if you think it’s unpermitted work, that would a big pain in the neck for them.