California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation California’s fair housing laws are among the most comprehensive in the nation, prohibiting discrimination in rental housing on a wider range of bases than federal law. Understanding what discrimination looks like, how to document it, and how to enforce your rights is essential for any California tenant who…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation The Ellis Act is California’s mechanism allowing landlords to “go out of the rental business” by removing all units in a building from the rental market. Ellis Act evictions are among the most significant displacement tools used against long-term tenants in rent-controlled cities — and California law includes…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Most unlawful detainer cases in California settle, dismiss, or resolve before trial. But when a case goes to trial, it is typically a streamlined bench trial — before a judge, not a jury — with compressed timelines and focused evidentiary standards. A prepared, organized self-represented tenant can present…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Unruh Civil Rights Act provide some of the broadest anti-discrimination protections for tenants in the nation. California protects more characteristics than federal fair housing law — and the penalties for discrimination are substantial. If you believe you’ve been discriminated…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Your rental unit is your home — and California law significantly limits when and how your landlord can enter it. Violations of these entry rules are both a habitability issue and, when systematic, potential harassment. Understanding your right to quiet enjoyment and the specific notice requirements for landlord…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation A wrongful eviction is an eviction that violates California law — an eviction without just cause in a covered building, a retaliatory eviction, a discriminatory eviction, or an eviction using improper procedures. California imposes significant damages for wrongful eviction, and tenants who are wrongfully evicted have strong legal…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation The Ellis Act is a California state law that allows landlords to remove rental units from the rental market entirely — effectively going out of the rental business. While Ellis Act withdrawals are legal, they come with strict procedural requirements, significant relocation assistance obligations, and re-rental restrictions that…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Mold is one of the most significant habitability issues facing California tenants — and one where landlord obligations under California law are clear and substantial. If your unit has mold that the landlord has failed to address, you have multiple legal remedies available, and the landlord’s failure to…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Shared living arrangements — roommates, subtenants, and informal housing arrangements — are common in California’s expensive rental market. They also create legal complexity that can leave residents vulnerable to eviction, financial liability, and loss of tenant protections they don’t know they have. Understanding the legal distinctions between different…

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California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation California Civil Code Section 1954 establishes strict rules governing when and how a landlord may enter your rental unit. Many landlords violate these rules regularly — entering without notice, appearing at inconvenient times, or using entry access as a harassment tool. Understanding your right to privacy and how…

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