How to Write a Demand Letter to Your Landlord

A letter in real life, not just the ones you compose in your head.

If something bothers you enough to take the time to write about it, it’s already something serious, right? It could be a request, a concern, or a demand.

It became bad here at 2965 Waverly Dr. very fast once escrow closed for Taylor Equities, on March 8. We were lucky –we found the LA Tenants Union early on, a very powerful grassroots group with tons of experience organizing and protesting unfair housing situations and landlords. (They are so kind and generous with their time, too!)

Once we were able to  stand up after almost daily punches (rhetorical) from the new owners, our group composed our first letter to Steven Taylor.  The LATU told us that since we don’t have Rent Control (sob) we really couldn’t demand anything, since we have no laws protecting us! Instead, we had to call this a “Letter of Concerns.”

April 24, 2018

Dear Sirs and Madams,

Things here at 2965 Waverly Drive are not going as well as we had hoped. Please take note of these important issues:

1. Send copies of all correspondence to tenants, including notices of offers of any kind, changes in tenancy, or plans to redecorate, to our group email address.

2. Tenants in California have a right to privacy and protection from unwanted intrusions from landlords. (California Civil Code 1954) Since March 1, this has been compromised for many tenants [here], and that is not acceptable. Unless it is an emergency, or an agreed upon repair, Taylor Equities must request permission from any tenant to enter.

3. Habitability issues, such as dead rats, no garbage bins for 17 days, open walls, and construction tools and materials in the common areas, are very bad.

Thank you for your concern and cooperation.

Signed,

(all of our signatures)

And to elaborate, we only had three dead rats, but one lucky tenant found a bunch under the floorboards. (What were they doing under there, anyway? The tenants, I mean.)

Twenty-one empty apartments here aren’t enough to satisfy this Beverly Hills landlord — he wants to get rid of all of us. He wants to bury us.

To Taylor Equities:

You have the power to play nice, give peace and comfort to the people living on your properties (giving you good money), and be a responsible, ethical company. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be generous and create livable homes, while also making a good profit. So far, you have thrown this gift in the gutter.

1. We respectfully demand that you immediately void and cancel the Unlawful Detainers sent last week, for no reason, to [2 apartments]. These tenants have been living here lawfully and happily for 18 and 16 years, paying the full rent asked of them, on time, for decades. They are also valued members in our tenants group, and this appears to be the worst kind of retaliation. [California CC 1942.5)

2. Taylor Equities must immediately stop any kind of entrance to all apartments in Waverly Drive., including the carports in Units 1 to 12. This is part of our home, as listed in our lease, and thus CC 1954 requires that you give 24 hours notice AND request such entrance. The tenant must agree, unless it’s an emergency or agreed upon repair.

   *Within the last month, you have entered 4 units without permission (trespassing) and broken into a private storage space in #2,, while removing possessions (which is, at the least, breaking and entering.). We sent you a photo of the crime in progress.

   *On August 2, your painter entered Unit 6 and stole a hose that was stored in the back of the carport, which was witnessed by several people, and then returned.

   *And on Friday, Aug 10, one of your employees entered all 12 carports illegally, with no notice. Two tenants took pictures of this, and in response, this worker tried to yank open and get in one woman’s car to grab her phone and/or attack her! And then spit at her! The worker also made sexist and crude comments to the other tenant, such as “You need a man to sleep with. You wouldn’t do this if you had a man. Do you have a cat?” We called LAPD about this assault and attempted burglary, and they came and assured us that they are aware of ongoing problems at this address.  We will continue to report such incidents to any appropriate agency.

3. At least 3 units so far have had punctures in their tires over the last 2 weeks: [  ], all of which required an expensive repair. Whether this is malicious destruction of personal property, or negligence by the 20 trucks and dozens of workers here each day is not known, but this is no coincidence. Again, this will be noted to the authorities and further action will be considered.

We look forward to your immediate and positive response.

Sincerely,

[signatures of all tenants in the group]

As you can see, in this letter we mentioned what we thought some of the incidents might be called legally, although there are no lawyers in our group.  And the LAPD didn’t actually make a report, but they did come out, and were super nice. (And it’s easy to file your own police report online now.)

What to say to your landlord

• Whether or not you have Rent Control, always start with a concerns letter.
• Never threaten! The facts are your best defense, and are easier to prove, should you need to go to court, or Small Claims Court.
• I strongly recommend calling a tenants advocacy group – we’ve been thrilled with the LA Tenants Union, but they’re all great organizations and really want to help you. And getting at least one neighbor to agree with you is good, too. But even if it’s just you and your dog (or your iPhone) use the royal “we” in your points.
• And that “we” should include a cc to someone in the city. Start with your Councilperson (or Housing if you’re lucky enough to have Rent Control.) All of a sudden the landlord sits up straight and becomes more accountable, when other people are reading the letter.
• Like your Mom said, manners count, especially in serious discussions that affect your home! You are documenting this. And being friendly never hurt anyone. The person on the other side of the table might be around for a while, and somewhere (deep) inside him or her, there exists a beating heart.

Have you had experiences like this with your landlord, or with Taylor Equities or Ness Properties? Let us know in the comments!