Tag Archives: tenant rights

California Law Shakes Up Landlords: Wildfire Cleanup Now Their Job, Not Tenants’

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Governor Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill 610, ending confusion over post-disaster cleanup in rental housing.
Landlords must remove hazards like smoke, ash, mold, asbestos, and water damage after natural disasters.
Tenants can return at original rent, and landlords must refund rent for uninhabitable months.
Inspired by tenant complaints and LAist reporting, the bill clarifies long-ignored legal gray areas.
A major win for renters, closing gaps that left many displaced after the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Law Targets Gaps Left by Wildfires

The California wildfire cleanup law clearly states that it is “the duty of a landlord” to remove any hazard caused by a natural disaster — including ash, smoke residue, mold, asbestos, or water damage. The wording leaves no room for doubt or debate.

After the January fires, many Los Angeles tenants were trapped in a nightmare. Their homes stood physically intact but unlivable — filled with toxic debris. Some landlords refused to take responsibility, and renters were told to handle cleanup on their own, despite health warnings.

This legislative change finally settles that question. The new law now places the full burden of cleanup squarely on property owners.

Lawmakers Credit Journalism and Public Pressure

The driving force behind SB 610 was a mix of tenant advocacy, media exposure, and relentless community pressure.

State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, who represents Pasadena and Altadena, said her office received dozens of complaints from renters desperate for guidance. She credited LAist’s in-depth reporting for helping bring attention to the issue.

“The reporting that you all had done over at LAist was really helpful,” Pérez said. “We’re hearing directly from constituents and seeing real stories of people who can’t return home because landlords refused cleanup. This bill makes it clear — this is a landlord’s duty.”

The California law now serves as a direct response to months of confusion and inconsistent local enforcement that followed the wildfires.

Local Lawsuits Highlight Systemic Failure

Before the passage of SB 610, several legal battles had already begun to unfold. Last month, L.A. County settled a lawsuit filed by tenants in Altadena who accused health officials of failing to enforce post-fire cleanup standards.

In Pasadena, a similar case is still pending. Residents say city code inspectors told them that “ash” didn’t technically violate habitability codes because it wasn’t mentioned in local ordinances — even after health officials warned that the debris was toxic.

“This law makes important changes in the obligations of a landlord,” said Lisa Derderian, spokesperson for the City of Pasadena. “It will change how the city communicates with both tenants and landlords going forward.”

Los Angeles Faces Its Own Reckoning

Even the City of Los Angeles struggled with consistent messaging after the fires. During a February web meeting, a housing official mistakenly told renters they were responsible for cleaning their units — a statement later contradicted by the department’s own spokesperson.

“Landlords must remediate hazardous ash debris in rental units,” clarified Sharon Sandow, spokesperson for the L.A. Housing Department.

Such contradictions underscored the lack of clear policy — a gap that SB 610 now fills with precision.

What the New Law Guarantees for Tenants

Beyond cleaning obligations, the California landlord law ensures several key protections for renters:

Landlords must refund rent for any months the property was uninhabitable.
Tenants can return to their homes at their original rental rate after cleanup.
Hazard removal must be completed before re-occupancy.

According to Debra Carlton from the California Apartment Association, the law “doesn’t expand landlord duties but clarifies them.”

“It reaffirms common-sense standards,” Carlton said. “Landlords were already responsible for cleanup before tenants moved back — this just ensures everyone understands that clearly.”

A Win for Renters and Advocates

For tenant advocacy groups, the law represents more than policy — it’s a validation of years of struggle.

Katie Clark, organizer with the Altadena Tenants Union, said the new law finally removes ambiguity.

“This closes that gap,” she said. “There’s no more room for misunderstanding. Ash and smoke damage are now absolutely part of habitability concerns.”

Tenant groups have long argued that disaster recovery shouldn’t depend on individual negotiation or city interpretation — and SB 610 makes that official.

The Human Toll Behind the Policy

Still, for many renters, the law came too late. Marah Eakin and Andrew Morgan, Pasadena residents, lost access to their rental home after the Eaton Fire. Despite paying for independent testing that revealed high lead levels, their landlord refused to clean the property.

“We didn’t see an end in sight,” Eakin said. “For a while, we were moving every few days — it was exhausting.”

After moving nine times, the couple finally settled in Altadena in July with their two children. Their former property manager, Trevor Barrocas, said the cleanup was delayed due to insurance claim disputes with California’s Fair Plan program.

“The property has still not been fully remediated,” Barrocas said. “The unprecedented circumstances have affected landlords, homeowners, and tenants alike.”

Conclusion: A Clear Path Forward for California Tenants

The signing of SB 610 marks a turning point for California rental housing law. After years of wildfires and confusion, the state has taken a decisive step to protect tenants and ensure accountability.

With this legislation, landlords are now legally bound to restore safe living conditions after disasters — no exceptions, no confusion, and no passing the burden to tenants.

As California continues to face the growing impact of wildfires, SB 610 stands as both a safeguard for renters and a clear message: when disaster strikes, the responsibility lies with those who own the property, not those who rent it.

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Chicago Housing Crisis: Tenants Battle Invisible Landlords Behind LLCs

📌 Story Highlights

Chicago housing crisis: Tenants left in unsafe apartments for months.
LLC landlords shield owners: Identities of true property investors hidden.
Tenant union forms: Residents across 31 buildings unite under the CKO Tenant Union.
Rising trend: LLC ownership of Chicago multifamily buildings grew from 3% in 2006 to 16% in 2022.
Push for reform: Advocates call for a citywide rental registry to hold landlords accountable.

The Hidden Ownership Problem

Carter eventually discovered that his management company, CKO Real Estate, had abruptly shut down in February — leaving tenants stranded. Only months later did a new company step in to finish repairs. But even then, Carter still had no idea who truly owned his building.

County records revealed two names: 7655 S COLES LLC and SALINA INVESTMENT PARTNERS LLC. To tenants, those names meant little. Behind them were no visible landlords, no phone numbers, no clear point of accountability.

This, experts say, is at the heart of the Chicago housing crisis. Limited liability companies, or LLCs, increasingly dominate the rental market, shielding owners’ identities while insulating them from legal and financial exposure.

“This opacity makes it hard for members of a community to know who owns that terrible building that’s causing all kinds of problems,” said Dan Immergluck, professor emeritus at Georgia State University.

‘The Wizard Behind the Curtain’

LLCs weren’t invented for real estate. They originated in the 1970s, designed for oil companies looking for liability protection without corporate tax burdens. But by the 1990s, landlords realized they could use the same structure to buy and manage apartment buildings.

“It wasn’t created at all with real estate in mind,” explained Susan Pace Hamill, a University of Alabama law professor who has studied LLCs for decades. “Somebody is managing the LLC, somebody is investing in the LLC, but when there’s a problem and you want to find out who that somebody is, you run into a brick wall. You can’t find what I call ‘the wizard behind the curtain.’”

In Illinois, disclosure requirements are minimal. Only the manager and agent of an LLC must be named publicly — and neither may be the actual owner.

The CKO Tenant Union

The collapse of CKO Real Estate exposed this problem in painful detail. Tenants in multiple buildings reported rodent infestations, repeated utility shut-offs, and leaks so severe that mushrooms began to grow indoors.

One tenant, Marla Blanton, described squatters breaking through a damaged gate to occupy the garage and basement. She said the property managers delayed fixing the locks for months.

“As tenants, we should know who the actual landlords are,” Blanton said. “If the property managers aren’t doing their job, we should be able to alert the owners directly.”

On paper, each building was owned by a separate LLC, usually named after the street address. But tenants digging into public records uncovered a common link: real estate investor Chikoo Patel. His name appeared on nearly every deed and mortgage.

That discovery sparked something bigger. With the help of community organizers, residents from 31 buildings came together to form the CKO Tenant Union.

“Going door to door, all you had to say was ‘CKO’ or ‘problems in your building,’ and people would stop and talk,” said housing organizer Sahar Punjwani. “They wanted to join.”

Legal Battles and Limited Progress

Since forming in June, the tenant union has grown to about 150 members. The group has met with city officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson. Some investors — notably husband-and-wife team Shai Wolkowicki and Lauren Lampert — have agreed to limited concessions, such as forgiving certain back rent.

But the bigger demands, like 24-hour repair windows and annual inspections, were rejected. The rest of the ownership group remains largely anonymous.

Meanwhile, Carter’s activism came at a cost. In August, after he withheld rent during the bathroom collapse, he received an eviction notice. He believes the timing was no accident.

“These owners have proven who they are,” Carter said at a union news conference. “Their agenda is to get the rent and tell the tenants to shut the hell up.”

A City Struggling for Accountability

Despite repeated violations, none of the 31 CKO-linked buildings appear on Chicago’s Building Code Scofflaw List. Only seven are flagged under the city’s Troubled Buildings Initiative.

Tenant advocates say this failure is no surprise. The city’s system relies heavily on residents to report violations through 311, something many tenants fear doing because of eviction risks. Even when cases reach building court, judges are often reluctant to levy harsh penalties.

“The tenants are the ones forced to enforce the system,” said John Bartlett, director of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization. “And they’re in the least position to do so.”

Calls for a Rental Registry

To address the growing Chicago housing crisis, Ald. Desmon Yancy has proposed a rental registry ordinance. The plan would require landlords — including LLCs — to disclose all individuals with at least 20% ownership. Similar systems already operate in cities across the U.S., linking names, rents, and contact details for accountability.

“The idea behind the rental registry is simple,” Yancy said. “Know who’s renting what, what the rents are, and who to contact if there’s a problem. That allows us to hold bad actors accountable.”

But for now, the measure is stalled in committee.

As for Carter, he continues to face eviction proceedings while still dealing with leaks in his apartment. His case has become a symbol of a broader fight — one where hidden LLC landlords profit from housing while tenants live with collapsing ceilings and unanswered calls.

“Should housing be an investment,” Bartlett asked, “or should housing be housing?”

That question, for many tenants across Chicago, defines the crisis they live every day.

The story of Russell Carter and the tenants of the CKO portfolio underscores how the Chicago housing crisis is tied to a deeper issue of hidden ownership. With LLC landlords shielding their identities, tenants often have no way to hold property owners accountable for unsafe conditions. While tenant unions and community organizers have pushed for reform, the lack of transparency continues to frustrate both residents and city officials. Until stronger measures such as a rental registry are enacted, many renters may remain trapped in buildings where repairs are delayed, violations pile up, and the true decision-makers stay out of reach.