Faulty Locks in Los Angeles Rental Units

When you sign a lease to live in an apartment building, you have the right to expect to feel safe. You should not have to worry  about somebody breaking into your personal space, taking your belongings, or committing a violent crime against you or a member of your  family. However, if your apartment lacks sufficient security, your safety could be at risk. Faulty locks in Los Angeles rental units can cause you to feel unsafe in your own home. Fortunately, you have legal rights.

A skilled local Habitability lawyer from CD Law can explain your legal options and help protect you from your landlord’s wrongful actions.

What Are the Dangers of Broken or Missing Locks?

Installing locks in an apartment is an easy way for a landlord to make a unit safer.  Having functional locks on doors and windows can reduce the risk of people gaining unauthorized access to your unit, even in an area with higher crime rates. However, a broken or inadequate lock on an apartment door or window can allow a predator to enter, increasing the risk of a tenant suffering serious harm. Thieves can  steal a tenant’s personal property, leading to financial loss and hardship. Even if you are not home at the time of the invasion, you could still suffer serious emotional injuries and develop debilitating post-traumatic stress and anxiety from having your home violated.

You should not have to fear that someone could break into your personal space. You have rights, if you notice that your Los Angeles apartment lacks fully functioning locks. A knowledgeable lawyer from our team can meet with you to explain your options and guide you through the legal process of asserting them with your landlord.

Having Faulty Locks Makes an Apartment Uninhabitable

California law requires landlords to provide tenants with habitable rental units. To be fit for human occupancy, a rented apartment must comply with all state and local health and building codes that could affect the safety and health of tenants or their ability to live comfortably within the unit. Your landlord has a duty to ensure you have secure locks on your windows and your doors, and failure to do so would be a breach of the implied warranty of habitability. As outlined in California Civil Code § 1941.3, your apartment should have a deadbolt on each outside swinging door, while windows that are designed to be opened should have locks. If your landlord does not provide working locks before you move in, or if you notice a broken lock, you have the right to demand that they fix the issue promptly.

Our seasoned Los Angeles attorneys have helped tenants get their landlords to repair broken or missing rental unit locks. If your landlord is uncooperative, we could help you pursue a repair-and-deduct option or a civil lawsuit.

Call a Los Angeles Lawyer if Your Apartment Does Not Have Functioning Locks

Having faulty locks in a Los Angeles rental unit increases the risk of break-ins, which could lead to property loss or personal injury. If your rented apartment does not have fully functioning locks, our attorneys will work aggressively to defend your rights as a tenant against your landlord’s breach of the implied warranty of habitability.

Call the team at CD Law today to schedule a free consultation with our skilled attorneys.