Public Stairwell Issues in Los Angeles Rental Units

When you live in an apartment building that has multiple units, you often need to travel through the building’s common areas. You often may need to use common area stairwells to reach your unit or access the apartment’s basement laundry or storage areas, if your building has multiple floors.

However, what happens if the public stairwells in your common areas are unsafe? Unfortunately, public stairwell issues in Los Angeles do occur. Our knowledgeable local habitability attorneys at CD Law can help protect your rights as a tenant.

What Potential Problems Can Occur in Public Stairwells?

Issues on stairwells that can pose a problem to a building’s tenants include:

• Missing, broken, loose, rotted, or uneven steps
• Bunched up, loose, or ripped carpeting on stairs
• Missing or broken handrails or banisters
• Inadequate lighting in a stairwell that could cause someone to misjudge a step
• Broken treads on steps
• Clutter or debris left on stairs that could pose a tripping hazard
• Poor design of the stairs, such as treads that are too narrow or individual stairs that are too tall or short
• Slippery surfaces on or around staircases

Problems in stairwells can cause falls and potentially serious injuries. If you become aware of a dangerous condition in your Los Angeles apartment building’s public stairway, our experienced attorneys could help you find a legal solution before you or someone you love suffers a severe head injury or broken bones.

Stairwell Issues Can Affect Your Apartment

Although your landlord is not responsible for the regular maintenance of any stairs located in your individual apartment unit, they must maintain the safety of any stairwells located in common areas of multi-unit buildings. Problems with the condition of a Los Angeles apartment building’s public stairwells can make the dwelling unsafe for tenants and potentially render your apartment uninhabitable, per California Civil Code § 1941.1(a)(8).

Our knowledgeable local legal team could help you follow the correct procedural protocol to notify your landlord of the problem. We could also help you document the problem fully by taking pictures and writing detailed notes.

In some circumstances, you might be able to fix the problem yourself and deduct the cost of the repair from your rent. However, fixing a stairwell issue might cost more than one month’s rent, so the repair-and-deduct option might not be the best solution. If your landlord is unwilling to make repairs in a timely manner, we could help you take legal action. You could file a lawsuit to pursue damages covering the cost of your rent.

You may also be able to sue for emotional distress and discomfort. If an unusable stairwell renders the apartment unlivable and the condition amounts to a constructive eviction by forcing you to move, we could help you seek compensation from the landlord to cover your moving and other expenses.

Contact a Los Angeles Lawyer About Public Stairwell Problems

Public stairwell issues in Los Angeles rental units can make it difficult for you to move freely in the building where you live. According to state law, if you cannot safely use the stairs to access your unit, your apartment could become uninhabitable. If you are in this situation, contact our experienced legal team at CD Law to discuss your legal options today.