One Paperwork Mistake Can Destroy Your Case
By Derrick Ruiz
eXp Realty | 40+ Years LA Investment Property Experience
You can lose an eviction case — even if the tenant hasn't paid rent for months or years — simply because you made a technical paperwork mistake.
This is not rare. It happens every day in Los Angeles courts.
In today's regulatory climate, eviction cases are no longer decided solely on whether rent was paid or whether a lease was violated. Courts closely examine landlord compliance with city and state regulations. One overlooked detail can derail an otherwise valid case.
This page outlines the most common mistakes California landlords make — and how those mistakes can make eviction nearly impossible in Los Angeles.
California and Los Angeles eviction law has evolved into a highly technical system.
A tenant may owe significant back rent, violate house rules, damage property, or disturb other residents — yet still prevail in court if the landlord failed to comply with a statutory requirement.
In Los Angeles, compliance is everything.
Under California's statewide rent control (AB 1482), annual increases are generally capped at 5% plus CPI (often around 8% total).
However, local jurisdictions — including the City of Los Angeles — impose stricter limits. In LA RSO properties, increases have recently been closer to 3%.
Common mistakes include:
An unlawful rent increase can invalidate a later eviction.
Single-family homes, condos, and townhomes are often exempt from statewide rent control — but only if the lease includes specific required exemption language.
If that language is missing, the property may legally be treated as fully rent-controlled.
In California, if the exemption is not in writing, it does not exist.
Landlords routinely lose cases because one required sentence was omitted from the lease.
In the City of Los Angeles:
Missing any of these steps can result in dismissal of an eviction case — regardless of tenant behavior.
Landlords must provide 24-hour written notice before entering a rental unit (except in emergencies).
The notice must state:
Even well-intentioned entries for repairs can trigger harassment claims if notice requirements are not strictly followed.
California law prohibits:
Security deposits must be:
Deposit violations are one of the most common sources of landlord liability.
A landlord cannot attempt eviction in retaliation for a tenant exercising legal rights — including:
Retaliation claims can bar eviction for up to six months.
Failure to respond promptly to repair requests exposes landlords to habitability claims.
Courts expect landlords to:
Even minor maintenance issues can be leveraged strategically in litigation.
Proactive response and documentation are critical.
California Fair Housing laws prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics — including source of income (Section 8 vouchers).
Advertising language, screening criteria, and application decisions must be handled carefully to avoid liability.
Violations can result in significant financial penalties.
Changing locks, shutting off utilities, removing doors, or using "self-help" tactics are strictly illegal.
Utility shutoffs alone can result in daily statutory penalties and major civil liability.
There are no shortcuts to eviction in California.
Another increasing concern is application fraud.
Some landlords are encountering tenants who:
Complicating matters further, some eviction cases become sealed when tenants prevail, meaning prior cases may not appear in basic online searches.
Because of this, some landlords choose to go beyond standard screening tools and utilize professional background investigation services to thoroughly verify applicant information.
Important: Proper screening must always comply with federal and state laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and fair housing regulations.
The burden of compliance rests almost entirely on landlords.
In today's environment, defensive management is essential:
In Los Angeles, technical compliance often determines the outcome — not the underlying dispute.