Apartment Building Problems? Tenants Joining Together to Sue the Landlord in California
What is a building-wide lawsuit?
A building-wide lawsuit is a legal action brought by a group of tenants who have all been harmed in the same or similar way by a landlord, property owner, or other responsible party. These cases are meant to strengthen the legal argument by combining multiple complaints into one unified case, showing that the problem is widespread—not just affecting one person. Because of this, building-wide lawsuits typically involve a large number of tenants facing the same issue.
To move forward, there must be a shared legal complaint among the group—such as unsafe living conditions, landlord negligence, or habitability violations. These cases focus on common facts that apply to everyone involved. While most building-wide lawsuits don’t go to trial due to their complexity, they often end in settlements, where each affected tenant may receive compensation with the help of legal support.
What are some examples?
Not all housing problems qualify for a building-wide lawsuit. Issues like bug infestations, broken heaters, or leaks often vary from unit to unit, making it hard to build a unified case—one tenant might have bed bugs, while another is dealing with a ceiling leak. For a building-wide lawsuit to work, the problem usually needs to affect many tenants in a similar way.
Examples of situations that often qualify include:
Failure to repair shared areas like hallways, plumbing systems, or the roof.
Landlord harassment, whether verbal or physical, targeting multiple tenants.
Wrongful evictions involving more than one unit.
Example 1: Tenants in a large apartment complex all have the same problems: a broken security gate letting anyone in, laundry rooms that never work and are dirty, and frequent pest problems in many units due to poor maintenance. Instead of suing separately, they join together in one lawsuit.
Example 2: Tenants at Riverside Gardens discovered their water bills were unusually high. Investigation revealed the landlord had illegally connected laundry room water usage to tenants' individual meters instead of paying for common area utilities as required by law. All 24 units joined a lawsuit.
Example 3: At Sunset Villa Apartments, renovations on vacant units released asbestos into the air throughout the building. Many tenants developed respiratory problems. When they discovered the landlord didn't follow proper asbestos removal procedures, 15 families filed a joint lawsuit.
Example 4: The 30 families at Parkside Apartments endured a six-week gas outage during winter because the landlord refused to pay for necessary gas line repairs. With no heat or hot water, many got sick. The tenants organized and sued together for rent reductions and damages.
Example 5: Every unit at Mountain Heights has severe plumbing issues causing low water pressure and frequent sewage backups. The problem is the building's old main lines, but the landlord only fixes individual units temporarily. All residents joined a lawsuit to force complete plumbing system replacement.
This isn’t a complete list. Other shared issues may also qualify. If you’re unsure about your rights or think you and your neighbors may have a case, contact us to set-up a free consultation—SELATAG is here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a building-wide lawsuit?
What kinds of issues qualify for a building-wide lawsuit?
What problems don’t usually qualify?
What do tenants get from a building-wide lawsuit?
Does every case go to trial?
Do I need to gather other tenants before reaching out?
How can SELATAG help?