Santa Monica landlord agrees to injunction and to pay $685,000 to settle tenant harassment and discrimination lawsuits

May 27, 2025 4:51 PM

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 27, 2025) – Three related cases brought against a Santa Monica landlord, including one case brought by the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office under the city’s Tenant Harassment and Housing Anti-Discrimination ordinances, have settled, with the landlord agreeing to pay $685,000 to settle all three suits, as well as a stipulated judgment and injunction in the city’s case.

The city’s case alleged that the landlord intentionally failed to register tenancies at his triplex with the Rent Control Board and to disclose to his tenants that they had just cause eviction and rent control protections, then harassed and intimidated them, continuing to do so even after receiving multiple letters from the city.

The city also alleged that a family of four was constructively evicted after the landlord falsely claimed he planned to owner-occupy their apartment, while nearly simultaneously purchasing a $1.4 million dollar home for his family and placing the triplex up for sale.

The city further alleged that the landlord persistently and unlawfully entered the tenants’ unit and once yelled at the tenants in front of their minor children, making them cry and removed the tenants’ access to the outdoor common area, all of which drove them to vacate in May 2023.

The tenants were forced to move to a new apartment at significantly higher rent and the landlord re-rented their apartment at a higher rent.

Immediately after a tenant in a different unit requested repairs and to replace her roommate as permitted by the Rent Control law, the city alleged that the landlord began harassing and retaliating against her, including by demanding she vacate or else sign a new lease with her as the only tenant, requalify for occupancy and pay a higher rent. The landlord also took away multiple amenities, refused to make repairs and placed illegal and unreasonable conditions on roommate replacement, making the apartment unaffordable to the tenant.

Finally, the city alleged the landlord intentionally discriminated against the same tenant, who is immunocompromised, on the basis of her disability, by refusing to consider her repeated requests for reasonable accommodations that he remediate mold in the unit and temporarily relocate her pending the remediation, something he was already required to do under the warranty of habitability. He responded to her requests, stating in writing that the building is not suitable for tenants with “special conditions,” and that it is “not a wise choice for someone with respiratory issues” or for those who “require special care and attention.”

“The City Attorney’s Office strives to educate landlords about their legal obligations under Santa Monica’s tenant protection laws and to gain voluntary compliance, but when a landlord adamantly refuses to comply, as was the case here, we vigorously enforce those laws,” City Attorney Doug Sloan said.

As a part of the settlement with the city and two separate settlements resolving the tenants’ lawsuits, the defendant agreed to:

For more information about Santa Monica housing protections, click here.

Media Contact

Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov

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