Tenants Hotline (323) 522-9645
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
“I pledged to build power alongside other tenants, to defend CTA members against landlords, and to support the movement.
Our Next Meeting will be on July 11, 2025 at 7pm at the Baltimore Hotel in back Room PLEASE BRING YOUR ID TO CHECK IN
Our Next Meeting will be on July 11, 2025 at 7pm at the Baltimore Hotel in back Room PLEASE BRING YOUR ID TO CHECK IN
Our Next Meeting will be on July 11, 2025 at 7pm at the Baltimore Hotel in back Room PLEASE BRING YOUR ID TO CHECK IN
Our Next Meeting will be on July 11, 2025 at 7pm at the Baltimore Hotel in back Room PLEASE BRING YOUR ID TO CHECK IN
There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about us. We hope you enjoy our site and take a moment to drop us a line.
Our Next Meeting will be on July 11, 2025 at 7pm at the Baltimore Hotel in back Room PLEASE BRING YOUR ID TO CHECK IN
California Tenants Association (CTA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering our community through various programs and initiatives. Our mission is to make a positive impact and create a better future for all.
There are many ways to get involved with California Tenants Association (CTA), from volunteering and donating to attending our events and spreading the word. Join our community today to make a difference.
We offer a variety of programs aimed at addressing the needs of our community, including education, healthcare, and social services. Learn more about our programs and how you can benefit from them.
Thanks to the support of our community, we have been able to make a significant impact over the years. Learn more about our accomplishments and the positive change we have brought about.
Your donation will help us continue our mission and support our community. Every dollar counts and will make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Have a question or a suggestion? We're always here to help. Contact us today and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Please reach us at if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The California Tenants Association (CTA) is a tenant advocacy organization based in Downtown Los Angeles, particularly active in the Skid Row area. It operates through local tenant unions and councils, such as the Skidrow Tenants Union, focusing on empowering renters and protecting their rights.
Tenants Councils are grassroots, resident-led groups formed by tenants—usually within a specific building, housing complex, or neighborhood—to collectively address housing issues.
Tenants councils are often the first line of defense for renters and can serve as the foundation for joining or forming a larger tenants union.n answer to this item.
A Tenants Union and a Tenants Council both aim to empower renters, but they differ in scope and structure.San Francisco Tenants Union+10tenantcouncilssandiego.org+10richmondtenantsunion.org+10
A Tenants Council is typically a group of renters within the same building or complex who unite to address shared concerns, such as maintenance issues, rent increases, or landlord disputes. These councils focus on immediate, localized problems and work collectively to improve living conditions. They often serve as the foundational unit for broader tenant organizing efforts.
In contrast, a Tenants Union is a larger, often citywide or regional organization that encompasses multiple tenant councils or associations. It provides a platform for coordinated action across different neighborhoods, advocating for systemic changes such as rent control policies, tenant rights legislation, and affordable housing initiatives. Tenants Unions offer resources, support, and a unified voice to influence broader housing policies.
Both structures are integral to tenant advocacy, with councils handling grassroots concerns and unions pushing for overarching policy changes.
You are part of both
There are many ways to get involved with California Tenants Union, such as volunteering, making a donation, or attending one of our events. Please visit our website for more information.
California Tenants Union offers a variety of services, including work oder assistance, housing support, and more. Please visit our website for more information.
It is illegal for a landlord to lock you out, remove doors or windows, change locks, cut off utility services, or use other forms of harassment to make you move out. You can file a complaint with LAPD if your landlord locks you out or cuts off your utilities.
No, we do not work for the landlords. We are dedicated volunteers who selflessly devote our time and efforts to assist the esteemed residents of members housing. In addition, we proudly belong to the esteemed California Tenants Union, a collective of individuals who tirelessly advocate for the rights and well-being of tenants in our beloved city. Furthermore, we are actively involved in the local chapter of the California Tenants Union, an organization that passionately fights for the rights and dignity of those residing in the Skid Row community.
We find ourselves in a situation where our resources in terms of volunteers are quite limited. However, if any individuals staying at the neighboring hotel are interested in lending a helping hand, we would be more than grateful to have you join us. Together, we can begin our work in assisting the residents of this community. Simply reach out to the CTA, and we can coordinate the details. In the meantime, if you are facing any serious issues, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you and explore how we can be of assistance. It is important to note that being a part of the AHF group is a requirement for participation.
There are a few ways 1st To report a bad landlord to the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line, call toll-free at (800) MULTI-70 (800) 685-8470) / TTY (800) 432-2209. Complaints of housing discrimination are handled by the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (an office under HUD) at 1-800-669-9777.
2nd File a complaint through the Union and its Website and one the Tenants leader will take your report and address this issue with the Headquarters of your property.
According to the California Civil Code (1940-1954.05), the landlord has the right to collect rent, withhold security deposit return in case of property damages, evictions in case of agreement breaches, and many more.
In the case NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., the Supreme Court first articulated the right to request a union representative at an investigatory interview. This right applies when a tenant has a reasonable belief that the investigation may result in Evection, discipline, write-up, or other adverse consequences to their living status or conditions. The right to a union representative applies to investigatory questioning that is written as well as oral.
For example, a tenant can request a tenant union representative at a meeting with the landlord if the discussion could lead to evection, discipline, write-up, or other adverse consequences, or have any effect on their living conditions. Landlords must remain in attendance at meetings of the full tenant association until the end of the meeting (up to two hours).
Tenants have the right to self-organization, including joining, meeting, and assisting one another, and conferring through representatives of their choosing with a landlord/owner. They should also have the right to participate in decision-making processes through their organizations. This includes the terms and conditions of their tenancy as well as activities related to housing and community development.
A tenant union generally does not affect a landlord's legal rights. It typically only changes how landlords communicate with tenants, resolve problems, and make changes to leases or the property.
THEREFORE, ALWAYS ENSURE YOUR UNION REPRESENTATIVE ACCOMPANIES YOU WHENEVER YOU ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR LANDLORD OR ANY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL.
Whole or deep worker organizing is key to working-class rights and solidarity. Like workers and labour unions, we organize to alter the power relations between landlords and tenants. We understand that tenant movements play a critical role in the politicizing of the working class historically, and if wages and the exploitation of workers is a political matter then clearly and definitively rent and housing conditions are too. In the early 1970s, the Vancouver Tenants Council (VTC) brought a resolution before the 18th BC Federation of Labour convention to demand that renters in BC have the right to collectively bargain with landlords. Now, more than ever, individual tenants are being left to negotiate safe housing on their own while landlords often have multi-million-dollar corporations behind them. In understanding that exploitation does not end at the door of the workplace, we are asking provincial district labour councils, unions, and the BC Federation of Labour to step up for workers who are renters. We ask for unions in the home and in the workplace!
Collective bargaining rights would mean that tenants are able to form tenant unions under a legislative framework in order to legitimize the fears of tenants and to protect tenants from landlord retaliation. Tenants already engage in forms of collective action today. Petitions, for example, are a form of bargaining, without the need for a formal negotiating process. A supermajority of tenants signing a petition in solidarity with one another can create major changes in their buildings. We know of examples where cable TV was reconnected, pest control was requested and received, and laundry facilities were installed. Tenants have also worked together through petitioning to regain access to common areas where tenants' building associations were able to meet. Our campaign seeks to support and expand these efforts.
We want the right to fairly and collectively negotiate with landlords with the right to grieve if rental terms are violated. Our campaign envisions several different structures for the bargaining units that are not only limited to apartment buildings. We also expect that our collective bargaining model will need to be applied to buildings where different relationships exist between tenants, the building, and the landlord. For example, we are working to develop a model that is useful for tenants living in the same building with the same landlord, tenants living in the same building but with different landlords, tenants living in different buildings owned by the same landlord, and finally tenants who live in different buildings with entirely different landlords.
You will find the final numbers for deduction on your 3-day answer notice when you fill it out you will be given the information but this is a rough idea
Legal Grounds for Rent Deduction
Under California Civil Code §1941.1 and the Implied Warranty of Habitability, landlords are required to provide a livable unit. This includes:
Freedom from pests (bed bugs, cockroaches, rodents)
Working plumbing (hot/cold water)
Functional electricity
Peace and quiet (no ongoing disruption)
If these are not provided, you may:
1. Withhold rent until repairs are made
2. Deduct cost of repairs you paid for (Repair & Deduct)
3. Leave the unit without further obligation (Constructive Eviction)
4. Sue for damages or file a complaint with local authorities
💵 How Much Can You Deduct?
There’s no fixed percentage written into law, but courts typically allow deductions proportional to the loss of use. Here are general estimates:
Issue Suggested Deduction Range
Bed bugs, cockroaches, or rodents 10% – 50% of monthly rent
No hot or cold water 25% – 100% (depending on duration)
No electricity 25% – 100%
No water at all 50% – 100%
Disturbance of peace 10% – 30%
> 📌 Example: If your rent is $1,000 and you’ve had no water or electricity for 2 weeks, you could reasonably deduct $500 to $1,000 if the landlord was notified and failed to act.
🛑 Important:
Notify your landlord in writing with proof and documentation (photos, videos, repair requests).
Give them reasonable time to fix (usually 3–30 days depending on the issue).
Keep copies of receipts, communication, and reports.
🔎 Consider:
Filing a habitability complaint with Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) or Code Enforcement.
Talking to a tenants' rights attorney or your local tenant union (like yours!) before withholding rent.
Make sure you fill out the 3 day answer notice in order to be compliant with the law
Copyright © 2025 California Tenants Assocation - All Rights Reserved.
1122 E 7th Street
PO Box 21061
Los Angeles, CA 90021-21061
(323) 996-1055
Pursuant to 24 CFR § 245.100 of Federal Code, the removal of such material in a federally-funded building is a violation of the law. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, tenants have “the right to organize as residents without obstruction, harassment, or retaliation from property owners or management; the right to poster materials in common areas and provide leaflets informing other residents of their rights; the right to use appropriate common space or meeting facilities to organize.”
Los Angeles County Code 8.52.130 stipulates that no landlord, property manager, or employee may “interfere with the right of Tenants to: distribute and post literature informing other Tenants of their rights and opportunities to involve themselves.”
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.
This website is currently under construction. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to enhance and update the content. Please note that some information may not yet be current. We are beta testing our new site if you like to be a beta tester please call me in your office at extension 105. You will need a code to access the site
-Nash