Step 1 — Put it in writing to management
Always start with a dated, written request through the resident portal or by email — not just a phone call or a hallway conversation. The written record is what triggers the landlord’s legal duties, and it is what every agency below will ask to see. Keep a copy of everything, photograph the problem, and note each follow-up. LAHD even publishes a tenant repair-request form you can use.
Step 2 — Add it to this record
Report the issue here with the dates and work-order numbers. Reviewed reports are published on this site — a public record that neighbors and anyone researching the building can find. One resident’s ticket is easy to dismiss; twelve dated reports of the same failure are not.
Step 3 — Bring in the city
These agencies inspect and enforce at no cost to you, and retaliation against you for filing is illegal. LAHD states it never asks about immigration status.
Repairs, habitability, and code violations — LAHD
The Los Angeles Housing Department is the enforcement agency for apartment buildings. File online at the LAHD code-violation complaint form or call 866‑557‑7368 (866‑557‑RENT). A complaint can trigger an inspection — and like every LA rental property with two or more units, this building is also inspected periodically under LAHD’s routine Systematic Code Enforcement Program. Have the address, your unit number, and a list of conditions ready.
Improper rent increases or eviction pressure — LAHD
This building was built in 2004, so LA’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance does not apply here — but the statewide AB 1482 rent cap and the city’s just-cause eviction protections do. If a rent increase or an eviction threat seems improper, file the LAHD tenant complaint (same hotline) and say which protection applies. It is free, and LAHD says it contacts the tenant before the landlord is notified of any finding — confirm when you file.
Harassment — the Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance
Withheld repairs, cut services, improper entries, and pressure campaigns are covered by LA’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance — file with LAHD online or at 866‑557‑7368. The ordinance also lets a tenant sue directly, with mandatory damages if you prevail. Keep a dated log of every incident.
Mold, pests, and health hazards — LA County Public Health
File a health-code complaint with Environmental Health’s online form or call (888) 700‑9995. Anonymous complaints are accepted, and infestations, mold, and lead hazards are squarely in their jurisdiction — including inside LA city apartments.
Everything else — MyLA311
Not sure who handles it? MyLA311 (or dial 311) routes any city issue to the right department, around the clock.
Step 4 — State-level channels
Housing discrimination (race, disability, source of income, familial status, and other protected classes): file with the California Civil Rights Department or call 800‑884‑1684. Complaints generally must be filed within one year.
Statewide rent-cap (AB 1482) violations: file a consumer complaint with the California Attorney General (800‑952‑5225). The AG doesn’t represent individual tenants, but complaints build the pattern that triggers enforcement.
If they push back
Retaliating against a tenant for a complaint, an inspection request, or organizing is illegal under state law and city ordinance. If you receive an eviction notice, act immediately: you have 10 court days to file an Answer in court, and Stay Housed LA (888‑694‑0040) provides free eviction-defense help, including court representation for eligible tenants. To organize with neighbors beyond this site, the Los Angeles Tenants Union welcomes all tenants.
File in good faith
Every protection above belongs to tenants who report accurately. File what you can document — dates, photos, work orders — and never exaggerate. That discipline is what makes this record, and your legal position, solid.