Judge says Paso apartment conditions are so bad, tenants don’t have to pay rent
Paso Robles tenants suing their landlords over pest infestations and poor living conditions don’t have to pay rent until their apartments are fixed, a judge says in a court order.
Residents of the Grand View Apartments complex on Spring Street filed suit in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on May 7, claiming their apartments have had “rampant bed bug, cockroach and rat problems” for four years.
The suit also claims the 54-unit complex, which houses at least 200 tenants, has serious maintenance problems, including mold, leaks, broken windows and sewage backups.
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The tenants are being represented by the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit that provides legal aid to low-income residents, as well as the Hutkin Law Firm.
Although only a few tenants are named in the lawsuit, it covers all of the complex’s residents, said Stephanie Barclay, an attorney for the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation.
The residents’ attorneys appeared before Superior Court Judge Ginger Garrett on Friday to request a restraining order to protect their clients from landlord retaliation.
Garrett issued the order and compelled the landlords to address substandard conditions at the complex.
The landlords aren’t allowed to collect rent or accept payment from any Grand View tenants until the court permits it, according to court documents.
Attorneys for the tenants and landlords will have another hearing before Garrett on July 11 to assess the status of the required repairs.
Barclay said she hopes the Grand View landlords take the orders seriously and completely fix the problems, instead of making minor repairs that only cover up the issues.
“Basically, we just want the landlord to fix the place and make it more habitable,” she said.
This story was originally published May 29, 2019 at 7:18 PM.
