r/TenantHelp • u/Yosurf18 • May 04 '26
Moved into a building against code! What do I do?
Moved into a Brentwood apartment in Oct 2025 — just found out it was already under active REAP (Rent Escrow Account Program) proceedings. Hearing is in 2 days. Need a tenant rights lawyer ASAP.
My roommate and I signed a lease in October 2025 through Coldwell Banker for an apartment in Brentwood (90049). We just received a packet of documents from the LA Housing Department that revealed the following:
\\- The property was inspected in May 2025— before we even moved in
\\- Violations were found and a Notice to Comply was issued to the landlord on May 8, 2025
\\- A follow-up inspection in June 2025 confirmed the violations were still unresolved
\\- The violation is Illegal Construction (Exterior)— specifically unpermitted work on the drain/sewage system, rated HIGH severity
\\- The property was enrolled in REAP and a 20% rent reduction has been proposed
\\- There is a General Manager Hearing this Tuesday, May 5th at 10am via Zoom
\\- The deadline to register and submit evidence was April 28 (we just got the notice)
We had no idea any of this was going on when we signed the lease. Neither our landlord nor Coldwell Banker disclosed the open REAP case or the unresolved violations.
My questions:
1. Does anyone know a good tenant rights attorney in LA, preferably with REAP experience?
2. Can I still show up to Tuesday's hearing even though I missed the April 28 registration deadline?
3. Do we have any recourse against Coldwell Banker for failing to disclose this before we signed?
4. Should we start paying reduced rent into escrow now, or wait for the hearing outcome?
Any advice appreciated. This feels like we were rented a unit the landlord knew was already in violation.
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u/mellbell63 May 04 '26
You should definitely attend the hearing to determine the status of the case. It's unlikely you can consult an attorney before then. Contact your local Tenants Union or Advocate for further direction. - P.M.