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My neighbor wants to make a complaint about about another neighbor who has rented out his house to roughly 20 people. We don't know if the landlord is aware of the amount of tenants or not. The majority of them have vans and SUVs and they take up the whole block and hold spaces. Our block used to be so much nicer until this happened. This has also caused other desperate neighbors to start blocking peoples driveways and park illegally. I never thought that an overcrowded house was something one could make a complain about. I just thought it was something we'd have to all deal with? I wondered what exactly are the laws for California? More specifically Los Angeles. I was searching around but couldn't get any concrete answers.
Another neighbor heard them digging and said it sounded like they were making room for more people to live there.
The following quote is from the City of Los Angeles' web site:
Quote:
To report a code violation on a private property, call 3-1-1 or use the form below.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is responsible for investigating code violations on existing single family residential, commercial, industrial and vacant buildings inside the City of Los Angeles.
For properties with two or more dwelling units (duplexes and apartment buildings), please contact the Los Angeles Housing Department at (866) 557-7368.
A complaint can also be submitted online by using the following link:
I see that fishbrains beat me to it regarding occupancy limits on rental property. Even in instances where the owner is not "renting" the property, but is just letting people stay with them, that is a code violation, too, in an R-1 zoning.
Quote:
DWELLING UNIT. A group of two or more rooms, one of which is a kitchen, designed for occupancy by one family for living and sleeping purposes.* (Amended by Ord. No. 107,884, Eff. 9/23/56.)
EDIT: Wow--I see that this was my 7,000th post to City-Data. I can't help but wonder what all other work I could have gotten done during all of this time. Anyhow, I hope that I've been able to provide some useful information to readers over the years. I just wish that this post had been more substantive--and on a better topic! Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!
Last edited by jackmichigan; 01-08-2020 at 05:19 AM..
My neighbor wants to make a complaint about about another neighbor who has rented out his house to roughly 20 people. We don't know if the landlord is aware of the amount of tenants or not. The majority of them have vans and SUVs and they take up the whole block and hold spaces. Our block used to be so much nicer until this happened. This has also caused other desperate neighbors to start blocking peoples driveways and park illegally. I never thought that an overcrowded house was something one could make a complain about. I just thought it was something we'd have to all deal with? I wondered what exactly are the laws for California? More specifically Los Angeles. I was searching around but couldn't get any concrete answers.
Another neighbor heard them digging and said it sounded like they were making room for more people to live there.
Are you sure they were not digging to bury people that did not pay their rent??
I doubt the landlord (absentee?) knows about what is happening to his property. Several years ago, I rented-out a home (60-miles away) to a couple and their two small children. I later learned from neighbors that there were at least a dozen people there, with 5-6 cars regularly parked in front. They were also wreaking havoc in the neighborhood, (parking on the lawn, driving on neighbors lawns, leaving trash in the yard, etc.).
I immediately contacted them and told them I knew they were in violation of their lease and threatened to have them evicted ... and raise their rent proportionately in the interim. The extra occupants quickly left and, after inspecting the property, allowed them to finish their lease, but, did not renew it.
My neighbor wants to make a complaint about about another neighbor who has rented out his house to roughly 20 people. We don't know if the landlord is aware of the amount of tenants or not. The majority of them have vans and SUVs and they take up the whole block and hold spaces. Our block used to be so much nicer until this happened. This has also caused other desperate neighbors to start blocking peoples driveways and park illegally. I never thought that an overcrowded house was something one could make a complain about. I just thought it was something we'd have to all deal with? I wondered what exactly are the laws for California? More specifically Los Angeles. I was searching around but couldn't get any concrete answers.
Another neighbor heard them digging and said it sounded like they were making room for more people to live there.
If they were digging they must be mole people, I would be scared.
Otherwise call the town or city and find out the occupancy limit for a house. Usually it's 2 people per bedroom and file a complaint.
They can't have anyone living in an attic that has been converted to living space if it was not approved by the city.
Same as the basement, if they don't have an emergency window exit people can not live down there.
So sorry to hear this is happening on your street, OP.
There is one way to make life difficult for those scofflaws. This can work if your street is considered to be a public street---
Call the police to get those cars ticketed. If any have the following violations, you can report it --- expired tags, expired inspection stickers, blocking driveways. Where I live, if a car has a "for sale" sign on it and it's parked on a public street, it can be ticketed.
My neighbor wants to make a complaint about about another neighbor who has rented out his house to roughly 20 people. We don't know if the landlord is aware of the amount of tenants or not. The majority of them have vans and SUVs and they take up the whole block and hold spaces. Our block used to be so much nicer until this happened. This has also caused other desperate neighbors to start blocking peoples driveways and park illegally. I never thought that an overcrowded house was something one could make a complain about. I just thought it was something we'd have to all deal with? I wondered what exactly are the laws for California? More specifically Los Angeles. I was searching around but couldn't get any concrete answers.
Another neighbor heard them digging and said it sounded like they were making room for more people to live there.
Is it a rental? If so call and complain to the landlord. She surely doesn't want the wear and tear of 20 people in the house.
Because of fair housing laws total occupancy is bit different on enforcement. Generally the cleanest way to do it is over fire code total occupancy allowed. Since it's a life safety issue it's fairly easy to enforce. It typically depends on people per sq.ft. or people per bedroom. If it's terrible for the whole neighborhood call it in to code enforcement(have neighbors do it too). If that fails call the city council person's office for a meeting and bring a couple people and a petition.
Because of some of the issues involved it's the kind of thing that takes persistence and documentation. First attempts might be interpreted as "I hate the big family that moved in down the street". You have to prove it's something different than that.
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Anyhow, I hope that I've been able to provide some useful information to readers over the years. I just wish that this post had been more substantive--and on a better topic! Anyway, Happy New Year everyone! 
