‘They have certain rights’: Lawyers advise tenants of their rights and protections at free clinic
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Renters make up 44% of households in California, however, many are unaware of their rights.
On March 1, California State University, Bakersfield and consumer lawyers joined together to ensure tenants had the free opportunity to learn more about those rights. Tenants arrived with notebooks, pens and informational pamphlets at the Beale Memorial Library for a free workshop on tenant rights.
The workshop was hosted by CSUB, H.A. Sala Law Firm and Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance. Sala shares that many tenants don’t know their rights.
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“People feel that they have to accept conditions that are not habitable and they don’t have to accept that they have certain rights guaranteed by California law,” said Sala.
A big problem tenants face throughout California and Kern County is the rise of evictions since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly retaliatory evictions according to Sala.
“Sometimes people complain about certain conditions in the apartment or the home that they live in, and the landlord retaliates against them and serves an eviction notice,” said Sala. “They cannot be subjected to retaliatory evictions if they invoke their rights.”
CSUB Student and Law Intern Karen Roman said working with tenants and seeing what the information can do is a game changer.
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“It’s such a feel good moment when you know that a tenant or any litigant comes to you and says ‘I don’t know what to do, please help me’ and you are able to give them the answer that they are looking for,” said Roman. “It’s such a feel good moment and as a student I’m glad to be able to see what my future holds for me.”
Sala shares that is why the clinic is so valuable.
“Everyone has a right to live in clean, habitable housing… it’s just a basic human right,” said Sala.
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