All Forum Posts by: Sandra Koen

Marcia, 

The lease simply says “the premises” of the address where I live. It says to keep common areas clean ie kitchen, laundry room and refrigerator. So it’s not clearly stated in the lease the specific areas of the house that are rented to me, but orally we agreed that the back half of the house; bedroom, bathroom, hallway and den room with sliding glass door were mine and the kitchen and laundry would be shared between me and the landlord. The kitchen, laundry and refrigerator are what they changed the locks and locked me out of. The back kitchen door was my private entrance but they changed those locks and there was a door separating my half of the house from the kitchen but they deadbolted that shut so I couldn’t get into the kitchen at all. 

I know a woman who works with a tenants rights group that I’m gonna call tomorrow to ask her how to respond to this notice. Thank you for your feedback. 

Thank you. What about the part of them re-renting the unit while I’m still here and making me share it? Is that legal? 

Long story short, I’ve been back and forth with my landlord for months. I rent half of a private home. I was late on rent (but still paying) and asked to move out because my lease was up. I was unable to leave right then and was served a 3 day notice. I couldn’t leave yet and because they couldn’t afford to file the eviction paperwork, they didn’t. Instead they did a partial lock out where they changed the locks and locked me out of half of the unit (meaning half of the half that I rent). I still have the bedroom bathroom and a tiny den room with a sliding glass door which is my only way to get in and out and I cannot lock the door to secure my belongings.  I was told by an eviction attorney that this was illegal/self help eviction but landlord doesn’t care. Landlord has been harassing me with text messages, nasty letters on the door demanding I get out. 

Because of the lock out I stopped paying rent to force them to file an unlawful detainer so we could take the matter to court. 

Today they put a 30 day “change of lease” notice on my door claiming that my hallway, bathroom will be shared spaces and that my only access to the unit will be the sliding class door. It seems they intend to rent out the unit to someone else while I’m still here and make me share it but still charge me the same amount of rent. 

Is this legal? Can a landlord rent my unit while I’m still living here and make me share it? Our lease says the lease can be amended at the agreement of “the parties” but I didn’t agree to it. Is this another self-eviction tactic? I’m in the state of California.