David Piotrowski, Esq.

Landlord best practices and tips from a CA eviction attorney. Housing and eviction news. Let's build more housing and eliminate rent control.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

If you're a California landlord, you've probably noticed the laws aren't exactly on your side. Portraying property owners and landlords as the "bad guy" is a nationwide trend that needs to change.

I'm David Piotrowski, a California attorney who has represented landlords for over 20 years in eviction cases throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

I post about landlord-tenant law, property rights, rent control, "just cause" evictions, legal updates impacting rental properties, eviction strategies and pitfalls to avoid, policies affecting the bottom line, real-world scenarios from eviction cases I've handled, and the occasional current event that strikes my interest.

If you own rental property in California, you're facing some of the most landlord-hostile laws in the country. I don't sugarcoat it—California is tough for landlords. But knowing the rules and staying ahead lets you succeed.

My goal is to help you navigate the rules and protect your investment. Follow me @DavidPiotrowski for practical advice, legal updates, and landlord best practices. Engage with my posts. Spread the word. We can work together to bring fairness back to landlord-tenant law!

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

You can't avoid getting served with an eviction by running away from the process server.

Here's a recent story.

My process server went to serve someone with an eviction. The server knocked on the door and the person answered. When the person learned that the server was there to serve the eviction, he decided to run down the street and up a nearby mountain. This is considered a valid serve, even though the person ran away and refused to accept the papers in his hand. Running away doesn't magically mean he wasn't served.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

It's embarrassing how long it takes Los Angeles and California to count ballots.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Landlords, your support and trust means so much to me. Thank you for allowing me to assist with your tenant eviction case.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Another professional report has come out showing the bad effects of ULA. But we already know ULA is bad for Los Angeles. ULA must be repealed.

https://t.co/9kPjiaD7dd

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

A new Arizona law allows squatters to be removed in just three days.

As a side note, I learned that normal evictions only take about 19 days in Arizona!

California should be taking lessons here.

https://t.co/R3ROaLJvT0

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Rent control sounds compassionate. But the evidence shows it creates more problems than it solves.

I've watched California cities and other jurisdictions implement these policies with good intentions, only to make housing less affordable and harder to find. The data backs this up.

A 2024 comprehensive review of rent control literature published in the Journal of Housing Economics found that while rent controls slow rent growth for existing tenants, they lead to "a wide range of adverse effects affecting the whole society." The same study confirmed what economists have known for decades - these policies reduce overall housing supply.

In San Francisco, research from Stanford shows rent control caused landlords to reduce rental housing supply by 15%, which pushed city-wide rents UP by 5.1%. Yes, rent control actually increased rents across the city.

In Catalonia, Spain, a stringent 2020 rent control policy initially reduced average rents, but that effect vanished after just one year due to a 30-32% decline in rental housing supply. Working class properties lost 1 billion euros in value while tenants only gained 8 million euros from reduced rents. That's not a win for anyone.

A 2026 study on St. Paul, Minnesota found that after rent control passed in 2021, average property values fell 4-5.5%. Upper-income renters gained more than lower-income renters, while small landlords lost the same as large landlords. The policy hurt exactly who it was supposed to help.

Recent research on U.S. cities found that restrictive rent control reforms are associated with a 10% reduction in total rental units. When you cap returns, you destroy the incentive to provide housing.

What happens when landlords can't get market returns? They convert rentals to condos. They stop maintaining properties. They exit the market entirely. Supply drops. Rents for uncontrolled units spike. And the people who need housing most get priced out completely.

Market prices aren't arbitrary. They signal where housing is needed, where to build, where to invest. When government overrides those signals with artificial caps, the market doesn't just comply - it contracts.

Want affordable housing? Build more of it. Streamline permitting. Stop punishing landlords for providing a service people need. Create actual supply instead of pretending price controls will magically make scarcity disappear.

Rent control is a policy that is "popular" with politicians but makes housing worse. California needs solutions that work in the real world, not just in press releases.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Bookmark this post to keep an eye on yesterday's election results in California.

Select the "Contest" dropdown to select the results you want to see (Governor, LA Mayor, etc).

https://t.co/BoL8CcuJyb

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Too many California property owners don't know about SB 602. This law could save months of hassle if you ever deal with trespassers, if (and it's a big if), the government would actually enforce this law.

Here's what changed in 2024 with SB 602:

Now you can file a single trespass letter with your local law enforcement agency that's valid for up to 12 months.

Once it's on file, law enforcement can remove trespassers without requiring you to go through a lengthy court-ordered eviction process.

The request can be submitted using a form provided by your local law enforcement agency.

When trespassers show up, every day counts. The longer they're there, the more complicated removal becomes. Having this documentation already on file with law enforcement means faster action when you need it.

This is a tool that gives property owners more options without automatically forcing them into a months-long unlawful detainer case.

If you own property in California, especially in areas where trespassing is a concern, consider filing one of these letters now.

The problem, though, is that law enforcement is regularly treating more trespasser and squatter problems as civil matters. Law enforcement are defaulting to the "we can't help without a court order" response when squatters claim any form of residency or show fake documents. They don't want the potential liability.

So although this law exists, and homeowners should file the "602 letter" with the appropriate law enforcement agency, the bottom line is homeowners are likely to still have to go through the unlawful detainer process due to lack of enforcement.

This law needs to be enforced.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

LA has spent over $300 million on Inside Safe, passed a billion-dollar tax increase, and increased funding year after year. So what do we have to show for it?

A report has shown that the total unsheltered population was little changed between December 2024 and January 2026, but rough sleeping has increased by 20%. Rough sleeping (no tent, vehicle or other shelter when sleeping) is at a 4-year high. Rats are swarming encampments. And the people who actually need help are worse off than before.

Rough sleeping is a huge problem. The government isn't solving homelessness. They're just trying to make it harder to see and more dangerous for the people living it. Data shows rough sleepers have worse health outcomes, more substance use issues, fewer phones, less documentation, and less contact with caseworkers than people in tents. So the city removed the visible problem and created a worse one in its place.

Meanwhile, LAPD released footage of rats swarming through encampments near West Olympic Boulevard. Residents and business owners report a frustrating cycle: report to 311, crews clear the area, people return within hours.

Inside Safe moved some people into hotels - but the LA Times found 40% returned to homelessness. The program costs over $300 million and counting.

This is what happens when policies focus on clearing streets instead of actually solving problems. When "sanitation" becomes displacement. When accountability metrics measure tents removed instead of lives changed.

LA voters approved Measure A - a permanent half-percent sales tax increase - expecting results. Instead, they're getting the same dysfunction with a bigger price tag.

We need policies that actually work. Not just programs that look good in press release with cherry-picked data while making the problem worse.

Remember this when you vote. LA's current mayor and city council are not doing a good job. Change is needed.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

You can't avoid getting served with an eviction by running away from the process server.

Here's a recent story.

My process server went to serve someone with an eviction. The server knocked on the door and the person answered. When the person learned that the server was there to serve the eviction, he decided to run down the street and up a nearby mountain. This is considered a valid serve, even though the person ran away and refused to accept the papers in his hand. Running away doesn't magically mean he wasn't served.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

@rjonesy @nikitabier Would be nice!

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Many landlords wait too long to file an eviction after a tenant stops paying rent. I get it - you want to give your tenant a chance. But when non-payment becomes a pattern and excuses pile up, delay only costs you more.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

@jayparsons Rent control doesn't fix housing problems in California, either... Rent control is a flawed system that does much more harm than good.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Sources:

https://t.co/hRJChXCYCV

https://t.co/J8frgVhIoe

https://t.co/XSTmQgsNar

https://t.co/d4j7BkNypf

https://t.co/MVP9BBmu5E

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Rent control sounds compassionate. But the evidence shows it creates more problems than it solves.

I've watched California cities and other jurisdictions implement these policies with good intentions, only to make housing less affordable and harder to find. The data backs this up.

A 2024 comprehensive review of rent control literature published in the Journal of Housing Economics found that while rent controls slow rent growth for existing tenants, they lead to "a wide range of adverse effects affecting the whole society." The same study confirmed what economists have known for decades - these policies reduce overall housing supply.

In San Francisco, research from Stanford shows rent control caused landlords to reduce rental housing supply by 15%, which pushed city-wide rents UP by 5.1%. Yes, rent control actually increased rents across the city.

In Catalonia, Spain, a stringent 2020 rent control policy initially reduced average rents, but that effect vanished after just one year due to a 30-32% decline in rental housing supply. Working class properties lost 1 billion euros in value while tenants only gained 8 million euros from reduced rents. That's not a win for anyone.

A 2026 study on St. Paul, Minnesota found that after rent control passed in 2021, average property values fell 4-5.5%. Upper-income renters gained more than lower-income renters, while small landlords lost the same as large landlords. The policy hurt exactly who it was supposed to help.

Recent research on U.S. cities found that restrictive rent control reforms are associated with a 10% reduction in total rental units. When you cap returns, you destroy the incentive to provide housing.

What happens when landlords can't get market returns? They convert rentals to condos. They stop maintaining properties. They exit the market entirely. Supply drops. Rents for uncontrolled units spike. And the people who need housing most get priced out completely.

Market prices aren't arbitrary. They signal where housing is needed, where to build, where to invest. When government overrides those signals with artificial caps, the market doesn't just comply - it contracts.

Want affordable housing? Build more of it. Streamline permitting. Stop punishing landlords for providing a service people need. Create actual supply instead of pretending price controls will magically make scarcity disappear.

Rent control is a policy that is "popular" with politicians but makes housing worse. California needs solutions that work in the real world, not just in press releases.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Like what you read? Follow @DavidPiotrowski for more of the same. Thanks very much!

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

LA has spent over $300 million on Inside Safe, passed a billion-dollar tax increase, and increased funding year after year. So what do we have to show for it?

A report has shown that the total unsheltered population was little changed between December 2024 and January 2026, but rough sleeping has increased by 20%. Rough sleeping (no tent, vehicle or other shelter when sleeping) is at a 4-year high. Rats are swarming encampments. And the people who actually need help are worse off than before.

Rough sleeping is a huge problem. The government isn't solving homelessness. They're just trying to make it harder to see and more dangerous for the people living it. Data shows rough sleepers have worse health outcomes, more substance use issues, fewer phones, less documentation, and less contact with caseworkers than people in tents. So the city removed the visible problem and created a worse one in its place.

Meanwhile, LAPD released footage of rats swarming through encampments near West Olympic Boulevard. Residents and business owners report a frustrating cycle: report to 311, crews clear the area, people return within hours.

Inside Safe moved some people into hotels - but the LA Times found 40% returned to homelessness. The program costs over $300 million and counting.

This is what happens when policies focus on clearing streets instead of actually solving problems. When "sanitation" becomes displacement. When accountability metrics measure tents removed instead of lives changed.

LA voters approved Measure A - a permanent half-percent sales tax increase - expecting results. Instead, they're getting the same dysfunction with a bigger price tag.

We need policies that actually work. Not just programs that look good in press release with cherry-picked data while making the problem worse.

Remember this when you vote. LA's current mayor and city council are not doing a good job. Change is needed.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Source:

https://t.co/JGZJhjy8g3.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Too many California property owners don't know about SB 602. This law could save months of hassle if you ever deal with trespassers, if (and it's a big if), the government would actually enforce this law.

Here's what changed in 2024 with SB 602:

Now you can file a single trespass letter with your local law enforcement agency that's valid for up to 12 months.

Once it's on file, law enforcement can remove trespassers without requiring you to go through a lengthy court-ordered eviction process.

The request can be submitted using a form provided by your local law enforcement agency.

When trespassers show up, every day counts. The longer they're there, the more complicated removal becomes. Having this documentation already on file with law enforcement means faster action when you need it.

This is a tool that gives property owners more options without automatically forcing them into a months-long unlawful detainer case.

If you own property in California, especially in areas where trespassing is a concern, consider filing one of these letters now.

The problem, though, is that law enforcement is regularly treating more trespasser and squatter problems as civil matters. Law enforcement are defaulting to the "we can't help without a court order" response when squatters claim any form of residency or show fake documents. They don't want the potential liability.

So although this law exists, and homeowners should file the "602 letter" with the appropriate law enforcement agency, the bottom line is homeowners are likely to still have to go through the unlawful detainer process due to lack of enforcement.

This law needs to be enforced.

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

Spencer Pratt: "When I am Mayor, I will direct LAPD to treat unauthorized occupants as criminal trespassers. I will partner with the City Attorney for 72-hour expedited removals via streamlined unlawful detainer courts, and we will eliminate the menace of professional squatters."

[David Piotrowski, Esq. @DavidPiotrowski]

@LA_Multi_Fam That's right. Tenant references should only be one (of many) criteria when evaluating a potential new tenant.