HARASSMENT BY FREQUENT APARTMENT INSPECTIONS

[OKIEDOC]

California-Recently, our apartment complex was given over to new management. 90% of the apartment complex is Hispanic and many speak Spanish only. The new management since take over two months ago has already done 3 walk thru inspections of apartments. Yesterday the manager and a stranger came to do a 4th walk thru and I denied her entrance to my apartment. She informed me that her management had mandated that walk thru inspections be done every 30 days. This company manages so they advertise 27,000 units in California. My question is this, are the frequent inspections a form of discrimination against what some might call a subordinate class of clientele. Apartment renters should be entitled to a certain amount of privacy without have strangers walk thru their unit every month. What can I do to stop this frequency of inspection? Can I take these folks to small claims court for harassment? A complex employee told me today that the manager had contacted her management about trying to evict me if I carried forth with my complaint about the inspections being a form of discrimination.

You could file a complaint with your state dept of housing.
IN our state that frequency would not be allowed without some very good reason--and indeed it could appear discriminatory or harassing.

Some series of inspections would be required by a new management team to determine what maintenance issues need addressed, what violations need to be corrected, etc. (Basically, to find out what was overlooked by the last management and fix it.) I would cooperate with these inspections at first. But once these initial inspections are completed, there should be no need for continued monthly inspections. If their policy is to inspect monthly, I would send them a notice of abuse of LL right of entry and violation of your rights to privacy and the peaceful enjoyment of your unit. Send it to them by certified mail, rrr, and keep a copy. Also send a copy of this complaint as stated by the last poster to the housing department.