What are my rights if my California rental is uninhabitable?

Every residential lease in California carries an implied warranty of habitability that no lease clause can waive. Civil Code section 1941.1 lists the floor: effective waterproofing, working plumbing with hot and cold water, heating, electricity, clean grounds free of vermin, functioning locks, and more; Health and Safety Code section 17920.3 adds housing-standard violations. When a landlord fails to repair serious defects after notice and a reasonable time — presumed 30 days, less in emergencies — tenants have layered remedies: repair the defect and deduct up to one month's rent, no more than twice in 12 months (Civil Code section 1942); vacate and treat the lease as terminated; report to code enforcement; or raise the breach as a defense and rent-reduction theory in any eviction case (Green v. Superior Court (1974) 10 Cal.3d 616). Retaliation — eviction, rent hikes, or service cuts within 180 days of a complaint — is prohibited by Civil Code section 1942.5 and carries statutory penalties.

Authority: Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1