A Santa Monica landlord is facing multiple tenant harassment lawsuits over alleged mistreatment of renters in the Pico neighborhood.
In cases filed by individual tenants and the City of Santa Monica, landlord Masoud Atef is accused of discriminating against disabled tenants, renting an illegal unit and failing to comply with the city’s rent control rules.
“Atef has committed tenant harassment, using fraud, intimidation and coercion to influence his tenants to vacate, including by: yelling at his tenants in front of their children; refusing to register tenancies with the Santa Monica Rent Control Board (“Rent Control Board”); hiding the rent-control status of his property from his tenants; serving illegal eviction and rent increase notices; abusing the right to enter; threatening to evict a tenant for not agreeing to a new lease; unlawfully changing tenancy terms; refusing roommate replacement requests; refusing to make necessary repairs; removing housing services and amenities; and retaliating against his tenants for asserting their legal rights,” says the case filed by the City Attorney’s office.
The Santa Monica suit specifies that an immunocompromised tenant in the building made multiple requests to have Atef professionally remediate toxic mold in her unit and temporarily relocate her during the remediation.
The complaint alleges that Atef refused the request and told the tenant that his building is not suitable for tenants with “special conditions,” and that it is “not a wise choice for someone with respiratory issues” or for those who “require special care and attention.”
Atef is also accused of hiding the building’s rent control status from tenants and repeatedly violating rent control rules requiring him to register as a landlord and provide information on the units at his property. According to the City Atef initially claimed an owner exception for the triplex but rented out an illegal fourth unit in violation of the exception rules.
“The complaint against Atef also alleges that he has engaged in harassment against tenants of multiple units at the same property,” said a statement from the city. “This includes Atef demanding tenants move out and threatening to evict tenants when he had no legal basis to do so, demanding entry to units without required notice, yelling at tenants in front of their children, and cutting off access to common areas and facilities in retaliation for tenants exercising their legal rights.”
According to the City Attorney’s Office, Atef’s actions are in direct violation of tenant protections.
“The City Attorney’s Office works diligently to affirmatively further fair housing in our city,” Deputy City Attorney Denise McGranahan said. “Our goal is to protect all tenants in our city and eliminate discriminatory practices through education and litigation, if necessary.”
Two of Atef’s former tenants, who allege they moved out because of the harassment, have filed their own lawsuit and both cases are being heard by the same judge.
The city’s lawsuit seeks a court order that Atef refrain from future harassment and discrimination, receive training in fair housing and landlord-tenant laws, grant the disabled tenant’s reasonable accommodations request, and restore housing services taken away from the tenant. The suit also seeks to recover monetary damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and other relief.
Atef said he was aware of the lawsuit, but could not comment without advice from his attorney.
matt@smdp.com