CACI 4325 Affirmative Defense—Failure to Comply With Rent Control Ordinance/Tenant Protection Act

California Civil Jury Instructions CACI

4325 Affirmative Defense—Failure to Comply With Rent Control Ordinance/Tenant Protection Act

[Name of defendant] claims that [name of plaintiff] is not entitled to evict [him/her/nonbinary pronoun] because [name of plaintiff] violated [[insert name of local governmental entity]’s rent control law]/[the Tenant Protection Act]. To succeed on this defense, [name of defendant] must prove the following:

[Insert elements of rent control defense.]

Directions for Use

Insert the elements of the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 and/or the relevant local rent control law into this instruction.

Sources and Authority

•Tenant Protection Act of 2019. Civil Code section 1946.2.

•“[T]he statutory remedies for recovery of possession and of unpaid rent do not preclude a defense based on municipal rent control legislation enacted pursuant to the police power imposing rent ceilings and limiting the grounds for eviction for the purpose of enforcing those rent ceilings.” (Birkenfeld v. Berkeley (1976) 17 Cal.3d 129, 149 [130 Cal.Rptr. 465, 550 P.2d 1001], internal citations and footnote omitted.)

•“Although municipalities have power to enact ordinances creating substantive defenses to eviction, such legislation is invalid to the extent it conflicts with general state law.” (Fisher v. City of Berkeley (1984) 37 Cal.3d 644, 697 [209 Cal.Rptr. 682, 693 P.2d 261], internal citations omitted.)

Secondary Sources

12 Witkin, Summary of California Law (11th ed. 2017) Real Property, § 618
1 California Landlord-Tenant Practice (Cont.Ed.Bar 2d ed.) §§ 7.53–7.76
2 California Eviction Defense Manual (Cont.Ed.Bar 2d ed.) Ch. 17
7 California Real Estate Law and Practice, Ch. 200, Termination: Causes and Procedures, § 200.21 (Matthew Bender)
7 California Real Estate Law and Practice, Ch. 210, Unlawful Detainer, § 210.64 (Matthew Bender)
Matthew Bender Practice Guide: California Landlord-Tenant Litigation, Ch. 5, Unlawful Detainer, 5.21
29 California Forms of Pleading and Practice, Ch. 332, Landlord and Tenant: The Tenancy Actions, § 332.28 (Matthew Bender)
29 California Forms of Pleading and Practice, Ch. 333, Landlord and Tenant: Eviction Actions, § 333.10 (Matthew Bender)
23 California Points and Authorities, Ch. 236, Unlawful Detainer, § 236.74 (Matthew Bender)
Miller & Starr California Real Estate 4th, §§ 34:204, 34:256 (Thomson Reuters)

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