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My landlord was a roommate and sublet his bedroom to another person. The landlord never moved out but sleeps in the front room.

Asked over 2 years ago - San Francisco, CA

I live in a 3 bedroom flat owned by a person who was my roommate for about 7 months. He rented his bedroom to another person for the last 9 months. The landlord stays most nights out of the apartment, but has a key, enters at will and sleeps in the living room at least 1-2 nights a week. He also has not removed his things from the living spaces, and created a private space in a walk in closet for personal belongings. I feel like I should have a rent reduction for now living with additional roommates, he says he never intended to move out and he can live here for free.

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Thanks Steven for the input, but I feel the focus of this issue is not necessarily that he uses the living room for personal and sleeping space (on my couch by the way), but that he moved in a forth roommate and did not reduce my rent. So I don't have exclusive use of the living room, but I moved into a situation paying x$ to live with 2 roommates, and now I live with 3, without a proportional change in rent. This seems illegal to me.

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Attorney answers (1)

Steven Alan Fink

Reputation Level 20

Answered over 2 years ago. Real Estate Attorney in Newport Beach, CA.

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Unless your lease gives you exclusive use of the living room and prohibits the storage of his things in the living spaces, you are out of luck. You can move out when your lease is up

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