Do we have any legal recourse for a gossiping landlord who tells certain tenants about other tenant’s personal business?
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Do we have any legal recourse for a gossiping landlord who tells certain tenants about other tenant’s personal business?
We are not to educated on the rights of a landlord to gossip and tell other tenants our personal information. Does the landlord have the right to discuss with other tenants notices given to other tenants? The landlord has shared her opinion with other residents that we complained to the property owner about her. We were inform by one of the tenants that the landlord had prepared a 30 day “get out” notice in retaliation for her thinking that we went to the property owner. We beat her to it by giving notice so we never received it. This sort of stuff seems confidential to me and her actions appear to be an invasion of privacy. I have audio recordings of a tenant admitting that she knows everything that goes on here because the landlord has told her. Do we have any legal recourse?
Asked on July 8, 2012 under Real Estate Law, California
Answers:
Cameron Norris, Esq. / Law Office of Gary W. Norris
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
There is no privacy law specific to the landlord/tenant relationship. That said, you have a general right to privacy that stems from the California State Constitution. You could sue under the State Constitution. The problem here is that there appears to be no damages. So, even if you sued and won, you wouldn't really win any money. You suffered no loss of a job, loss of the apartment, etc. Besides your feelings, there was no concrete harm here. The law does not grant general damages (pain and suffering) for invasion of privacy. I would suggest looking up the landlord and seeing if they have a department of real estate license and complaining the the CA DRE if they do have one. You may also complain with the better business bureau.
Best of luck.
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