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For Oakland City Attorney’s Office: mediainquiries@oaklandcityattorney.org

Oakland, Calif.  – The Oakland City Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit this week against Maisel Property Management, Inc., the company’s owner, and several rental property owners that Maisel serves. Maisel manages more than 150 residential properties and more than 300 rental units in Oakland. These properties house the elderly, people of color, people with disabilities, people with Oakland Housing Authority subsidies, and other low-income residents.  The lawsuit alleges the defendants have violated tenants’ rights under state and local law and that they are responsible for dangerous and substandard housing conditions.

“My team and I feel strongly that the defendants’ practices have put their tenants and neighboring Oakland residents at serious risk of injury and have increased the risk of their tenants becoming unhoused,” said Oakland City Attorney Ryan Richardson. “My team and I are committed to protecting tenants who may be vulnerable to exploitation and to holding their landlords accountable.”

These properties first came to the attention of the Oakland City Attorney’s Neighborhood Law Corps, which is a unit within the office that works directly with residents to improve their quality of life.  The case was prepared and filed by the office’s Housing Justice Initiative team, which works to promote housing security and housing justice.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants failed to address hazardous conditions on their properties such as lack of hot water, carbon monoxide leaks, faulty electrical systems, fire damage, mold, and pest infestations despite being repeatedly notified by their tenants and by City code-enforcement officials. The lawsuit also alleged that the defendants repeatedly tried to coerce tenants into moving out without making required disclosures to the tenants about their rights.  

The lawsuit alleges the defendants have violated Oakland’s Tenant Protection Ordinance, Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance and Tenant Move Out Agreement Ordinance and created a public nuisance. The City Attorney is asking the court to assess civil penalties against the defendants; award restitution and punitive damages to the affected tenants; require the defendants to surrender all profits earned as a result of their unlawful conduct; and reimburse the City for the costs and fees required to bring this case. The complaint filed by the City Attorney’s Office with the Alameda County Superior Court is available here.

If you are an Oakland tenant who has knowledge of poor conditions, illegal move out negotiations or other housing issues at a property managed by Maisel Property Management Inc. and would like to report it to the City Attorney, please contact the Neighborhood Law Corps:

• Email: LawCorps@oaklandcityattorney.org
• Call: (510) 238-6628

Please include your contact information, the applicable property address(es), and a brief description of the issues.