Hayward Tenants Sue Corporate Landlords for “Appalling” Habitability Violations

Three tenants are suing RBLC LLC the current owner of 405 Sycamore Street in Hayward, California for systemic neglect and conscious disregard for tenant safety.

HAYWARD, CA, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Three Hayward tenants have filed a civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, against RBPL LLC, 2016 Sycamore Properties LLC, and property managers Marquita Fohl and Rajani Kolli. The lawsuit alleges a systemic and “appalling” failure to provide basic human necessities, citing longstanding habitability defects and multiple violations of the Hayward Residential Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance.

The complaint details a disturbing pattern of severe physical neglect at 405 Sycamore Street. Reported conditions that have allegedly gone unabated include:
• Structural & Plumbing: Sinking floors underneath bathtubs, dry-rotten roofs and balconies, unpermitted and broken water heaters, and chronic, severe plumbing clogs.
• Infestations: Significant and persistent infestations of cockroaches, bedbugs (found within mattresses and carpeting), rodents, flying ants, and beehives inside the living quarters.
• Maintenance & Safety: Inadequate exit facilities, specifically broken patio doors that trap residents or fail to secure the home, old or damaged carpeting, and significant gaps in exterior doors that compromise safety and insulation.


The lawsuit highlights a brazen defiance of regulatory authority. Despite four separate official interventions by the City of Hayward Code Enforcement throughout 2026, RBPL LLC allegedly refused to perform necessary repairs.

Critically, the lawsuit alleges that RBPL LLC continued to demand and collect rent even after the 35-day statutory repair window required by California Civil Code section 1942.4 had expired. Under California law, collecting rent while failing to abate cited substandard conditions is a specific statutory violation.

“The Broderick Brown Law Firm is dedicated to holding corporate landlords accountable when they treat human beings as nothing more than line items on a profit sheet,” said attorney Broderick Brown of FightSlumlords.com. “We refuse to allow landlords to profit from human misery while ignoring the most basic safety requirements of the law. This lawsuit is a clear message: the rights of Hayward tenants are not negotiable.”

The Broderick Brown Law Firm is an Oakland-based legal practice specializing in tenant representation and advocacy. Broderick Brown is committed to protecting residents against negligent property management and ensuring the strict enforcement of California housing laws and local rent ordinances.

Visit FightSlumlords.com for more information.

Broderick Brown
Broderick Brown Law Firm
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