Legal Terms

Terms of Use

Terms governing access to CLAA websites, records, and public systems.

California Landlord Accountability Authority

Effective Date: July 13, 2026

Last Updated: July 13, 2026

1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

These Terms of Use and Public Records Terms (“Terms”) govern access to and use of websites, portals, complaint systems, evidence submission systems, public accountability records, case-status tools, correction systems, responsible-party response systems, educational materials, advocacy resources, and other online services operated by or on behalf of California Landlord Accountability Authority.

By accessing or using a CLAA website or system, submitting information, filing a complaint, uploading evidence, requesting case status, searching public accountability records, submitting a correction request, submitting a responsible-party response, or using another CLAA service, you agree to these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use CLAA’s online systems.

Certain fee-based services, contracts, training programs, consulting services, or other offerings may be governed by additional written agreements.

2. CLAA ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

“CLAA” may refer collectively to California Landlord Accountability Authority and the applicable affiliated operation involved in a particular service or activity.

CLAA operations include:

California Landlord Accountability Authority — the parent nonprofit organization responsible for overall mission, public advocacy, policy development, tenant rights education, community outreach, and organizational oversight.

California Landlord Accountability Authority Action Fund — the social welfare and advocacy arm responsible for legislative advocacy, lobbying, community organizing, political and public-policy initiatives, and advocacy-related funding.

California Landlord Accountability Authority Services LLC — the commercial and fee-based services arm responsible for consulting, training, landlord compliance programs, contracts, billing, and paid services.

California Landlord Accountability Enforcement — the complaint, investigation, documentation, referral, and accountability arm responsible for receiving tenant complaints, reviewing landlord and property matters, maintaining complaint and accountability records, coordinating appropriate referrals, and conducting non-governmental accountability activities.

The applicable CLAA entity or operation may depend on the nature of your interaction.

3. CLAA IS NOT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY

California Landlord Accountability Authority is an independent landlord accountability and tenant advocacy organization.

CLAA is not a governmental agency, court, law-enforcement agency, building department, code-enforcement agency, licensing board, or statutory regulatory authority.

CLAA does not issue governmental citations, criminal charges, court judgments, government permits, or governmental administrative orders.

The use of terms such as “enforcement,” “investigation,” “case,” “complaint,” “accountability record,” “review,” “notice,” “finding,” or similar terminology refers to CLAA’s private, organizational, advocacy, documentation, referral, or accountability functions unless a record expressly identifies a determination made by a governmental body, court, or other third party.

CLAA may investigate matters, document complaints, communicate with responsible parties, preserve evidence, publish approved public accountability information, and refer matters to entities that possess governmental, regulatory, legal, or enforcement authority.

4. NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

CLAA is not a law firm.

Use of CLAA’s website, complaint systems, educational materials, public records, forms, communications, or referral services does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and CLAA.

Information provided by CLAA is not a substitute for individualized legal advice from a licensed attorney.

CLAA may refer a matter to an attorney or law firm. An attorney-client relationship exists only if the attorney or law firm separately agrees to represent you.

CLAA does not guarantee that an attorney will accept a referral.

5. NO GUARANTEE OF GOVERNMENT ACTION OR LEGAL OUTCOME

Submitting a complaint to CLAA does not constitute filing a complaint with a government agency, court, law-enforcement agency, or regulatory body.

Unless CLAA expressly confirms that a referral was transmitted, you should not assume CLAA has notified any government agency or third party.

CLAA does not guarantee:

Investigation by a government agency;
Inspection of a property;
Issuance of a citation;
Government enforcement;
Criminal investigation;
Attorney representation;
Filing of a lawsuit;
Recovery of money;
Rent reduction;
Relocation assistance;
Eviction prevention;
Correction of property conditions; or
Any particular legal, administrative, or governmental result.

Users remain responsible for complying with applicable filing deadlines, statutes of limitation, court deadlines, administrative requirements, and emergency reporting obligations.

6. EMERGENCIES AND IMMEDIATE DANGER

CLAA’s website and complaint systems are not emergency services.

Do not rely on CLAA to obtain immediate emergency assistance.

If you believe there is an immediate threat to life, fire, violence, serious injury, or another emergency, contact the appropriate emergency service or governmental authority.

Submitting a complaint to CLAA does not replace emergency reporting.

7. AGE REQUIREMENT

You must be at least 18 years old to independently submit a complaint, evidence, correction request, responsible-party response, or other sensitive information through CLAA’s online systems.

A parent, legal guardian, attorney, authorized representative, or other legally appropriate adult may submit information concerning a minor where appropriate.

8. COMPLAINT SUBMISSIONS

When submitting a complaint, you agree to provide information that you reasonably believe is truthful and accurate.

You may report events, conditions, conduct, statements, or circumstances based on your personal knowledge, documents, communications, observations, or other information reasonably available to you.

You must distinguish, where reasonably possible, between:

Matters you personally observed;
Statements made to you by another person;
Information contained in a document or record;
Your opinion or belief; and
Information you have not independently verified.

CLAA may request additional documentation, clarification, identity verification, or authority to act on behalf of another person.

Submission of a complaint does not guarantee investigation, verification, referral, publication, or other action.

9. FALSE, FRAUDULENT, OR MANIPULATED SUBMISSIONS

You may not knowingly submit materially false information to CLAA.

You may not:

Fabricate a complaint;
Knowingly identify an unrelated person or company as a responsible party;
Submit altered evidence without disclosing the alteration;
Create or submit fabricated documents;
Impersonate another person;
Falsely claim authority to act for another person;
Submit AI-generated material as authentic photographic, audio, documentary, or eyewitness evidence without clearly identifying its artificial or altered nature;
Manipulate metadata or records for the purpose of misleading CLAA;
Use CLAA systems to harass, threaten, extort, stalk, or unlawfully retaliate against another person; or
Knowingly interfere with a CLAA investigation or review.

CLAA may restrict system access, preserve records, reject submissions, annotate records, or refer suspected unlawful conduct to an appropriate entity.

10. EVIDENCE SUBMISSIONS

CLAA may accept photographs, videos, audio, PDFs, inspection reports, medical records, court documents, emails, text messages, correspondence, public records, financial documents, government identification documents, and other materials.

By submitting evidence, you represent that:

You have the lawful right or a reasonable lawful basis to submit the material;
You are not knowingly submitting fabricated evidence;
You will disclose material alterations known to you;
The submission is reasonably related to the complaint, case, correction, or response; and
Your submission does not knowingly violate a court order or other legally binding restriction.

CLAA may preserve the original submitted file, filename, upload information, timestamps, metadata available to CLAA, and internal evidence records.

CLAA may create working copies, redacted copies, thumbnails, extracts, summaries, or other review versions.

11. MEDICAL AND SENSITIVE EVIDENCE

Users should submit medical records, disability information, government identification, financial information, or information concerning minors only when reasonably relevant.

Submission of sensitive evidence does not authorize automatic public publication.

CLAA may restrict, redact, summarize, or withhold sensitive material.

CLAA is not a healthcare provider merely because medical information is submitted as evidence.

12. LICENSE TO USE SUBMITTED MATERIAL

You retain any ownership rights you may have in material you submit.

By submitting information or material to CLAA, you grant CLAA a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, reproduce, preserve, review, analyze, redact, summarize, format, internally distribute, and otherwise use the material for CLAA’s complaint, investigation, documentation, accountability, advocacy, referral, correction, response, security, and legal purposes.

Where reasonably related to the matter, this license includes use in communications or referrals to attorneys, inspectors, government agencies, law-enforcement agencies, licensing bodies, regulatory entities, advocacy organizations, experts, consultants, or other appropriate recipients.

This provision does not mean CLAA may automatically publish your private medical records, government identification, private contact information, or restricted evidence publicly.

Public publication is governed by CLAA’s public-record practices and Privacy Policy.

13. PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY RECORDS

CLAA may maintain public accountability records concerning properties, landlords, owners, LLCs, companies, organizations, property managers, responsible parties, complaints, referrals, and related matters.

Public records may include approved public-safe information such as:

Property information;
Property addresses;
APNs;
Property reference numbers;
Landlord or responsible-party names;
Business or organization names;
Party reference numbers;
Complaint numbers;
Complaint categories;
Dates received;
Administrative status;
Verification classification;
Public-safe summaries;
Reported health or life-safety classifications;
Approved corrections;
Approved responsible-party responses; and
Appropriately attributed governmental, court, inspection, or regulatory findings.

14. SUBMITTED REPORTS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY FINDINGS

CLAA distinguishes between a submitted allegation or report and information that has undergone additional review.

A complaint identified as:

Submitted, Unreviewed Report, or similar language has not been presented by CLAA as a verified finding.

CLAA may use classifications reflecting intake, review, documentation, corroboration, referral, verification, or other administrative stages.

A label identifying a Reported Health / Life-Safety Concern describes the nature or priority of a reported matter. The label is not, by itself, a CLAA finding that the reported condition has been proven.

Users must read the status and verification labels accompanying a record.

15. THIRD-PARTY GOVERNMENTAL OR OFFICIAL FINDINGS

CLAA may publish or summarize findings, reports, orders, citations, inspection results, court records, public records, or determinations originating from third parties.

Where reasonably appropriate, CLAA may identify the source or nature of the third-party record.

CLAA does not claim authorship of a government agency’s determination merely because CLAA displays, references, or summarizes it.

16. PUBLIC RECORD SEARCH USE

CLAA’s public search tools are provided for accountability, education, research, tenant awareness, responsible-party review, and other lawful purposes.

You may not use CLAA’s systems to:

Stalk or threaten another person;
Commit identity theft;
Conduct unlawful discrimination;
Circumvent legal restrictions on personal information;
Scrape or harvest information through unauthorized automated systems;
Overload or disrupt CLAA systems;
Create a competing bulk database by systematically extracting CLAA records;
Misrepresent CLAA data as your own governmental database; or
Remove status, verification, source, or contextual labels in a manner intended to materially misrepresent a CLAA record.

17. RECORD ACCURACY

CLAA seeks to maintain accurate accountability records, but records may contain information submitted by third parties, historical information, incomplete information, pending information, or information awaiting review.

CLAA does not warrant that every public record is complete or free from error.

The existence of a record does not establish liability.

Users should consider the status, verification classification, source, date, and context of information.

18. REQUESTS FOR CORRECTION

A person who believes a CLAA record contains a factual error may submit a correction request.

Correction requests may be submitted through CLAA’s designated correction system or to:

corrections@californialaa.org

A correction request should identify:

The specific CLAA record;
The disputed information;
The reason the information is allegedly inaccurate;
The requested correction; and
Supporting documentation.

CLAA may approve, deny, partially approve, annotate, or request additional evidence concerning a correction request.

CLAA may preserve correction history.

A disagreement with a complaint, allegation, opinion, characterization, or submitted report does not automatically establish factual inaccuracy.

19. RESPONSIBLE-PARTY PUBLIC RESPONSES

A landlord, owner, property manager, LLC, company, organization, or other identified responsible party may submit a response concerning a public accountability record.

Responses may be submitted through CLAA’s designated response system or to:

responses@californialaa.org

Responses are limited to 1,500 words unless CLAA authorizes otherwise.

Supporting documentation should be submitted separately.

A response is not automatically published.

CLAA may review, redact, return for revision, reject, summarize, or approve a response.

CLAA may refuse to publish content containing unnecessary personal information, medical information, threats, harassment, discriminatory content, unrelated allegations, or material presenting an unreasonable privacy, safety, or legal concern.

Publication of a response does not mean CLAA endorses the response.

Submission or publication of a response does not automatically remove, correct, invalidate, or suppress the underlying record.

20. CLAA EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION DISCRETION

Subject to applicable law, CLAA retains editorial and administrative discretion concerning its own public accountability systems.

CLAA may determine:

Whether information is appropriate for public display;
The public-safe wording of a summary;
Whether evidence requires redaction;
The classification or status displayed;
Whether additional review is necessary;
Whether a responsible-party response is suitable for publication;
Whether a correction annotation is appropriate;
Whether a record should be temporarily restricted during review; and
How information is organized or presented.

Nothing in these Terms requires CLAA to publish every submission it receives.

21. RECORD PRESERVATION AND RETENTION

CLAA may retain complaint, case, evidence, property, party, correction, response, referral, and accountability records indefinitely.

CLAA may preserve records to document historical conditions, complaint patterns, property histories, responsible-party relationships, evidence histories, correction disputes, referrals, or legal matters.

Deletion of a user account, communication, or submission request does not automatically require destruction of complaint, evidence, investigation, or accountability records.

Retention is further addressed in CLAA’s Privacy Policy.

22. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

CLAA’s original website content, branding, logos, database organization, public-record presentation, original written materials, training materials, graphics, and other original content may be protected by intellectual property laws.

Except where permitted by law, you may not reproduce, sell, commercially exploit, falsely attribute, or create an unauthorized competing reproduction of CLAA’s proprietary content or systems.

These Terms do not restrict lawful use of underlying government records, court records, or other public-domain material merely because CLAA references such material.

23. TRADEMARKS AND ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY

California Landlord Accountability Authority, CLAA branding, affiliated program names, logos, and other source-identifying marks may not be used in a manner that falsely suggests endorsement, affiliation, government authority, or authorization.

You may not impersonate CLAA or create a website, notice, communication, badge, document, or account designed to cause another person to believe it was officially issued by CLAA when it was not.

24. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES

CLAA may provide links or referrals to third-party websites, government agencies, attorneys, organizations, or service providers.

CLAA does not control third-party websites or independently guarantee their services.

A link, listing, or referral does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

25. FEE-BASED SERVICES

Certain consulting, training, compliance, contractual, or other commercial services may be offered through California Landlord Accountability Authority Services LLC.

Additional contracts, payment terms, refund terms, service limitations, or other conditions may apply.

Where a separate written agreement conflicts with these Terms concerning a specific paid service, the separate written agreement controls to the extent of the conflict.

26. ADVOCACY AND ACTION FUND ACTIVITIES

Advocacy, lobbying, organizing, political, or public-policy activities may be conducted through California Landlord Accountability Authority Action Fund where appropriate.

Complaint submission does not guarantee that an individual matter will become the subject of a legislative, lobbying, organizing, or political campaign.

Donations or advocacy contributions do not purchase a complaint outcome, investigation result, verification classification, public-record decision, or enforcement action.

27. SUSPENSION OR RESTRICTION OF ACCESS

CLAA may restrict or suspend access to its systems where reasonably necessary to address:

Fraud;
Security threats;
Harassment;
Threats;
System abuse;
Unauthorized automated access;
False impersonation;
Evidence manipulation;
Repeated materially false submissions;
Attempts to compromise CLAA records; or
Other misuse of CLAA systems.

CLAA may preserve records relating to suspected misuse.

28. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CLAA’S WEBSITES, PUBLIC SEARCH SYSTEMS, COMPLAINT SYSTEMS, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, AND ONLINE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS.

CLAA DOES NOT WARRANT THAT:

THE WEBSITE WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE;
THE SYSTEM WILL BE ERROR-FREE;
EVERY RECORD WILL BE COMPLETE;
EVERY COMPLAINT WILL BE INVESTIGATED;
EVERY SUBMISSION WILL BE PUBLISHED;
EVERY REFERRAL WILL BE ACCEPTED;
A GOVERNMENT AGENCY WILL TAKE ACTION; OR
USE OF CLAA’S SERVICES WILL PRODUCE A PARTICULAR OUTCOME.

Nothing in this section excludes warranties that cannot lawfully be excluded.

29. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CLAA AND ITS APPLICABLE AFFILIATED OPERATIONS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, PERSONNEL, CONTRACTORS, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE CLAA’S ONLINE SYSTEMS.

CLAA is not responsible for a user’s failure to independently meet a legal, court, administrative, emergency, or statutory deadline.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot legally be limited or excluded.

30. INDEMNIFICATION

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CLAA and its applicable affiliated operations from third-party claims arising directly from your:

Knowing submission of fabricated evidence;
Knowing material misrepresentation;
Unlawful impersonation;
Unauthorized submission of material in violation of a binding legal restriction;
Unlawful use of CLAA systems; or
Material violation of these Terms.

This provision does not require a consumer to indemnify CLAA for CLAA’s own conduct where such indemnification is prohibited by law.

31. DISPUTE NOTICE BEFORE FORMAL PROCEEDINGS

Before initiating arbitration or civil litigation concerning these Terms or use of CLAA’s online services, the complaining party should provide CLAA with written notice describing the dispute and requested resolution.

Notice may be sent to:

legal@californialaa.org

The parties should make a reasonable good-faith effort to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days after receipt of the notice.

This section does not prevent a party from seeking emergency injunctive relief where legally appropriate or taking action necessary to preserve a claim before an applicable deadline.

32. BINDING ARBITRATION

Except where prohibited by applicable law or where a claim is properly brought in small claims court, disputes arising from these Terms or use of CLAA’s online services that are not resolved through the informal dispute process shall be resolved by binding arbitration on an individual basis.

The arbitration shall be administered by a mutually agreed arbitration administrator. If the parties cannot agree, the administrator shall be selected in accordance with applicable law or by a court of competent jurisdiction where necessary.

The arbitrator shall have authority to award relief available under applicable law.

Arbitration fees and costs shall be allocated in accordance with applicable law and the rules of the selected arbitration administrator. Nothing in these Terms requires a consumer to pay fees or costs that CLAA is legally required to pay.

No consumer shall be required by these Terms to pay an opposing party’s arbitration fees or costs merely because the consumer does not prevail where prohibited by applicable law. California Code of Civil Procedure section 1284.3 expressly restricts such consumer arbitration fee arrangements.

The arbitration agreement is intended to be enforced only where a valid agreement to arbitrate exists. Arbitration is contractual, and California courts continue to require proof of mutual consent to the arbitration agreement.

33. INDIVIDUAL PROCEEDINGS

To the extent permitted by applicable law, arbitration shall proceed on an individual basis.

Neither party shall seek to arbitrate claims as a class representative or member of a class in arbitration unless the parties separately agree or applicable law requires otherwise.

If a court determines that a particular claim or requested remedy cannot lawfully be subjected to individual arbitration, that claim or remedy shall proceed in the appropriate court to the extent required by law.

34. SMALL CLAIMS COURT

Nothing in the arbitration section prevents either party from bringing an eligible individual claim in a court of competent small claims jurisdiction.

35. GOVERNING LAW

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where federal law controls.

For disputes not subject to arbitration, venue shall lie in a court of competent jurisdiction in California, subject to applicable law.

36. SEVERABILITY

If a provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law or severed where appropriate.

The remaining provisions shall remain in effect unless applicable law requires otherwise.

37. NO WAIVER

CLAA’s failure to enforce a provision of these Terms does not waive the right to enforce that provision later.

38. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

CLAA may update these Terms to reflect changes in law, organizational structure, technology, complaint systems, public-record systems, or CLAA operations.

The “Last Updated” date identifies the most recent revision.

Where required by applicable law, CLAA will provide additional notice or obtain additional agreement concerning material changes.

39. CONTACT INFORMATION

General Information:

info@californialaa.org

Privacy:

privacy@californialaa.org

Corrections:

corrections@californialaa.org

Responsible-Party Responses:

responses@californialaa.org

Complaints: