City Attorney Sues Landlords Over Illegal Living Conditions

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The Office of San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu issued a press release on May 26 detailing a lawsuit against Naim and Sana Jamali for renting illegal and unsafe apartments in a building on Randolph Street in Ingleside Heights.

The Jamalis had been renting out at least 13 commercial spaces and windowless basement rooms as “proper” residential apartments to immigrant tenants for several years for thousands of dollars a month, according to the City Attorney. The 22-unit building at 333 Randolph St. was originally permitted for four residential units and 18 commercial storage units in the basement.

It was also noted how the landlords violated several housing and building codes including lack of adequate fire escape routes, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and code-compliant wiring. As well as structural hazards, unpermitted kitchens and bathrooms and unsuitable waste and vent piping.

“We have a regular who lives there and has told us that it's dirty in there," said Emily West, an employee at Blue House Cafe, which is located across the street. "I think our community deserves safe and healthy housing."

The lawsuit against the Jamali’s by the City alleges that they violated state housing laws, several municipal codes and California’s Unfair Competition Law along with having created a public nuisance and profiting off of their tenants who were living in the illegal and unsafe units.

The city attorney is also seeking penalties, fees and court-ordered relief to cure the violations at the property as detailed in the report.

In the past, several tenants have sued the Jamalis over living conditions with some alleging that the owners targeted immigrants that were not as proficient with the English language, according to the news release.

"This property has been a tragedy waiting to happen,” Chiu said in a statement. “It is the height of greed to profit off of conditions that put tenants in significant harm’s way. These landlords are savvy operators, who have managed to slow roll critical repairs for years. It is time they make things right for their tenants.”