In a bold move, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against Southern California real estate mogul Mike Nijjar and his family businesses, alleging severe violations of housing and tenant laws.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and claims that Nijjar and his family companies have subjected tenants to unsanitary living conditions, including vermin infestations and overflowing sewage systems.
Additionally, they are accused of overcharging tenants and violating numerous anti-discrimination laws.
According to Bonta, Nijjar stands among California’s largest landlords, managing multibillion-dollar holdings across the state.
His family-owned companies, better known as PAMA Management, oversee 22,000 rental units predominantly located in low-income areas of Southern California.
This lawsuit follows an extensive two-year investigation conducted by the California Department of Justice, which looked into Nijjar’s vast real estate operations.
Bonta stated, “PAMA and the companies owned by Mike Nijjar and his family are notorious for their rampant, slum-like conditions — some so bad that residents have suffered tragic results.”
The investigation revealed that PAMA has exploited vulnerable families, consistently refusing to invest necessary resources to resolve issues such as pest infestations, dilapidated roofs, and faulty plumbing systems.
Moreover, Bonta claims the company misled tenants regarding their legal rights to pursue action against landlords to demand repairs.
The attorney general is seeking several forms of relief through the lawsuit, including penalties for Nijjar and his business entities, restitution for affected tenants, the return of ill-gotten earnings, and court orders to prohibit PAMA from continuing its alleged illegal practices.
In response to the lawsuit, a representative for Nijjar vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as false and misleading.
Attorney Stephen Larson stated, “We look forward to demonstrating in court that Mr. Nijjar and his companies are not only compliant with the law but they provide an extraordinary service to housing those disadvantaged and underserved by California’s public and private housing markets.”
Nijjar’s real estate holdings have long caught the attention of authorities.
A 2020 investigation by LAist highlighted dangerously poor living conditions in Nijjar’s properties extending over several years, including a tragic fire at a mobile home owned by PAMA in Kern County that led to the death of an infant.
This mobile home, reportedly not approved for human habitation, has been a focal point of criticism against Nijjar’s management practices.
In 2022, The Times published reports on Chesapeake Apartments, a massive 425-unit complex in South L.A.
Tenants there complained of frequent sewage issues, persistent mold growth, pest infestations, and poor repair responses from management.
Over the past five years, Chesapeake accumulated the highest number of public health violations among all residential properties in Los Angeles County, according to an analysis by The Times.
Previous attempts to hold Nijjar accountable have produced mixed results.
After the tragic 2016 fire in Kern County, which claimed the life of an infant, the California Department of Real Estate revoked the licenses connected to Nijjar’s then-company.
In an apparent strategy to evade further scrutiny, Nijjar and his family reorganized their business structure soon after.
The Los Angeles city attorney’s office reached a settlement regarding a nuisance abatement complaint against PAMA concerning Chesapeake in 2018, but serious habitability issues reportedly emerged again shortly thereafter.
In a similar vein, another case filed by the city attorney’s office against a PAMA property in Hollywood has lingered in litigation for over three years.
Meanwhile, Nijjar’s businesses have settled several habitability lawsuits brought by tenants.
Bonta emphasized that PAMA has capitalized on a lack of comprehensive accountability measures and the vulnerability of its low-income tenants.
Many residents live on low or fixed incomes, leaving them with limited choices but to tolerate the inadequate and unhealthy conditions in their homes.
The lawsuit asserts that the habitability problems at PAMA-managed properties stem from recurring business practices that favor cheap fixes over needed maintenance investments.
The use of unskilled laborers, insufficient staff training, and a failure to address tenant requests are also cited as contributing factors.
According to Bonta, “Nijjar and his associates have treated lawsuit after lawsuit and code violation after code violation as the cost of doing business… Enough is enough.”
The lawsuit not only highlights tenants’ poor living conditions but also alleges that Nijjar and PAMA have engaged in deceptive leasing practices and discriminated against tenants relying on public assistance programs.
It is claimed that PAMA’s leases seek to negate rights guaranteed by law, such as the ability to sue for repairs not conducted by the landlord.
For Section 8 voucher holders, PAMA allegedly informed them that no units were available while simultaneously renting to those without vouchers, the complaint asserts.
Further accusations within the lawsuit claim that PAMA has violated California’s rent control laws on over 2,000 occasions.
This law restricts annual rent increases to 5% plus inflation in most residential properties.
The lawsuit states that PAMA shifted the burden of mandatory shared utility costs, previously covered by the landlord, onto tenants in a bid to skirt around the rent cap laws.
As a consequence of these additional utility charges and rent hikes, some tenants faced total increases of up to 20%, significantly exceeding the legal limit.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2025-06-12/state-sues-socal-real-estate-tycoon-alleging-widespread-tenant-exploitation
