Rental Properties
A Pro-Landlord Councilmember
As a landlord and one who has received contributions from the California Apartment Association, a landlord lobbying group, and others representing large property owners, it’s not surprising that his voting record has favored landlords over tenants. As a Councilmember Raj has:
- Voted against my referral on establishing rent stabilization measures in Fremont.
- Based on a recommendation from a landlord lobbying group (Rental Housing Association), voted against changes to the Fremont rental ordinance. Instead, he simply replicated the demands of the speaker from the landlord lobbying group to remove four of the nine staff-recommended changes.
- Voted to end that eviction moratorium in Fremont. When the County moratorium ended in April 2023, Salwan field seven eviction cases between May and August 2023. (In 2020, he received over $100,000 in federal PPP loans during the pandemic which were fully forgiven.)
It is a conflict of interest to allow Raj Salwan to vote on anything related to rental ordinances in Fremont as he has a direct financial interest in advocating for landlord-friendly policies.
Sued by Tenants Over Property Conditions
Salwan has been sued by tenants multiple times over unsafe and unsanitary conditions at his properties. We identified eight law suits by Salwan’s residential tenants complaining about the following. A list of the lawsuits we found out about are at the bottom of this page.
- Failure to maintain adequate fire prevention measures and working smoke detectors
- Insect infestations
- Rodent infestations
- Water leaks
- Lack of heat
- Lack of hot water
- Mold and mildew contamination
- Structural issues
- Defective locks
- Defective roofing and siding
- Lead contamination
- Inoperable windows
- Inoperable appliances
- Chipped and peeling paint
- Dilapidated flooring
- Harassment, intimidation, rent increases, and eviction in retaliation for complaints
Raj Owns Over 200 Rental Units
Raj earns hundreds of thousands from his vast holdings of apartment buildings. You would think he could afford to maintain them so that his tenants would be able to live in a safe, pleasant, and sanitary environment. Sadly, his properties are full of hazardous conditions, trash, overgrown weeds, and other unsafe conditions.
Below are some images we’ve gathered from some of his properties.
Are these places that you would want to bring up your children?
Lawsuits by Tenants Involving Raj Salwan
- Alhemiari v. Salwan, case no. HG08419922 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on November 12, 2008)In 2008, Salwan – alongside his parents and his wife – were sued for negligence regarding their ownership of an apartment in San Leandro. The complaint alleges the Salwans failed to have adequate fire-prevention mechanisms in place, and failed to have working smoke detectors, leading to a resident suffering severe burns.
The Salwans paid $12,000 to settle the case in 2011.
1. Alhemiari v. Salwan,
case no. HG08419922 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on November 12, 2008)
In 2008, Salwan – alongside his parents and his wife – were sued for negligence regarding their ownership of an apartment in San Leandro. The complaint alleges the Salwans failed to have adequate fire-prevention mechanisms in place, and failed to have working smoke detectors, leading to a resident suffering severe burns.
The Salwans paid $12,000 to settle the case in 2011.
2. Contreras v. Sharma,
case no. HG16822076 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on July 5, 2016).
Salwan and his parents were among eight defendants in this case, in which the plaintiff sought $178,540 in relation to an apartment fire in Hayward as a result of alleged improper maintenance and failure to comply with fire code, which led to the plaintiff allegedly experiencing homelessness and suffering emotional distress and injury to her personal belongings and health.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2018, meaning it could not be retried, and likely indicating the parties settled out of court.
3. Cherif v. Salwan,
case no. RG17867531 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on July 13, 2017)
Salwan and his father were defendants in this case, in which the plaintiff alleged they rented an apartment in San Leandro from the Salwans that included: [B]ed bug and/or unidentified insect infestation; water leaks and intrusion; substantial visible and hidden mold and mildew contamination; dampness within habitable living spaces; defective locks; defective roof and ceiling; defective exterior siding; and lead contamination. Furthermore, the plaintiffs claimed that when they raised concerns with the Salwans, they were harassed, intimidated, and denied repairs, and eventually evicted.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2019, meaning it could not be retried, and likely indicating the parties settled out of court.
4. Mendoza v. Salwan
case no. RG19016334 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on September 10, 2018)
Salwan and his father were defendants in this case, in which the plaintiff alleged they rented an apartment in Hayward from the Salwans that included: a) Water intrusion; b) Excessive moisture; c) Mold; d) Cockroach infestation; e) Rodent infestation; f) Lack of heat; g) Inoperable windows; h) Inadequate weatherproofing of windows; i) Inoperable appliances; and j) Chipped and peeling paint. Furthermore, the plaintiffs claimed that when they raised concerns with the Salwans, their rent was increased from $1,100 to $1,500.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2019, meaning it could not be retried, and likely indicating the parties settled out of court.
5. Pulido v. Salwan,
case no. RG18920618 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on September 4, 2018)
Salwan and his father were defendants in this case, in which the plaintiff alleged they rented an apartment in Hayward from the Salwans that included: a) Water intrusion; b) Excessive moisture; c) Mold; d) Cockroach infestation; e) Inadequate weatherproofing of windows; f) Intermittent lack of hot water issues; g) Unfinished and dilapidated flooring; and h) Chipped and peeling paint. Furthermore, the plaintiffs claimed when they raised concerns with the Salwans, wereretaliated against through refusal to make repairs and attempted to recover the premises.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2019, meaning it could not be retried, and likely indicating the parties settled out of court.
6. Martinez v. Salwan,
case no. HG10501095 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on February 26, 2020)
Salwan and his father were defendants in this case, in which the plaintiff alleged they suffered an injury after falling at an alleged unsafe stairway at a property owned by the defendants in Hayward.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2020, meaning it could not be retried, and likely indicating the parties settled out of court.
7. Valencia v. Salwan,
case no. 23CV033419 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on May 16, 2023)
Salwan was a defendant in this case, in which the plaintiffs alleged they rented an apartment in Hayward from Salwan that included: [M]old and asbestos […] significant plumbing failures which attributed to water leaks in different areas throughout the unit, but especially the bathroom. Said leaks caused extreme humidity in the Plaintiffs’ unit which lead to a mold throughout the UNIT 7 and UNIT 22, poorly functioning and poorly maintained sinks and toilets, recurrent plumbing leaks […] insect and vermin infestation, including roaches, mice and bed bugs.
At the time of this report, this case was still ongoing.
8. Perez v. Salwan,
case no. 23SC037292 (Alameda County Superior Court; filed on July 3, 2023)
Salwan was a defendant in this case, in which the plaintiff alleged their daughter rented an apartment in Hayward from Salwan that included:
– A broken refrigerator
– A semi-functional stove
– A broken toilet
– Structural issues with the roof
At the time of this report, this case was still ongoing, with a trial scheduled for January 2024.