Your protection against retaliatory eviction
No. In California it is illegal for a landlord to retaliate against you for reporting a health or safety hazard, including asbestos, or for contacting a health or code inspector about it.
Civil Code Section 1942.5 protects tenants who exercise these rights. If a landlord raises your rent, cuts services, or tries to evict you shortly after you reported an asbestos concern or complained to an inspector, the law may treat that as retaliation. In certain situations there is even a legal presumption that punishment following soon after a protected complaint was retaliatory.
This protection matters, because fear of losing your home stops many tenants from reporting exactly the hazards the law is meant to catch. You are allowed to raise a genuine asbestos concern without being punished for it.
Keep records of your reports and the dates of any landlord actions that followed. If you believe you are facing retaliation for reporting asbestos, a free, confidential review can explain your rights and options.
This is general information about California tenant rights, not legal advice. Every situation is different.