Suing is protected activity
No. California law protects tenants from retaliation for exercising their legal rights, and taking legal action to enforce your rights as a tenant is protected activity. A landlord cannot lawfully evict you simply because you sued or asserted a claim.
Under California's anti-retaliation protections, a landlord who responds to your protected activity — like pursuing a habitability claim — with an eviction attempt, a rent increase, or reduced services may be acting unlawfully, and retaliation can even be raised as a defense to such an eviction. If the landlord's action closely follows your protected activity, the law may treat it as presumptively retaliatory.
Of course, a landlord may still pursue eviction for legitimate, unrelated, lawful reasons following proper procedures. But using eviction to punish you for standing up for your rights is not allowed.
Fear of eviction should not stop you from enforcing rights the law gives you. Keep records of your claim and any landlord actions that follow. If you are worried about retaliation for taking legal action, a free, confidential review can explain your protections and options.
This is general information about California tenant rights, not legal advice. Every situation is different.