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 a lead paint hazard, 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 a lead 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 their home stops many tenants from reporting the very hazards the law is meant to catch — and with lead, delay can mean lasting harm to a child.
Keep records of your reports and the dates of any landlord actions that followed. If you believe you are facing retaliation for reporting lead paint, 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.