Any lawyers on here? Question!

[akaiyuki]

So I just moved into my apartment here in LA and find that there's no source of electrical lightning in my room. Thus the room is completely dark at night. My parents believe that there should be a law requiring the landlord to install lightning in the bedroom, or if we're going to have to buy a lamp, the cost should be deducted from the rent.

Question: Is there such law? I found that California Civil Code §1941.1 states the requirement:
"Electrical lighting, with wiring and electrical equipment which conforms with the applicable law at the time of installation, maintained in good working order."
Does this apply?

[Philistine]

I don't practice in California, and I've never lived there--but a number of apartments I've lived in (including the one right now) didn't have any already-installed lights in the bedroom.

Now, a bathroom might be another matter, but I really don't think lack of lights in a bedroom is that big a deal. Also, do you really think you're going to want the $5.00 lamp (sans shade) the landlord would put in your bedroom if you really pressed the issue?

Just a side question--did you rent the apartment with nobody looking at it first?

--Philistine

[scrapinpeg]

I'm not a California lawyer either. Google led me to this site, don't know if it's trustworthy or not. http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/obje...chapter/1/104/

But so what if there's no lamp in your room? Isn't there a socket in the wall you can plug your own lamp into? I don't get the problem. And is it worth your time to argue with your landlord and build up bad blood, rather than just plugging in your own lamp?

[akaiyuki]

If it wasn't because my parents are getting on my ass about this I'd just go get a lamp myself. They think that I'm cheated of my rights so they want me to argue instead of being a chicken about it.

I looked at the apartment with my two current roommates but we didn't notice the missing light. There were people living there when we looked, the room was fulled with stuff, along with their own lamp probably so the room looked bright. Nobody thought to look up to check if a light's there.

[Maeve_Mari]

I've lived in plenty of houses and apartments where there were no lights "built in" to some rooms. Its perfectly normal and commonplace for bedrooms and even living rooms to not have lights.

About the only legal characteristic that I've heard with regards bedrooms is that there has to be a window in the room. A bedroom has to have a window that opens wide enough for a person to crawl through in case of an emergency.

[keropie]

Additionally, generally speaking building codes are enforced when you build something or buy it. So if the apartment was built to code when build and hasn't been sold, it may not have to meet current building code, anyhow. I know for a fact that the house I'm typing this in doesn't meet NC building code, but it's like 60 years old. Not a single polarized plug or grounded socket in the house O.O At least I don't have to worry too much about surge protectiong, cause it's not like the house fuses will take much of a surge before they blow

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Maeve_Mari

Its perfectly normal and commonplace for bedrooms and even living rooms to not have lights.

Perhaps in the US. To me it sound very, very odd indeed to not have electricity (for lights) 'installed' in a flat!

And anyway, how silly wouldn't it look to plug in a 'ceiling lamp' in the jack -- usually situated at floor level -- and then have the cord run up along the wall onto the ceiling?

Sorry, I have no legal advice whatsoever, this all just sounds very strange to me! (Poor Yuki! )

[keropie]

I think the idea is that one would get a desk or floor lamp, not a ceiling lamp and run the wire up the wall. Though I've seen that done, too.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by keropie

I think the idea is that one would get a desk or floor lamp, not a ceiling lamp and run the wire up the wall. Though I've seen that done, too.

A desk/floor lamp wouldn't provide enough light for a bedroom or a living room!

Well unless they were really small perhaps...

[OROD]

Well, you're saying that there's no lighting only in your room, not in the entire apartment right? I'm sure it has built-in lighting in the bathroom and kitchen. If it's just in your bedroom, I can see how it might not. It's easy enough to light a bedroom with floor lamps and desk lamps. Your living room probably also doenst have ceiling lighting right?

.

[restlesscheese]

None of the bedrooms in my house have installed lighting. I used a lamp or two for a while, but they heated up he room so much that I got rid of those and ended up stringing a bunch of white christmas lights all over my ceiling, and they do the trick nicely.

[akaiyuki]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Perhaps in the US. To me it sound very, very odd indeed to not have electricity (for lights) 'installed' in a flat!

Probably why my parents thought it was strange also. They've never lived in an apartment without lights in the bedroom. When they moved to the US we bought a house and we never had any experiences with a bedroom with no light!

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

A desk/floor lamp wouldn't provide enough light for a bedroom or a living room!
Well unless they were really small perhaps...

Hey! My parents were saying the same thing! The lamp will have to be near the door so we can turn it on as we come in the room, but the door is at the opposite corner of where my desk is. And I can't arrange my furnitures -- this is the only way to go without my bed or desk blocking the closet door.

Originally Posted by OROD

Your living room probably also doenst have ceiling lighting right?

Actually it does. Only the bedroom doesn't.

[OROD]

Originally Posted by akaiyuki

Actually it does. Only the bedroom doesn't.

Interesting, my apartment is the other way around. My bedroom has a built-in ceiling light, but the livingroom has nothing. On the other hand, my living room has a switch that turns on power to one of the outlets, so I just have a floor lamp plugged into that.

.

[akaiyuki]

Originally Posted by OROD

Interesting, my apartment is the other way around. My bedroom has a built-in ceiling light, but the livingroom has nothing. On the other hand, my living room has a switch that turns on power to one of the outlets, so I just have a floor lamp plugged into that.

Interesting... because I have a switch in my bedroom but it does nothing to the outlets.

[Philistine]

Originally Posted by akaiyuki

Interesting... because I have a switch in my bedroom but it does nothing to the outlets.

Are you sure? Often the switch only effects one of the two receptacles on the outlet.

--Philistine

[OROD]

Originally Posted by akaiyuki

Interesting... because I have a switch in my bedroom but it does nothing to the outlets.

Have you asked your neighbors if their lights have been turning on and off mysteriously?

.

[Pointy]

Dude, California Civil Code §1941.1 only mentions "electrical lighting" but it doesn't say WHERE the lighting has to be. Besides, as long as the building was built to code when it was built, then it's fine.

Oh, and no, I'm not a California lawyer either. I did, however, live in LA years ago and the apartments I lived in didn't have lights in the bedrooms either. They did, however, have lights in the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms.

And no, this is not legal advice.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Invest in a nice torch.

[scrapinpeg]

It's very common for bedrooms to lack an overhead light. Many people find them a nuisance in the bedroom, and prefer floor or table lamps.

As for the living room, some places have overhead lights installed, but it is also very common for them not to be.

The places where you're most likely to find pre-installed lighting are the entryway just inside the front door, the kitchen, and the bathroom.

If there's a wall switch that doesn't appear to do anything in a room, it controls one of the plugs in one or two of the outlets in the room. It's up to you to figure out which one. Happy hunting!

[akaiyuki]

Are you sure? Often the switch only effects one of the two receptacles on the outlet.

That's what I thought it does too... But I've tried every single outlet in my room and it doesn't do anything... I've turned on all the crap plugged into the sockets, but turning the switch on and off does NOTHING.
Edit: I just double checked, it still does NOTHING.

Have you asked your neighbors if their lights have been turning on and off mysteriously?

Reminds me of that commerical with the garage door. "Honey, what does this switch do? On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. Do you see anything?"