Benny, Piaman Pirian Accused of Violating Tenant Protections

Landlords Benny Pirian and Piaman Nisan Pirian are facing a new lawsuit from the Los Angeles City Attorney.

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto filed a civil enforcement lawsuit against the Pirians and several business entities they control, accusing the landlords of widespread violations of state and local tenant protections, Brentwood News reported.

The defendants reportedly own and operate at least 16 multifamily residential properties across the city consisting of more than 100 rental units, as well as multiple single-family rental homes. Prosecutors claim that the landlords improperly withheld security deposits, imposed rent increases beyond legal limits and charged excessive late fees.

The Pirians routinely kept most or all of tenants’ security deposits after they moved out, according to Feldstein Soto’s office. When tenants took issue with the withheld deposits, the landlords allegedly ignored them or told the former renters they would have to go to court to get their money back. The landlords also included a provision in their leases that allowed them to charge late fees equal to 10 percent of the base rent — an unenforceable penalty under the law, per the complaint.

In the height of the pandemic in 2020, Los Angeles implemented tenant protections including an eviction moratorium and limits on rent increases. The brothers were allegedly aware that the rent hikes they imposed on tenants were illegal, though the defendants reportedly told renters who complained not to tell others that the increases broke the law, prosecutors claim.

The Pirians are also accused of failing to pay required interest on security deposits held for one year or longer, discriminating against tenants based on the method used to receive housing subsidies, unlawfully passing off city fees to tenants and failing to provide legally required contact information for property owners and managers.

Feldstein Soto’s office is looking to get a court order to stop the alleged illegal activities, secure restitution for affected tenants and impose civil penalties on the landlords.

— Chris Malone Méndez