Essential Facts
Core Insight:
A sweeping lawsuit accuses Southern California’s largest landlord of orchestrating slum-like conditions, targeting low-income families and Section 8 tenants across 22,000 rental units.
Noteworthy Fact:
Attorney General Rob Bonta alleges that Mike Nijjar’s PAMA Management systematically violated tenant rights, made substandard repairs, and engaged in discriminatory practices.
Highlight Reel:
Despite years of public outcry and prior enforcement attempts, authorities claim Nijjar’s companies persist in business practices that leave thousands of vulnerable tenants living in hazardous, unhealthy conditions.
By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald
LOS ANGELES, CA – The walls are closing in on one of Southern California’s most powerful and controversial landlords. This week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta unleashed a legal broadside against Swaranjit ‘Mike’ Nijjar—real estate tycoon and head of the PAMA Management empire, his sister Daljit “DJ” Kler, and other members of his family—alleging a relentless pattern of tenant exploitation and slum-like conditions that stretch across a vast network of low-income rental properties.
For thousands of working families, seniors, and individuals relying on public assistance, these claims cut straight to the heart of California’s ongoing housing crisis. With 22,000 rental units in his portfolio and an operation spanning some of the region’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, Nijjar’s business has long drawn complaints—now, state authorities are determined to force accountability on an unprecedented scale.
California’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is the product of a two-year Department of Justice investigation. The result is a blistering account of what Bonta calls “rampant, slum-like conditions” in properties managed by Nijjar, his family, and their companies.
“PAMA and the companies owned by Mike Nijjar and his family are notorious for their rampant, slum-like conditions — some so bad that residents have suffered tragic results,” Bonta said in a statement. “Our investigation into Nijjar’s properties revealed PAMA exploited vulnerable families, refusing to invest the resources needed to eradicate pest infestations, fix outdated roofs and install functioning plumbing systems, all while deceiving tenants about their rights to sue their landlord and demand repairs.”
— California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Official Statement
The allegations are harrowing:
