The Legal Risks Every Landlord Faces with Onsite Managers & Contractors

The Legal Risks Every Landlord Faces with Onsite Managers & Contractors

 Lessons Learned from Defending Employers in Litigation

Presented by the Firm of Landegger & Verano, Employment Law Experts

 Details

When:                    Thursday, September 11, 2025, from 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. (Noon)

How to Attend:       Exclusively for AAGLA Members, Logged In Users Can Register Using the “Register Now” Button.

When hiring on-site property managers, landlords can face unique employment challenges related to their dual roles as both property managers and residents. In California, housing your on-site manager is not just a perk—but a legal balancing act between landlord and employer obligations. Providing on-site housing to apartment managers, maintenance workers, and security staff in property management can be a smart operational choice. However, when a property owner or management company provides housing to an employee, it creates a dual legal relationship. You are no longer just an employer. You are also, functionally, a landlord. That dual role brings unique legal obligations and increased exposure under California employment and landlord-tenant laws.

Your live-in apartment manager might handle lockouts or tenant complaints at odd hours. That flexibility may be part of the appeal, but California’s wage-and-hour laws still apply unless the employee qualifies for a specific exemption. That includes minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest breaks, and accurate timekeeping. As the dual property owner and employer, you should define expectations clearly and provide tools for tracking time. Any ‘informal’ or undocumented labor opens the door to wage claims. What feels like convenience now could lead to liability later. Failing to comply with California’s wage-and-hour laws can result in legal exposure, including some recent cases that had to be settled for more than “six figures.”

Many rental housing providers hire independent contractors, or what they believe to be independent contractors, but may actually be misclassified employees. Hiring independent contractors can expose a landlord to business to legal risks, primarily related to misclassification, where a worker is incorrectly classified as an independent contractor instead of an employee or if an independent contractor hurts themselves while on the job and adequate workers compensation insurance is not maintained. This misclassification can lead to significant financial penalties and legal challenges from various government agencies and even the workers themselves. Lack of workers compensation insurance coverage may result in significant legal liability.

During this webinar, our legal expert, Luiza Manuelian from the law firm of Landegger & Verano will cover:

• Know the rules and avoid legal exposure when hiring an onsite manager or any other employees.
• How hiring an independent contractor handyman or tradesman can be your worst nightmare – how to protect yourself from legal exposure – Learn the “A-B-C” test! Also, the “Borello” test.
• The most expensive types of legal exposure and where those risks originate from: (i) Wage & Hour claims; (ii) Misclassification of Employees; (iii) Fair Employment Housing Act; and more!
• Understanding the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and its impact on employers.
• Common allegations that are made in PAGA and other employment related lawsuits.
• Meal and required rest breaks, and of course, the minimum wage laws and overtime. Know the difference: “Exempt” vs. “Non-Exempt” employees.
• And, much more! Your questions will help drive the discussion.

Important Disclaimer: The information and materials provided during this presentation is for general information purposes only. Absolutely no legal or tax advice is being given during this presentation. Keep in mind that every situation is unique, and the laws, rules and regulations are subject to change at any time. So, before acting, be sure to obtain tax and/or legal advice from your licensed professional.

Presenter: 

Luiza Manuelian, Partner, Landegger & Verano  

Luiza Manuelian is an Employment Lawyer based in Encino, San Fernando Valley, serving employers in the greater Los Angeles area and all throughout California. Luiza represents employers in various employment-related matters including claims for civil rights violations, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation, and unfair business practices. She also represents employers in class and representative action wage & hour disputes and claims brought under the California Private Attorney General’s Act (PAGA). She represents employers before government agencies such as the DFEH and EEOC. She also provides clients with general labor advice and counsels clients to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

Luiza also trains employers on Sexual Harassment, Wage & Hour Compliance, and Violence Prevention in the Workplace, amongst others. She does presentations through various State Bar affiliations, including the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.

Prior to joining Landegger & Verano, Luiza was a Supervising Partner and Chair of Toxic Tort Division at a Los Angeles law firm and has extensive trial experience in product liability toxic tort as well as civil rights violation cases and has tried cases in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland. Luiza graduated from Southwestern University School of Law and was in the Moot Court Program where she was a finalist at the National American Bar Association in New Orleans.

Luiza received her J.D. from Southwestern Law School in 2004, where she served as a judicial extern for the Court of Appeals, Limited Jurisdiction, of the Central District of California. Prior to entering law school, Luiza worked at law firms since she was 15 years old. She received her B.A. from the California State University, Northridge in Psychology in 2000, where she was published for her research on gender studies.

Contact Luiza Manuelian at (818) 986-7561; Ext. 101.

Moderator:

Daniel Yukelson, AAGLA Executive Director

Daniel Yukelson is currently the Executive Director of The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA).  As Certified Public Accountant, Yukelson began his career at Ernst & Young, the global accounting firm, and since then had served in senior financial roles principally as Chief Financial Officer for various public, private and start-up companies.  Prior to joining AAGLA, Yukelson served for 12 years as Chief Financial Officer for Premiere Radio Networks, now a subsidiary of I-Heart Media, and then 3 years as Chief Financial Officer for Oasis West Realty, the owner of the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills where he was involved with the development and construction of the Waldorf.  Yukelson also served for 6 years as a Planning Commissioner and for 3 years as a Public Works Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills.

A Featured Presentation By: 

Landegger & Verano

Employers have suffered tremendous financial losses for the past four decades due to an exponential increase in employee-related lawsuits. Alfred Landegger started Landegger & Verano 45 years ago to provide employers with the expert representation they needed to help level the playing field. With their main office in Encino and satellite offices in Pasadena and Ventura County, the firm is poised to face legal challenges head-on through education, proactive solutions, and if need be, rigorous litigation. Landegger & Verano’s mission is to empower employers through comprehensive education and strategic guidance in labor law matters. We believe in fostering a culture of informed compliance to mitigate legal risks and promote a harmonious employer-employee relationship through collaborative, proactive strategies tailored to each client’s needs. By providing customized legal guidance, conducting management training seminars, and meticulous document review to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local law, we aim to prevent litigation and maintain a compliant workplace environment. For more information, call (818) 986-7561.