Rahman “Ray” Popal has just earned another major win—this time outside the courtroom. He has been nominated for Best Tenant Rights Lawyer in California 2025. It’s no surprise to anyone who has seen his work up close. In a state where renters often feel powerless, this lawyer gives tenants their voice back.
Popal’s firm, The Law Firm for Tenant Rights, offers free consultations, no judgment, and a motto of “fighting for fair housing practices one tenant at a time.”
Rahman Popal is more than a lawyer. He is a force to be reckoned with. He’s a listener. When someone gets an eviction notice or finds out their landlord wants to raise the rent unfairly, he is the one they call. Him and his team don’t turn people away. They dig in and do the work. And they do it with heart.
It isn’t just about fighting in court. It’s about keeping people in their homes. It’s about protecting elderly people, people with disabilities, and families barely getting by. Popal’s firm has helped disabled tenants find justice in unfair situations.
Popal’s firm successfully secured over $180,000 in a disability discrimination case after a landlord locked the tenants out just one day after they began moving in—upon discovering they required a service animal.
In a recent case, Popal’s firm secured a $300,000 pre-litigation settlement along with more than $80,000 in rent waivers for a family living in a non-rent-controlled city in the East Bay. The tenants, who include a severely disabled child, had endured hazardous living conditions after the landlords repeatedly refused to make necessary repairs. In an attempt to avoid mold remediation, the landlords had even gone so far as to tape broken shower tiles in place using plastic wrap. This resolution reflects a significant outcome for the family, ensuring compensation and accountability in a case of clear housing neglect and disability-related discrimination.
Sometimes, the fear isn’t about losing a home. It’s about the feeling of being watched or controlled. Lately, tenants have asked if their landlords can install cameras outside their windows or near their doors. The firm makes it clear—security is fine, but privacy matters. A camera pointed at someone’s living room window isn’t okay. And Popal will say so loud and clear.
Other tenants come in with different kinds of worries. Some landlords tell tenants they have to pay for broken pipes or faulty wiring. Others demand cash for things that aren’t the tenant’s fault. Here, the law is on the tenant’s side. Landlords can’t just pass those costs along, even if a lease says so. The firm helps renters push back—and win.
One of the most common questions tenants ask is, “Can my landlord come into my apartment whenever they want?” The answer is no. The law says landlords must give a 24-hour notice. And they need a valid reason. A vague “annual inspection” isn’t enough. It has to be for something real, like making repairs or showing the place to a future tenant or buyer. Without that, they can’t just show up.
Then, there are tenants dealing with even bigger problems. Some get slapped with a notice telling them they have to move out. No explanation. No time to plan. Just fear and confusion. That’s when Rahman Popal steps in. He explains the rules.
In most cases, landlords can’t just ask someone to leave. They need a real, legal reason. And if the reason isn’t the tenant’s fault, the landlord may even have to pay them to move.
Some landlords tell tenants they must leave because they’re selling the building. But that’s not a valid reason either—not for units covered by just-cause protections. Selling the building doesn’t give a landlord the right to remove tenants. The firm helps people understand that. They stand by them until the last paper is signed—and long after that if needed.
Even when tenants want to leave on their own terms, questions come up. Some landlords tell them they have to give a 60-day notice to move out just because the lease says so. But that’s usually not legal. And when the lease ends, many people think they have to leave right away. The firm explains that’s not true. In many cases, the lease just rolls over into a month-to-month agreement. Tenants can stay unless the landlord has a valid reason to end the lease, and follows all the legal steps to do it.
Sometimes, the situation gets so bad that tenants feel forced to leave. The building might be unsafe, or repairs never get done. The law has a name for that—constructive eviction. And yes, tenants may have the right to break the lease without a penalty. Even if the lease mentions a break fee, it might not hold up in court. And the landlord has to try to find a new tenant. They can’t just charge the old one forever.
Then, there’s the issue of pets. Many leases say, “No pets allowed.” But what if someone needs an emotional support animal or a service dog? The law firm helps people request reasonable accommodations. If the pet is part of a treatment plan for a disability or condition, the landlord has to listen and work with the tenant. They can’t just say no.
Popal doesn’t just answer these questions once and move on. He holds workshops. He prints Q&A guides. He sits down with renters and walks through the lease agreements line by line. He makes sure people don’t just hear their rights—they understand them.
Rahman Popal’s leadership has helped make all this possible. He’s been named a California Super Lawyer, but he doesn’t lead from a pedestal. He leads from the heart. He remembers what it feels like to face housing struggles. And that memory fuels every case he takes on.
Popal has built a team that mirrors his drive and values. The people around him aren’t just legal pros. They are educators, advocates, and protectors. They know that each case is not just about laws. It’s about lives.
Popal’s firm, The Law Firm for Tenant Rights, Inc., is not just a place for legal help. It’s a place for hope. A place where renters, no matter their income or background, can come in feeling powerless and walk out feeling ready. Ready to stay. Ready to fight. Ready to live with dignity.
Popal’s nomination for Best Tenant Rights Lawyer in California 2025 is more than well-earned. It shows that this attorney and this firm change lives—one renter, one fight, one win at a time.
