Hello everyone, I greatly hope someone can help me with some advice.

I recently rented my first apartment, in Studi City California.
The official lease date is Aug 1st. I moved in on Aug. 3rd after the seemingly pleasant and upfront landlady assured me that all was spotless and ready to go.
A day or two after my move in, she called me to tell me that starting Aug. 13th, they would be replacing all the old pipes with new copper ones. She said "I dont' know what specific day they will be in your unit, but just so you know at some point in two weeks starting on that day they will be in your unit." Anyone who has ever had pipes replaced know this is a HUGE undertaking. I did not know this at the time. She downplayed the amount of work that was actually involved, and did NOT mention this BEFORE I moved in, as I was signing the lease, or even after she had her handy man fix the leaky faucet drain for me the day after I moved in.

10 days after I move in, (MON the 13th) There is a crew of 5 men draping everything in plastic, while they break open 3 walls and a kitchen cabinet. this lasts all day. They cover the holes with paper and keep the paper 'walkways' they taped on the ground until today (Friday the 17th) where I am sent out while they shut the water off at 8:30 am and work on the actual repiping, all day again.


Next week - MON -building inspector comes into the units to inspect the work.
TUES the crew comes back to DRYWALL all the holes in the walls. filthy again, all day work. Still obviously can't settle or put anything back in it's place.
THURSDAY or FRIDAY landlady hires a painter to come in and REPAINT all the walls that she already had JUST painted before I moved in (as per "apartment is all ready" shine-ola).

As I see it, I am paying for 3 weeks of not being able to settle into my apartment. 2 weeks of work that should have been disclosed to me BEFORE moving in at the very least, and at best, should have been done in an UN OCCUPIED apartment before she considered renting it to someone. Maybe this is just me whining, but I find it so unethical, at the very least, that she would take renter's money when this kind of thing would keep the place near-unihabitable.

I confronted her about this, asking if she could consider giving me at least a week off next rent but she claims she told me before I moved in. Utter balony, but I am aware it is her word against mine. ARG! which is where I am stuck at now.

If you are still reading, thank you! and please, if you can offer ANY advice or help please let me know. I am aware that this might just be an "oh well she's was dishonest" thing, but is there ANYthing I can do that can combat what she did? (She also had the nerve to whimper "i'm a good landlady, I promise!" as if it's more important to me that she remains popular rather than deal with me in a compassionate, direct way.)



thank you!