Client Stories: Juana Dominguez, A Voice for Commercial Lease Protections
“I am the owner and can oust you anytime I want.” That’s what Juana Dominguez said her landlord told her.
Juana Dominguez is the proud owner of Paloma Market, a small business in South LA that offers fruits, vegetables, baked goods, cleaning products, and gifts.
Like many immigrants, Juana came to the United States from Mexico with a dream of owning something special she could call her very own. Paloma Market was her dream come true.
Juana Dominguez at her shop Paloma Market in Los Angeles, 2024.
She has lived in the City of Angels since 1995 and began earning a living by selling candies on the streets of downtown Los Angeles when her husband fell ill and could not work. Thanks to a $30,000 loan from Inclusive Action for the City, she became something she had always wanted since she was a little girl: a business owner.
Her five-foot frame and long curly hair belie her giant spirit. “I’m in the fight! I want my business to grow! I want it to be bigger!”
But like many others, Juana has had problems with her landlord constantly increasing her rent. Juana took the owner’s words to heart and has never rejected the increases. She was afraid of being left with nothing and felt there was no protection for her and countless other small businesses.
Juana learned of SB 1103, a Senate bill offering lease protections to commercial tenants. The bill would require deposits of no more than one month's rent, 90 days' notice to move if a lease is terminated, and a lease agreement in the language the lease is negotiated.
“Small business owners need protections. We are vulnerable, and people try to take advantage of us. We need the law on our side, and SB 1103 will help us be heard,” she said.
As commercial tenants, these pillars of our local economy have far fewer protections than residential tenants. Rent increases, unclear and unfair lease terms, and exorbitant added fees make finding and staying in a commercial space extremely difficult. Further, small business owners with limited English proficiency often encounter complex commercial lease agreements that are difficult to navigate.
SB 1103 is co-sponsored by Inclusive Action for the City, Public Counsel, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO).
The 56-year-old small business owner hopes people will support SB 1103 and that commercial tenants will be able to operate in peace without fear of being displaced.