California State Laws for Tenants

State laws don`t set the maximum rent your landlord can charge. Therefore, the rental price is determined by actual demand and rental offers are welcome here. The City of San Diego`s orders retain a “just cause” provision that requires landlords to justify evicting tenants who have rented for more than 2 years. These rules also required 60 days` notice, regardless of the justification. For more information, visit the City`s Housing and Community Development Services website. There are special laws such as the Health and Safety Act ยง 1597.40, which protects a tenant`s licensed daycares from evictions and rental bans. This is done under a separate public policy that promotes child care so that parents can be employed and not sit on welfare roles. Toxic mold attracted attention. This can lead to serious lung infections and often results from the neglect of pipes that neglect leaking walls, leaking roofs and unsealed walls [a special coating] by homeowners. The new Health and Safety Code 26147 requires the landlord to inform current and potential tenants of mold and do something about it as a habitability issue. Standards and methods of treatment have not yet been established [2004], although this law was promulgated in 2001.

It is important that you write a letter to your landlord about mold in your apartment and ask for it to be removed. That way, he can`t pretend he didn`t know if you got sick from the form. If a landlord sells a rental unit or building while it is still occupied by rented tenants, all tenants have the right to remain until the lease expires. The new owner may ask them to move if they have announced their intention well in advance. In any case, the tenant is always entitled to return the deposit. Protected groups. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against tenants on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, national origin, marital status or disability. This rule does not apply to condominiums or homes operated by religious organizations. The Business and Professional Code [of section 10131] requires that people who manage the property of others [with the exception of resident managers] be licensed real estate agents, but there is a growing number of people who are not brokers and manage anyway. Sometimes they use a “power of attorney” form and sometimes a simple contract that allows them to do so, but neither is sufficient under the law. This is an area of landlord-tenant law that most judges now understand differently for residential tenants.

Late fees are usually a lump sum or percentage of the rent that the landlord wants to charge if you don`t pay the rent by a certain date. Late fees are built into many contracts to encourage timely payment, but lawmakers recently amended the law to prohibit late fees in residential leases. The law does not punish the owner for trying to steal it from you. San Francisco also maintains local landlord-tenant policies. San Fran`s rent control orders define when and how tenants can be evicted for good cause or for no reason. For more information, visit the San Francisco Rent Board website. The same prohibitions of discrimination based on racial, religious, gender and nationality differences exist in rental laws as in other companies. The Fair Housing Council specialises in these cases and has staff who investigate and even prosecute.

If you do not have a legally valid reason to terminate the lease, it is preferable to transmit the fact of your departure in writing to the landlord and keep a copy indicating that your accommodation is available for consultation under the Civil Code of 1954 [reasonable notice (p.B 24 hours) only for opening hours]. You can also run your own listing in the recycler or equivalent [free listings] and receive a call from potential tenants. Write down their names, work and house numbers, and then forward them to the owner as a replacement. If the owner claims that he didn`t find anyone, you have a list to deny that and show that he didn`t mitigate the damage. According to the statutes, tenants can sublet the rent, but another separate agreement would have to be concluded. The State of California offers tenants additional protection based on ancestry, citizenship status, intellectual disability, gender identity/expression, immigration status, marital status, military and veteran status, primary language, sexual orientation, and source of income. Each rental unit must have a “certificate of occupancy” [or equivalent] issued by the City for the unit to be legal. The purpose of this act is to ensure that each rental unit complies with building and zoning laws. If the unit is not legal and there are many illegal duplexes, converted garages and various buildings, the landlord cannot demand or accept rent for this structure. Landlords in California have the right to evict tenants for the following reasons: A lease is in the state of California if there is an oral or written agreement to exchange rent for stay in a property. Under California law (CA Civil Code 1940-1954.05), tenants have certain rights, including the right to a habitable apartment or due process of eviction.

In addition to paying rent on time, California tenants must: Sometimes there is a manager who wants to evict a tenant because they refuse to have sex. California`s sexual harassment laws now allow a tenant to sue the manager and landlord for sexual harassment, but the law still seems to allow such eviction. Early termination. California tenants may terminate a lease earlier for the following reasons: Termite fumigation requires camping in the building for 2-3 days and residents to be outside. As common as this situation is, there is NO LAW on how it should be managed. Temporary exit costs tenants accommodation and meals at the restaurant, food substitutes and plenty of time to bring clothes, medicine and essentials to the hotel/motel, redirect phone calls and mail, set up alternative transportation and babysitting, and have an apartment that cannot be used for those days. If tenants leave on different days, early risers will be kept away longer. Staying outside the apartment could easily cost more than the monthly rent. If you paid your rent for that month AND you have to pay those extra costs, you could most likely pay double the rent for a month of inconvenience. California landlords are responsible for providing tenants with a variety of amenities. You can repair and deduct under California laws, but you can only deduct the equivalent of 1 month`s rent. When reviewing your potential tenant, make sure you comply with all California rental laws, and especially the Fair Housing Act.

For example, evictions can only be based on a violation of rental conditions, and not on discrimination based on race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, marital status and/or disability. One of the reasons this law is in place is to end illegal discrimination, prohibit sexual harassment, and prevent retaliation against anyone who has filed a complaint or assisted in a fair housing investigation. Similarly, you may have owned a home that was foreclosed and evicted from what was once your home due to job loss, family illness, or whatever. After all, you may have been the rightful owner who was deceived by real estate scammers who made you sign papers and now chase you away when they promised to help you refinance. In each of these cases, all hope is not lost. Every bedroom and bedroom in your new place should have smoke detectors. California laws don`t say alarms have to be changed every time a new tenant moves in. However, they must be installed in any required area and work properly.

It is customary in some states to require an owner to transfer the deposit to the account with a bearing interest. In California, there is no state law on this, but there are on-site rent control regulations in some cities that require the landlord to pay interest (e.g., Los Angeles). The AAOA website is a leading online resource to help you understand California`s rental laws. Although we are a landlord association, tenants should always read the information provided, as it still applies to the rights of California tenants. As a homeowner, broker, or property management company, it`s important to familiarize yourself with the rights of the landlord`s tenants, which are subject to federal and state laws, as well as local cities. For example, tenants` rights in Los Angeles are different from those in San Francisco. Just because you paid your rent doesn`t mean your landlord paid their mortgage. Many people who have tried to get rich quickly with real estate over the past decade have made an effort to cover mortgages, often “stealing Peter to pay Paul.” As a result, after the sale of foreclosure, you may be expelled from the bank after doing nothing wrong. LA has specific local laws, including those related to rent control.

LA`s rent control guidelines apply only to buildings constructed after 10.01.1978. For more information on these rules, visit the Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department website. California landlords are generally prohibited from requiring tenants to pay rent in cash. If a landlord wants a tenant to pay in cash, they must communicate in writing why the policy is needed and whether this policy changes the terms of the original lease. Landlords must also notify them in writing before this change comes into effect. We recommend that you do your own independent research to ensure you comply with all laws that apply to your current situation. .