California Tenant's Rights (17th edition)

Table of Contents......Page 9
Introduction......Page 15
1. Some General Things You Should Know......Page 17
Who Is Your Landlord?......Page 18
Lawyers......Page 20
Typing Services......Page 23
Legal Research......Page 24
Mediation......Page 27
2. Looking for a Place and Renting It......Page 29
Get Organized......Page 30
Learn About Rental Agreements......Page 31
Fees and Deposits......Page 40
Rental Applications and Credit Reports......Page 42
How Landlords Must Handle Your Credit Information......Page 43
How to Check a Place Over......Page 44
How to Bargain for the Best Deal......Page 48
Get All Promises in Writing......Page 49
Your Responsibilities as a Tenant......Page 51
Cosigning Leases......Page 58
3. Sharing a Home......Page 59
The Legal Obligations of Roommates to the Landlord......Page 60
Having a Friend Move In......Page 61
Guests......Page 66
4. All About Rent......Page 69
Late Charges......Page 70
Rent Increases......Page 71
Rent Increase Notices......Page 72
Rent Control and Eviction Protection......Page 74
General Types of Rent Control Laws......Page 77
Rent Control Board Hearings......Page 79
What to Do If the Landlord Violates Rent Control Rules......Page 82
Rent Control Laws......Page 83
5. Discrimination......Page 117
Forbidden Types of Discrimination......Page 118
Legal Reasons to Discriminate......Page 120
What to Do About Discrimination......Page 123
Sexual Harassment by Landlords or Managers......Page 125
6. The Obnoxious Landlord and Your Right to Privacy......Page 127
Your Landlord’s Right of Entry......Page 128
What to Do About a Landlord’s Improper Entry......Page 130
Other Types of Invasions of Privacy......Page 132
7. Major Repairs & Maintenance......Page 137
Your Basic Right to Livable Premises......Page 138
Your Repair and Maintenance Responsibilities......Page 143
Agreeing to Be Responsible for Repairs......Page 144
How to Get Action From Your Landlord: The Light Touch......Page 145
What to Do If the Landlord Won’t Make Repairs......Page 148
8. Minor Repairs & Maintenance......Page 159
The Landlord’s Responsibilities......Page 160
Agreeing to Do Maintenance......Page 164
Getting the Landlord to Make Minor Repairs......Page 165
Making Minor Repairs Yourself......Page 169
9. Alterations & Satellite Dishes......Page 173
Improvements That Become Part of the Property......Page 174
Improving Your Rental Without Enriching Your Landlord......Page 175
Cable TV Access......Page 176
Satellite Dishes and Other Antennas......Page 177
10. Injuries on the Premises......Page 183
What to Do If You’re Injured......Page 184
Is the Landlord Liable?......Page 187
If You’re at Fault, Too......Page 194
How Much Money You’re Entitled To......Page 195
11. Environmental Hazards......Page 197
Asbestos......Page 198
Lead......Page 204
Radon......Page 213
Carbon Monoxide......Page 215
Mold......Page 217
12. Crime on the Premises......Page 223
The Landlord’s Basic Duty to Keep You Safe......Page 224
Problems With Other Tenants......Page 228
Illegal Activity on the Property and Nearby......Page 230
Getting Results From the Landlord......Page 232
Protecting Yourself......Page 238
13. Breaking a Lease, Subleasing, and Other Leasing Problems......Page 239
Subleases and Assignments......Page 240
Subleasing and Returning Later......Page 241
How to Break a Lease......Page 242
Belongings You Leave Behind......Page 245
14. Security Deposits and Last Month’s Rent......Page 247
Amount of Deposit......Page 248
Landlord’s Duty to Return Deposit......Page 249
Avoiding Deposit Problems......Page 251
When the Landlord Won’t Return Your Deposit......Page 252
Rent Withholding as a Way to Get Deposits Back in Advance......Page 255
Interest on Security Deposits......Page 256
When Your Landlord Demands More Money......Page 257
15. Evictions......Page 259
Illegal Self-Help Evictions......Page 261
Illegal Retaliatory Evictions......Page 262
Overview of Eviction Procedure......Page 263
Tenancy Termination Notices......Page 266
Your Options After a Three-Day or 30-, 60-, or 90-Day Notice Is Served......Page 271
The Eviction Lawsuit......Page 272
Postponing an Eviction......Page 308
After the Lawsuit—Eviction by the Sheriff or Marshal......Page 310
16. Tenants Acting Together......Page 315
Tenant Organizing......Page 316
Setting Up a Tenants’ Organization......Page 317
Getting Information on the Landlord......Page 320
Tactics......Page 321
Negotiations......Page 325
Collective Bargaining Agreement......Page 326
18. Condominium Conversion......Page 329
Legal Protection for Tenants......Page 330
Changing the Law......Page 332
Forms to use if you lose an eviction......Page 0
Landlord-Tenant Checklist......Page 335
Fixed-Term Residential Lease......Page 341
Month-to-Month Residential Rental Agreement......Page 347
Notice to Repair......Page 353
Notice of Rent Withholding......Page 355
Collective Bargaining Agreement......Page 407
Application for Waiver of Court Fees and Costs......Page 359
Information Sheet on Waiver of Court Fees and Costs......Page 361
Order on Application for Waiver of Additional Court Fees and Costs......Page 363
Prejudgment Claim to Right of Possession......Page 365
Blank Numbered Legal Paper......Page 367
Blank Numbered Legal Paper With Superior Court Heading......Page 369
Proof of Service by Mail......Page 371
Demurrer......Page 373
Points and Authorities in Support of Demurrer......Page 375
Notice of Hearing on Demurrer......Page 377
Answer—Unlawful Detainer......Page 379
Request to Inspect and for Production of Documents......Page 381
Form Interrogatories—Unlawful Detainer......Page 383
Settlement Agreement......Page 391
Demand for Jury Trial......Page 393
Application and Declaration for Relief from Eviction......Page 395
Order Granting Relief From Eviction......Page 397
Application and Declaration for Stay of Eviction......Page 399
Order Granting Stay of Eviction......Page 401
Notice of Appeal and Notice to Prepare Clerk’s Transcript......Page 403
Claim of Right to Possession and Notice of Hearing......Page 405
Index......Page 411
Related Products......Page 429