Renters across California came home to an early Christmas present from their landlords this season: a 60-day notice to vacate. Reports of sudden eviction drives are emerging throughout the state, spurred on by AB 1482’s effective date of January 1, 2020. The new law caps annual rent increases in California at 5% plus inflation through January 1, 2030….
How difficult is it to prove landlord retaliation? It’s not easy as one may think. Get witnesses. If the only person who witnesses the retaliation is you and the landlord, it will become a credibility battle in court. Therefore, try to get witnesses to the retaliation. For example, if a landlord changes the locks, consider…
Most often in my practice, landlords retaliate for the following reasons: The tenant demanded repairs that the landlord was obligated to perform. The tenant reported landlord to a governmental agency for some reason. The tenant failed to pay rent on time. How do these landlords actually retaliate? In my experience, the most common types of…
Has your landlord sent you a notice of claim on your security deposit? If so, you may have a limited time to send a response. However, in my experience, a short and sweet response is always best. This is especially true if you haven’t been working directly with an attorney from the beginning of your…
A 2014 poll from the insurance information institute found that 37% of renters don’t get a renter insurance policy. It was astonishing to find out the reasons tenants gave for not purchasing it; they were mostly all myths and misconceptions. You’ve got belongings, and most of them are likely worth a decent amount of money….
Almost every state discourages landlords from retaliating against tenant for exerting their legal rights. For example, in Florida, a landlord can be severely punished for evicting, harassing, changing locks, turning off utilities, removing walls or doors, or raising the rent of a tenant in direct response to the tenant complaining to a government agency or…
If your application to rent an apartment is rejected, you have a right to know why. It is illegal for a landlord to refuse your rental application for discriminatory reasons. This article focuses on the general rights of tenants, as governed by state and federal law. Federal Anti-Discrimination Law Federal law prohibits discrimination on the…
In most states and jurisdictions, landlord responsibilities cover, at least to some degree, protection of their tenants. This protection responsibility may impose a legal duty on the landlord to take steps to protect their tenants from thieves, assailants, and criminal acts from other tenants. In addition to this responsibility to the tenants, landlords may also…
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding landlord responsibilities when it comes to protecting their tenants from criminals and other tenants. • What responsibilities does a landlord have for the tenants’ safety and security? • Are there ways that a landlord can limit their responsibility for the criminal acts of others that…
Disputes over security deposits are the most common disagreements between tenants and landlords. Due to this, states have laws and regulations concerning what landlords can use the security deposit for, and the timeline for when a landlord has to return the security deposit. As in any legal dispute, if you believe that your landlord is…
