Leasing

Before Signing A Lease Agreement

When you’re renting a property, you probably know of a few protections that you have pertaining to your landlord. Since you’re not the owner of the property, the landlord is responsible for any repairs. This is beneficial if you don’t have the money to spend on repairs or if you don’t know how to make repairs to a home. Aside from a few basic protections, there are a few other tenant and landlord laws that you need to keep in mind in the event of a disagreement between both parties.

There are certain pieces of information that your landlord must tell you about when you rent a property. You can view the exact details at https://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/landlord-tenant-laws/california/ but general details include whether you need to provide your own utilities, whether there is gas connected to the home and you have to pay for the gas that is delivered, or if there are any issues with the plumbing that you should know about. Another issue that should be addressed before you even sign the rental agreement is whether there is any mold in the home or if there has been mold in the home in the past.

Your landlord must abide by the specific laws that are in place pertaining to the amount of a security deposit that can be charged as well as how long the landlord has to return the deposit once you leave the property. However, there are a few issues that would result in not receiving your deposit back, such as damage to the home or being late on the rental payment. These details need to be clearly explained when you sign the rental agreement so that you know how much money you’re going to spend and what you need to do to get your deposit back if or when you move. If you feel that your deposit should be given back to you and you don’t receive it within the designated number of days that are allowed by the state, then you can take your landlord to court. Keep in mind that your landlord can take you to court as well to seek money for late rental payments or damages if there are any seen in the home.

There are regulations as to what your landlord can do if you give a bounced check for a rental payment or if you are late making the rental payment. You are usually granted three days to pay your rent before the landlord begins eviction proceedings. Keep in mind that if you pay the rent before you go to court, then your landlord can choose not to accept the payment and still ask that you leave the home. However, you will usually be granted a longer period of time to be out of the home if this is the situation. Sometimes, you can withhold rent under certain circumstances. Examples would be if there is no heat in the home or if there are repairs that need to be made for the health of your family that are not addressed by the landlord.

 

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