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Tenant'sRights&Responsibilities
Please Note:
This Tenants'Rights and ResponsibOities mimualprovides only generci1legal information. Itis not advice about lour
own legal Problem. If you need legal advice, consult an attorney. .Thisinformation only applies to residential
tenancies. The law for commercial tenancies is different. TheLegal AidFoundation of Los Angeles and the authors .
. . y- specifo;ally disclaim any 'liability fOr loss orrisk by the use and application ofany of the contents ofiliis book.
Copyright2003
legalAid Foundationof LosAngeles
AllRights Reserved
<
Tenant's Rights & Responsibilities
TableofContents
RentalAgreements ................................................................................1
WhattodoBeforeSigningaRentalAgreementor PayingaSecurity
Eviction- the"UnlawfulDetainer"Process.......................................................10-13
Deposit.................................................................................................................2-3
WhattodoBeforeMovingintoAn Apartment....................................................3
YourDutiesOnceYouMoveIn..................................................................3
HowtoGetRepairsMade.....................................................................3-4
HowtoRepairAndDeduct......................................................................................5
RentIncreases ...............................................................................:....6
WhenCan TheLandlord EnterAn Apartment ............................................. .....6
HowtoGetYourSecurityDepositBack......................................................7-8
3D-Dayand3-DayNotices ....................................................... .............8-9
RelocationBenefits.............................................................. ........"..,...,13
CreditReports................................................................. ..................13
SampleLetters...................................................................................................... 14
NOTETO THE READE8
Thismanualwas revisedApril2003,bythe staffoftheLegalAid FoundationofLosAngeles. We
believethatthis manualisaccurateasofthe dateofitswriting, butlawschange frequently. Legal
questions areoftenmorecomplex than they appearon theirface. There is no substitute forthe
adviceof anattomey. Ifthereaderhasspecificquestionsaboutanyofthematerialsinthis manual,
oranyof thesamplelettersattached, thereadershouldconsultcompetentlegal counsel
..
RENTALAGREEMENTS
1. Whenyourentahouseorapartment,yourlandlordwilleithermakeanoralagreementwith you orhave
you signawrUtenagreement.
a. Oralagreements
Youtalkwith thelandlord. He orshe tells you what the rent IS, when II IS dueane wna! !'1e
conditionsofrentalare. You saythatyouagree, willpayrenton time andyourlandlordsays
youcanmove in. Sometimesyou agreebysimplymovingIn. You donotsign any papers
Thisiscalledanoralagreement
b. Writtenagreements
All oftherules and theamountofrentyouwillpayforthe apartmentarewritten. When you
sign.youagreetofollowtherulesandpaytherenton time. Onlywhatiswrittenbecomespart
oftheagreement
UNLESSYOU HAVEAGOVERNMENTSUBSIDIZEDLEASE,THEREISNOLAWTHATREQUIRES
YOU.R LANDLORDTO USE A WRITTEN RENTAL AGREEMENT. AN ORAL AGREEMENT ~
LEGALLYVALID.
2. Therearetwobasickinds ofwrittenagreements, month-to-monthrental agreementsandleasesfor
alonger,butspecified, lengthoftime.
a. Month-lo-monthrentalagreements (Note: The Rules aredifferentifthereis rentcontrol.
Tofindoutifyouliveinacitywith rentcontrol,consultalawyer):
-Yourlandlordcanraiseyourrent. orchangeanyotherterm(part)oftheagreement.with30-
days written notice to you. He or she does not have to give a reason for changing the
agreement. BUT, IFYOUR LANDLORDWANTSTO INCREASE YOUR RENTBYMORE
THAN10% HEORSHEMUSTGIVEYOU 60 DAYSWRITTENNOTICE.
-Yourlandlordcanevictyouwith30-dayswrittennoticeforanyreasonaslongasheorshe is
notdiscriminatingorretaliating againstyou. He or.she does notneed to tell you whatthe
reasonis. Bythe sametoken,youcanmoveon30dayswrittennoticeatanytime. withouta
reason.BUT, IFYOUHAVELIVEDIN YOURUNITFORMORETHANONE(1)YEARYOUR
LANDLORDMUSTGIVEYOU69DAYSWRITTEN NOTICE.
NOTE: CHECKTHEWRITTEN AGREEMENT. ITMAYSHORTENTHE NOTICE PERIOD. THE
NOTICEPERIODCANBEASLITTLEASSEVEN(7) DAYSNOTICEIFA WRITTENAGREEMENT
SAYSSO. THISMEANSYOURLANDLORDCANEVICTORRAISERENTWITHA VERYSHORT
NOTICE. IFSO,YOU MAYWANTTOTHINKCAREFULLYBEFORESIGNINGTHEAGREEMENT,
ORASKTHATTHEPROVISIONBECHANGED.
b. Leaseforaspecificterm
-Thiskindofwrittenagreementmaybeforanyamountoftime6months, 1year.2years.etc.
Theagreementcannotbechangedduringthelengthofthelease. Forexample.thelandlord
cannotraisetherentorevictyoufornoreasonwhiletheleaseisineffect.
PLEASENOTE: IFYOULIVEINSUBSIDIZEDHOUSINGORWHERETHEREIS RENTCONTROL,
THE RULES ABOUT RENTAL AGREEMENTS, EVICTION NOTICES, RENT RAISES, AND
CONTENTOFNOTICESAREDIFFERENT. TOFIND OUTIFYOU LIVEIN A CITYTHATHAS
RENTCONTROL,YOUSHOULDCONSULTANATTORNEY.
-1-
WHATTODOBEFORESIGNINGA RENTALAGREEMENT
ORPAYINGA SECURITYDEPosIt
1. Lookcarefullyattheapartment. Checktheapartmentwhenthereisplentyoflightto seeby.
Checkforthesethings:. .i _
a. Istheplumbingingoodcondition? Isitrusted.teakingorin badrepair?
b. Is therehotandcoldrunningwaterfromallfaucets?
c. Doestheheaterwork?
d. Aretherelooseorexposedwires? Dotheplugsandswitchesworkwell?
e. Aretherecockroaches,otherinsects,miceorrats?
f. Canthewindowsbeopenedandclosedproperly?
g. Arethereanyholes,cracksordamagedwindowsordoors?
h. Arethereanystainsontheceilingindicatingaleakingroof?
i. Arethehallwaysandstairswelllit?
j. Isthesecurityoftheapartmentandofthebuildingadequate?
k. Arethereenoughtrashcansforthebuilding?
12. Arethereproperlocksonalldoorsandwindows?
Ifthereareproblemsthatneedtobefixed,talkto thelandlordabouttherepairs. Ifthelandlordpromisesto
makerepairs,getitinwriting.
2. Readtheleaseorrentalagreement. Makesureitsayswhattherentis. Makesureissayswh.atdeposits
youhavepaid. Makesureitsaysthatthelandlordwillmaketherepairsyouwant. Checktoseehowmuch
noticeisneededtochangethetermsoftheagreementorevictyou. Alsomakesurethelandlordputsallof
hisorherpromisestoyouin writingintheleaseorrentalagreement. Ifthelandlorddoesnotwanttoputthe
promisesinwriting, itmaybebecauseheorshedoesnotreallymeantokeepthem.
00 NOTSIGNA DOCUMENTSAYINGTHATTHEAPARTMENTIS INGOODCONDITIONIFITISNOT.
3. Makesureyouunderstandtheleaseorrentalagreement. Lookcarefullyattheagreementforthingslike
these:
a. Rulesthatsayyourlandlord is notresponsibleforinjuries to you oryourpropertycaused bypoor
upkeepofthebuilding. This isillegal.
b. Rulesthatrequireyoutomakehabitabilityrepairs insteadofthelandlord. Thisis illegal.
c. Rulesthatletthelandlordraisetherentorevictyouwithoutgivingyou propernoticeoratleast7days
notice. Evictionwithoutpropernoticeisillegal. (Note:iftheagreementallows7daysnotice,itisbest
forthetenantto trytogetthelandlordtochangeitto30-daysnotice.). .
d. Rulesthatletthelandlordevictyouwithoutnoticeifyoudon'tpaytherent. Thisisillegal.
e. Rulesthatletthelandlordenteryourapartmentwheneverheorshewants to,insteadofgiving24
hourswrittennotice(exceptincaseofemergency). Thisisillegal.
f. Rulesthatrequireyoutopaya"latecharge"ifyourrentislate (Note:arentreductionforpayingon
timeisreallyalatecharge.)
g. Rulesagainstsubletting.
h. Ruleslimitingthenumberofpeoplewhocanlivethere,limitingtheguestswhocanvisit,orcharging
forovernightguests.
-2-
Ifyoudon'tagreetoarule,askthelandlordtocrossitoutandtosignhisorherinitialsbythecross-out. Of
course, thelandlordmightbeunwillingtodothis.
Someprovisionsinarental~ g r m n t areillegal(seeabove). Ifan,agreementcontainsanysuchprovision.
theprovisionisnotvalid, buttherestoftheagreement is valid(youdonothavetoaskthelandlordtocross
outthebad proviSion,itisjustnotvalid).
4. Besureyougetacopyoftheleaseorrentalagreement.
5. Besureyougetareceiptforanydeposits. Getthelandlord'sormanager'ssignatureand someindication
thatitisadepositreceipt. Keepallreceipts. Checktoseehowmuchthetotaldepositis. Thelawsaysthat
foranunfurnishedapartment, thetotalofthedepositsmaynotbemorethan two times theamountofone
month'srent. Forafurnished apartment.thedepositmaynotbemorethan threetimestheamountofone
month'srent.
WHA T TO DO BEFORE MOVING INTO AN APARTMENT
(AFTER YOU AGREE TO RENT!
1. Ifatallpossible,payrentbypersonalcheckandkeepthecanceledchecks, Thismakespaymenteasierto
provethanifyoupaybycashormoneyorder.
2. Keeprecords. Rememberalwaystokeepyourcopyoftherental agreementandallreceipts yourlandlord
givesyoufordepositsandrentpayments.
Suggestion: Startafolderofallyourlandlord-tenantrecords. Makenotesofwhenyoutalked toyourlandlord
andwhatyoutalkedabout. Keepthesenoteswith yourrecords.
3. Makealistofthingswrongwithapartment. Trytoarrangetohavethelandlordorthemanagermeetyou
attheapartmenttocheckovertheconditionoftheapartment. Ifheorshewillnotcomewithyou,have some
adultwhoisnotrelatedtoyoubeyourwitness. Makealistofallthethingsthatarebroken.stained,outof
order,ormiSSing. Includeanythingthatthelandlordormanagermighttrytosayisyourfaultwhenyoumove
out. Askthelandlordormanagertosignthelist.
Makeacopyofthelistandgiveittothelandlord. Keeptheoriginal listwith thelandlord'ssignature. Staple
orclipittoyourcopyoftherentalagreement. Ifthelandlordormanagerdoesnotorwillnot, signit, maila
copyofthelisttothelandlord.
Takephotostomakeapermanentrecord.
YOUR DUTIES ONCE YOU MOVE IN
Alandlordhascertainrightsandduties, andsodoyou. Yourdutiesare: 1)Tokeepthepremisescleanandsanitary.
2)todisposeofallrubbishandgarbageinacleanandsanitarymanner,3)toproperlyuseandoperateallelectric.
gasandplumbingfixtures,4)tonotwilfullydestroy,damage,deface,impair,orremoveanypartofthe structureor
appliancestherein,norallowanyoneelsetodoso, 5)tooccupythepremisesas adwellingandusethepremisesfor
onlythepurposesforwhichitisdesigned,6)tonotdisturbtheneighbors'quietenjoymentoftheirpremises,and7)
topayrentinfull andontime(butseelaterdiscussionconcerning"repairanddeduct"andwithholdingrent).
HOW TO GET REPAIRS MADE
Yourlandlordmustkeeptheapartmentorhouseingoodcondition. ThereareStatehousinglawsandlocalhousing
codesthatrequireyourlandlordtomaintainthepropertyingoodrepair. Ifrepairsareneeded,therearefourcommon
methodsusedtogetrepairsmadebythelandlord:
1. Askthelandlord tomakerepairs.
Ifyourapartmentneedsrepairs,firstwritealettertothelandlordorthemanager. Statewhatneedsrepairing,
andaskhimorhertohavetherepairsdone. Keepacopyoftheletter. Youshouldtrytogetthelandlordto
maketherepairs beforetryinganyothermethodofcorrection.
mustmake,therepairswithinareasonableamountoftime.,Whatisreasonabledependson the
circumstances. Iftheproblemisveryserious, suchasagasleak, atoiletthatdoesn'tflush. noheatorhot
water.oraleakyroof, thelandlordshouldactveryquickly. Butiftheproblemisnotthatserious.suchasa
tornwindowscreen,thelawgivesthelandlordmoretimetotakecareofit.
Ifthelandlorddoesnotmaketherepairswithinareasonablelengthoftime.youhavetwochoices:(1)repair
-. ityourselfanddeductthecostofrepairs fromyourrent(calledrepairand deduct),or(2)withholdyourrent.
2. Contactlocalauthorities.
Ifrepairs are notvoluntarily madebyyourlandlord. you can call the local Health Departmentor Building
Department,andaskthemtocomeandinspectthebuilding. Theywillrequirethelandlordtorepairthemajor
problems. Itisillegal forthelandford toretaliateagainstyouin anyway forcomplainingtoauthoritiesabout
theconditionofyourapartment.
3. Repairanddeduct. Becareful. Youmustdothisproperly,oryoucannotusethismethod.
Thisis abettermethodthanwithholding rent!
Thereareseveralconditions,allmustexistoryou cannotrepairanddeduct:
a. Theproblemmustbeaseriousoneaffectingyourhealthorsafety(seeexamplesbelow).
b. Youoryourfamilyoryourfriendsmustnothavecausedtheproblemneedingrepair.
c. Therepaircostslessthanonemonth'srent(partsandlaborcombined). and
d. Ifthelandlordtries to maketherepairsthatyourequested, youmustlethim orherin todoso ata
reasonabletimeofday. Onlywhenthelandlordrefusestomakerepairscanyourepairanddeduct.
Problemsaffectinghealthorsafetyincludethingslike:
(1) aleakyrooforbrokendoororwindow,
(2) plumbingthatdoesnotwork(nohotorcoldwater,plumbingbacksup.ortoiletthatdoesnotflush).
(3) aheaterthatdoesnotworkorisnotsafe.
(4) windowsthatwillnotopen,
(5) lightsandwiringthatdonotworkorarenotsafe,
(6) locksthatdonotwork,
(7) floors,stairways, andrailingsthafarenotsafe,
(8) unsanitarypilesoftrashincommonareasorrodenVinsectinfestation,
(9) notenoughcoveredtrashcans.
HOW TO REPAIR AND DEDUCT
If you meet all four of the conditions above (3a to 3d), you can pay for the repairs yourself and then deduct the cost
of the repairs from your next payment of rent.
You must first give the landlord reasonable notice that you intend to do this (give the notice in writing!) and a chance
to make the repairs himself or herself. Again, the amount of notice required depends on how serious the problem is.
Thirty days notice is almost always legally enough, but if the problem is serious enough, less notice may be sufficient.
To protect yourself, give written notice AND keep a copy of the notice.
If the landlord has not made the repairs after you gave reasonable notice, you may make the repairsand deduct the
cost from your next payment of rent. It is best to have an outside person or company do the work, and not do it
yourself. If an outside person does the work, you can deduct the cost of labor as well as mater-ials. If you do it
yourself, it is harder to justify deducting for labor (on the other hand, if you do not charge for labor, the full amount can
be spent on mater-ials). Keep the repair bills, make copies of them, and give the landlord the copies of the repair bills
along with your next rent payment, to show the landlord how much rent you are allowed to deduct.
You may use the repair-and-deduct remedy only two times in any 12-month period, no more.
You should take "before and after" pictures of the problem to have as evidence, and you should also try to have some
other adults, not related to you, look at the problem. They can be your witnesses if the landlord refuses to deduct the
repairs from your rent and tries to sue you for the unpaid rent.
4. Withholding rent. Be even more careful!
This should be your last resort. You should only consider withholding your rent if: (1) the problem that needs
repair is serious (serious means that it affects your health or safety), (2) your landlord will not make the repair
and (3) you cannot fix it with one month's rent. The same conditions apply as described under "Repair and
Deduct," except that you can withhold rent even if the cost of repairs is more than one month's rent.
5. How to withhold rent.
Your should write your landlord a letter saying that you intend to withhold rent until the repairs are made.
Keep a copy of the leUer. You can withhold all or part of your rent. YOU MUST SAVE THE RENT MONEY.
If you withhold your rent, the landlord will probably sue you in court for the unpaid rent and try to evict you for
not paying rent. If you have followed the law, you should win in court based on a "habitability" defense.
Even if the court decides that you had the right to withhold rent, the court will order that you pay the landlord
a reasonable amount of rent based on the condition of the apartment (instead of the normal amount of rent).
You must pay the amount set by the judge if you wish to stay in the apartment, and you will have not more
than five days to pay It (Maybe less). Therefore, you must save the rent that you are withholdingl Again, take
pictures, call the Health Department or building inspectors, and get witnesses to prove your case in court.
In addition to ordering that you pay only a reasonable amount of rent (essentially reducing the rent due to the
conditions), a judge can order the landlord to make repairs and can order that you pay only the reduced rent
until the repairs are made.
Withholding rent is often more effective if a group of tenants does it together. This is called a "rent strike
The landlord may be more willing to seriously listen to complaints if he or she is losing substantial rental
income. You should obtain legal advice before beginning a rent strike.
-5-
RENT INCREASES
1. Month-to-month:
UnlessyouliveinarentcontrolareaorinsubsidIzedhousing;'underanoralrentalagreementyourlandlord
can raiseyourrentbyanyamountas longasheorshegivesyouawritten30-daynotice. BUT, IFYOUR
LANDLORDWANTSTOINCREASETHERENTBYMORETHAN 10%HEORSHEMUSTGIVEYOU 60
DAYS WRITTENNOTICE. Thelandlorddoesnothave totellyouwhytherentisbeingraised. If awrItten
rentalagreementsaysso,thisnoticemaybeasshortasseven days. However.yourlandlordcannotraise
therenttoretaliateordiscriminateagainstyou.
2. Lease:
Yourlandlordcannotraiseyourrentwhiletheleaseis ineffectunlesstheleaseagreementsaysheorshe
can.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU UVE IN PUBUC OR SUBSIDIZED HOUSING OR WHERE THERE IS RENT CONTROL,
RENTINCREASES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE LAWAND THE RULES AREDIFFERENT. -TOFIND OUT IF YOU
LIVE IN A CITYWITH RENT CONTROL, CONSULTANATTORNEY.
WHEN CAN THE LANDLORD ENTER AN APARTMENT?
Yourlandlordcannotcomeintoyourhomeorapartmentwheneverheorshewantsto. Yourlandlordmustgiveyou
24hourswrittennoticeandmusthaveareasontocomein unlessitisanemergency. Yourlandlord mayenteryour
apartmentonlyduringnormalbusinesshours. unlessyouagreetootherhours.
Reasonsyourlandlordcancomein
a. Forinspection{toshowyourapartmenttoprospectivebuyersortenants, repairmen. orcontractors}.
b. Tomakenecessaryoragreeduponrepairs.
c. Whenacourtordersaysheorshecan.
d. Whenyouhaveabandonedorsurrenderedthepremises.
e. Incaseofemergency.
NOTE: THELANDLORDMAYENTERWITHOUTNOTICEATANYTIMEINCASEOFEMERGENCY (FIRE,ETC.)
ORWHENTHEAPARTMENTISABANDONEDORSURRENDEREDBACKTOTHELANDLORD.
.Ifyouhaveaproblemwithyourlandlordinvadingyourprivacy,youshouldwriteyourlandlorda letterstatingyour
complaint. AJways keepacopy. Ifthisdoesnotstoptheinvasions,youmightwanttoseeanattorneyforadvice.
_.
CALLTHEPOLICEANPSEEANATTORNEYIFYOURLANDLORDCOMESINTOYOURHOMETOTHREATEN
YOU ORDAMAGESYOURPROPERTY. YOURLANDLORDCANNOTCOMEINTOYOURHOMEFORCIBLY.
-6-
HOW TOGET YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT BACK
Youmayhavepaida"Security"or"Cleaning"depositor"lastmonth'srent"whenyoumovedintoyourapartment. You
mayhavetherighttosomeorall ofthis moneywhen you moveout, even ifyourlandlord says the deposit is not
refundable.
1. Whatisasecuritydeposit?
Anydeposit.fee,chargeorpaymentbeyondrentforthefirstmonththatyoupaidwhenyoumovedIntoyour
apartmentislegallycalled"security."
Itdoesnotmatterifthelandlordcallsitasecuritydeposit.cleaningfee. keydeposit,orlastmonth'srent. It
isallsecurityandsubjecttobeingrefundedto you. Thereisnosuch thingasanon-refundabledeposit.
2. Whatthelawsays.
a. Thelandlordcan keepallorpartofyoursecuritydepositif:
(1) Youowedrentwhenyoumovedout- (topaytheunpaidrent).
(2) YoudamagedtheapartmentbeyondnormalwearandJear- (tocoverthecostsOf'repair).
Note:atenantisnotresponsiblefornormalwearandtear.
(3) Youlefttheapartmentunclean- (tocoverthecostsofcleaning).
b. Yourlandlordisnotrequired toreturn yourdepositbefore you moveoron the dayyou moveout.
He/shemust,within 21 daysafteryou moveout, return a/l ofyoursecuritydeposit,Q.( give you a
writtenlistastohowitwasspentandreturnthe balance. Thelistmustsay:
(1) Howmuchyoudeposited.
(2) Howitwasused(forexample:cleaning,repairing. etc.), and
(3) . Howmuchwasleft. Whateverwasleftmustbereturned to youwiththelist.
NOTE:THELANDLORDCANNOTRETURNYOURDEPOSITIFHEORSHEDOESNOTKNOWWHERE YOU
ARE. GIVEHIM ORHERANADDRESSTOSENDTHEDEPOSITTO.
3. Beforeyou moveoutyou should:
a. Keepallreceiptsyourlandlordgives youforanydeposityou paid.
b. Haveawitness checkoutthe condition ofthe apartment. Ifpossible, getthesamewitnesswho
checkedtheapartmentwhenyoumovedin.
c. Takepicturestoavoiddisputesoverwhetheryoulefttheplaceingoodcondition.
d. Getthelandlordormanagertocheckouttheconditionoftheapartmentwithyouwhenyoureturnthe
keys. .
e. Giveyourlandlordanaddresswhere~ orshecansendthedepositrefund. Ifyouwanttoprotect
yourprivacy,useapostalboxorfriend'saddress.
-7-
4. Gettingyourmoneyback.
Yourlandlordmustreturn.::mymoneyyouhavecomingbacktoyoufrom yourdepositswithin threeweeks
afteryoumove. Ifyourlandlorddoesnot,youcan:
a. Writeyourlandlord:.Writeyourlandlordaletteraskingforthereturnofthemoney. Giveatimelimit
forreturningit, forexampletwoweeks. Givethelandlordanaddresswhereheorshecansendthe
mone}'. Explainthatyouhavephotographsandawitnesstovouchforyouabouttheconditionof.your
apartmentwhenyoumovedout. Keepacopyoftheletter.
b. Gotosmallclaimscourt: Ifbyyourdeadlinethelandlordstillhasnotreturnedthemoney,takeyour
landlordtoSmallClaimsCourt. Toproveyourcase,youwillneedyourphotographs. yourwitness
andthecopyoftheletteryouwrote. Youshouldalsobringyourreceiptshowinghowmuchdeposit
youpaidandyourrentreceiptstoshowyou werenotbehindonyourrent. Youshouldsuefor the
amountofthedeposit- plus$600.00. Theextra$600.00isapenaltythatthelawallows theJudge
tomakethelandlordpayyoufornotreturningyourdepositon time.
ThereisafilingfeeandafeeforserviceofthepapersinSmallClaimsCourt. IfyouarelowIncome
thefeescanbewaivedbyajudge. AsktheclerkforanApplicationtoWaiveCourtFeesandCosts
Inordertohavethepapersserved.youwillneedtobringyourlandlord'saddressWIth yOll when YOlo
fileyourpapers.
30-60-90-DAYAND 3DA Y NOTICES
Generallyspeaking, jfyoureceivea3or30-60-90-daynotice,you havethreechoices: a}complywiththenotice;b}
donotcomplyaMdefendyourselfincourtifyouaresuedforevictionbythelandlord;or,c}negotiatewiththelandlord
tocancelthenotice.changeit,orgiveyoualongertimetocomply. ThelandlordCANNOTlockyou outattheend
ofthe3or30-60-90days(See"ILLEGALLOCKOUTS"intheEVICTIONsection,below).
1. 30or50-DayNotices:
Ifyouhaveamonth-to-monthagreement.thelandlordcangiveyouawritten30-DayNoticetoQuit(leave).
orchangethetermsofthetenancy,atanytimeduringthemonthandfornoparticularreason. Aslongasthe
landlordgivesyouthefull30daysandisnotdiscriminatingorretaliatingagainstyou,thenoticeisgood.BUT,
IFYOUHAVELIVEDINYOURUNITFORMORETHANONE(1) YEAR,YOURLANDLORDMUSTGIVE
YOUWRITTEN60DAYSNOTICE.
Discrimination means the landlord is taking action against you because you are a member of a group
protectedbythelaw. Forexample,yourlandlordcannottakeactionagainstyoubecauseofyourrace, sex.
age,disability.orreligiousbeliefs. Retaliation referstoactiontakenagainstyoubecauseyouexerciseda
legalright,forexampleevictingyoubecauseyoucomplainedabouttheconditionofyourapartmenttopublic
healthauthorities.
Therearetwoimportantpointsto rememberaboutthistypeofnotice. First,yourlandlordcangiveyouless
thanthirty(30)dayswrittennoticeifyouhaveawrittenrentalagreementsayingthatthisisallright. Second,
if youdonotmoveout,paytheincrease(irent,ordowhatthenoticesaysbytheendofthetimeperiod,the
landlordcanimmediatelystartalawsuitagainstyou tohaveyouevicted. Nofurthernoticeisnecessary.
2. 90DAYNOTICES
Insomecases, tenants whoreceive Section8 assistance from the localhousingauthorityareentitled to
receiveawrittenm>DAYNOTICEfromtheirlandlordifthelandlordwantstoendhisorhercontractwiththe
housingauthority.TheSection8rulesandregulationsarecomplicated.If youhavequestionsconcerningyour
rightsasaSection8 tenant,consultanattomey.
**See"ILLEGALLOCKOUTS"belowunderEVICTIONS concerningthelandlordattemptingtolockyouout
of thedwellingif youdonotmove bytheendofthethirty, sixty,orninetydayperiod.
8-
NOTE: IFYOULIVEINSUBSIDIZEDHOUSINGORINACITYTHATHASRENTCONTROL.YOURLANDLORD
MAYBEREQUIREDTOHAVE"GOODCAUSE"TOEVICTYOU(ALEGALLYRECOGNIZED GOODREASON),
RENTRAISESMAYBERESTRICTEDANDTHENOTICEREQUIREMENTSMAYBEDIFFERENT. TOFINDOUT
IFYOU LIVE INA CITYTHATHASRENTCONTROL, ORIFYOU HAVEQUESTIONS CONCERNING Y.OUR
RIGHTSASA SECTION8TENANT,CONSULTAN ATTORNEY.
3. 3-DayNotice:
~ .. ::: ,;;.
Whencertainproblemsarisebetweenyouandyourlandlord,thelandlordcangiveyouaThree-DayNotice,
inwriting,torequireyouto~ something. Ifyoudonotcomply,thelandlordmaystarttheevictionprocess.
Therearethreebasicreasonspermittingthelandlordtogiveyouthistypeofnotice:
B. Youhavenotpaidtherent; or
b. Youareviolatingthetermsofyourrentalagreement, forexample,bykeepingpetsinyourapartment,
or
c. You arecommittinga"nuisance"on thepremises, usingthepremisesforan unlawfulpurpose, or
haveseriouslydamagedthepremises.
Iftheproblemcanbecured.thelawrequiresthenoticetobe"inthealternative." "Inthe alternalive"means
thatyouhaveachoiceofwhattodo,forexample, paytherentorquitlivingintheapartment. Iftheproblem
cannotbecured,thenoticedoesnothavetobe"inthealternative." Inthatcase,itdoesnorgiveyouachOice.
Forexample, itmightsimplytellyoutoquitlivingin theapartment.
"
If you havenotpaid the rent, the noticewill tell you to "PayorQuit" (leave)within three days. Ifyou are
violatingthetermsofyouragreement.thenoticewilltellyoutostopviolatingthetermsofyouragreementill
leavewithinthreedays.
Ifthelandlordsaysyouarecommittinga"nuisance,""acrimeonthepremises,"etc.,thenoticemaynotgive
youachoice.itwilltelfyoutoleavewithin threedays.period. This is athreeday"noticetoquit."
Ifyouhavean "in thealternative"noticeandyou dowhatitsaysduringthe3days, thenyoushouldnotbe
evicted. Ifyourlandlordtriestosueyou, youwill haveadefense. Note:Thelandlorddoesnothavetotake
yourrentafterthe3daysareup,butheorshecaniftheywantto.
Ifyoudonotcomplywiththethreedaynotice,thelandlordcan go.tocourtandbeginthecourtprocesstoevict
you.
Countingthedays: IfyoureceiveeithertypeofThree(3)DayNotice,itis importantthatyouknowhowto
countthethreedays.
Thethreedaysarecountedfromwhenyou actuallyreceive thenotice.notfromanydateyoumighlseeon
thenoticeitself.
Thelawsaysthatyouhavethreefulldaysafter,andnotcounting,thedayyoureceivethenotice. You donot
count thedayyou getthe notice. You docount weekends and holidays. Thus. jf you get the nollce on
Sunday.countMonday.TuesdayandWednesday,asyourthreedays. Ifyougelthenollceon Fnday.counl
Saturday.Sunday,andMondayasyourthreedays. Ifyou donotdowhatIhelandlordwanlsWithin those
threedays,thelandlordmaystartanevictionlawsuitagainstyou.
**See"ILLEGALLOCKOUTS,"belowunderEVICTIONSconcerningthelandlordattemptingtolockyouout
if youdonottaketherequiredactionInthreedays.
-9-
EVICTION THE UNLAWFUL DETAINER" PROCESS
"Eviction",isthe namegIven.totneJegaLproceduresa.landlordmayusetohave atenantlawfullyremovedfrom the
premises. "Unlawful Detainer"is thenameofthe lawsuitused to evict tenants. The keything to know about an}'
eviction.however.isthatitcanonlystartwith awritten3 or30.60.or90-daynoticegivento youbythelandlord (or
7-daynotice.ifallowedbyawritten agreementbetweenyouandyourlandlord.)
"ILLEGALLOCKOUTS":JEJ:HETHREEDAYSORTHE30,60,or90DAYSAREOVERANDYOU HAVENOT
MOVED,HAVENOTPAIDTHERENT,ORHAVENOTTAKENTHEACTIONDEMANDEDINTHENOTJCE,THE
LANDLORDCANNOTLOCKYOUOUTORGETTHEPOLICETOPUTYOUOUT. THELANDLORDMUSTGO
TOCOURTFIRST. ONLYA JUDGECANORDERYOUOUT.ANDONLYASHERIFF CANLOCKYOUOUT.
It is illegal for a landlord to attemptto evict a tenant by locking out a tenant, changing the locks, interrupting or
terminating utilityservices, removingdoorsorwindows, orremovingthetenant's belongings. In such a case. the
landlordcanbesuedforupto$100perdaypenaltydamages($250minimum),actualdamages(costs)tothetenant,
, courtcosts, andattorneyfees. Ifthishappenstoyou,callthepolice.Ifthepolicerefusetohelpyou,seeanattorney
immediately. .
NOTE:THEREARESPECIALLAWSIFYOU ARE RENTINGA ROOM IN THESAMEHOUSEWHEREYOUR
LANDLORDLIVES. IN SOME OFTHESE CASES, A LANDLORD CAN HAVETHE POLICE PUT YOU OUT
WITHOUTHAVINGFIRSTGONETOCOURT. CONSULTANATTORNEYIFYOU LIVEIN YOURLANDLORD'S
HOUSE.
NOTE: IFYOU LIVEIN A BONAFIDE HOTEL OR MOTEL FOR LESS THAN 30 CONTINUOUS DAYS, THE
OWNER MAY BE ABLE TO LOCK YOU OUT. THERE ARE SPECIAL RULES FOR THESE CASES. YOU
SHOULD KNOW THAT MANY PLACES CALL THEMSELVES A"HOTEL" OR "MOTEL:' BUT ARE NOT
CONSIDEREDA HOTELORMOTELUNDERTHELAW. IFYOUAREBEING LOCKEDOUTOFA HOTELOR
MOTEL,YOU SHOULDCONSULTANATTORNEY.
Ifyougeta3ora30,60,or90-daynoticeanddonotdowhatthenoticesays,thelandlordmustgotoCourtandsue
youto evictyou. Thistypeoflawsuitiscalledan"UnlawfulDetainer." Inthislawsuit.thelandlordaskstheCourttwo
things:
a. Thatyoubeevicted,and
b. Thatajudgmentbe entered againstyou foralloftheunpaidrent(ifthereisany), courtcosts, and
processserver'sfees. Ifawrittenrentalagreementsaysso. thelandlordcanalsoaskthatyou pay
attorney'sfees.
ThelandlordmayalsoasktheCourttopunishyoubyawardingthelandlordajudgmentagainstyouforthreetimes
therentdue. TheCourts,however,rarelyawardthese"trebledamages."becauseitisdifficultforthelandlordtoshow
thatyourfailuretomoveoutwas"malicious."thatis, intentionallybadandharmfultothelandlord.
1. Whathappenswhenyouaresued?
a. Youmayhire anattorney.butyoudonotneedtohaveone. Often.though, itisdifficultto proceed
withoutsomehelp. Therules arecomplicatedandyoumustputyourargumentsintoformalwritten
legaldocuments. Ifyou donotfile yourlegalpapersontime,youwillautomaticallyloseyourcase
andyouwillbeevictedquickly.
b. Youwillbe servedwithtwodocuments,aSummonsandaComplaint. The Summonswilltell you that
youarebeingsuedforUnlawfulDetainer(eviction)andthatyouwillhavefivefu!1 day:s tofileawritten
"Answer"attheCourthouse. CountthefivedaysinthesamemannerasdescnbedfortheThree(3)
DayNotice.Includingweekends,butin this case do not include court holidays. Ifthefifthdayfalls
ona holidayorweekend,youmayfileyourpaperson the nextdaytheCourtiso ~ e n Theother
documentthat you are served with is the Complaint. It tells you what the landlord wants .- the
apartment, the rent money and you evicted. Thecomplaint will also tell you what thelandlord's
reasonsfortheevictionare.
10
c. IfyougetaSummonsandComplaintyoushouldgetlegaladviceimmediately. TakeyourSummons,
Complaint, rental agreement, rent receipts, pictures. etc., with you to show the person you are
seekingadvicefrom. ActqUickly! You only have five days.
DO NOTWAITUNTILTHELASTDAYTOGETHELP!
d. Ifyouintendtodefendyourselfincourt, youmustfileawrittenanswerwiththecourtclerkand mall
acopytothelandlordorhis/herattorney. Ifyoudonotdothis,thecourtclerkcanIssuean order10
the'sheriffto evictyou immediately, without anytrialorhearing. Ifyou dofile an answer. you will
receiveanoticeofatrialdateand can presentyourdefenseincourt. The tnal datewill beIn less
thanthreeweeks.
2. What;sananswer?
An answerisawrittendocumentthatexplainstothecourtyourdefensestothelandlord'schargesagainst
you(thatis,whyyoushould notbeevicted). Defensesaredifferentineachcase,dependingonthelandlord's
claimsagainstyou. . .
Defensesmustbebasedonreasonsrecognizedbythelaw. Forexample,"I havenoplacetomoveto,"or
'" didnothavethemoneytopaytherent," arenotvaliddefenses. Noristhefactthatyouaresick,pregnant.
elderly.ordisabled.
Examplesofvaliddefenses(butnottheonlyones)are:
Youdidpaytherent, eventhoughthelandlordsaysyoudidnotdoso;
Youdidnotreceivea3-dayor30,60,or90-daynotice:.
The3-daynoticeasksyoutopaymorerentthanyouowe;
Yourapartmentisnothabitableandsoyoulawfullywithheld rent;
Youproperly"repairedanddeducted,"butwerenotgivencreditfortheworkdone;
Yourlandlordisretaliatingordiscriminatingagainstyou.
3. IfIwinorlose,whatnext?
Afteryouanswer,youwillgetanoticeoftrial. Attrial youwill getachancetopresenlyourcasetoIheJudge
Ifyouwin, you gettostay(butyoustilloweunpaidbackrent, unlessthejudgesays you donotoweback
rent). If youloseyourcase, watchout,becausethingshappenveryquickly. Remember.yourlandlordstarted
thelawsuitfortworeasons: soyoucouldbeevictedand sothelandlordcouldgelamoneyJudgmentagaInst
youfortherentmoneyowed.
a. Noticetovacate: ThelandlordwilltakethenecessarypaperstotheCountySheriffandinstruclthe
Sherifftoevictyou. TheSheriffwillcomeouttoyourapartmentwithinafewdays(sometimeslonger)
andputawritten"NoticetoVacate" on yourdoor. ItwillsaythattheSheriffwillreturninfivefulldays
andy.illphysicallyevictyouifyouarestillthere. Generally,theSheriffwillwritedownthelastdayyou
canbeintheapartment. Thiswillhelpyouscheduleyourmove.
b. Themoneyjudgment: Amoneyjudgmentisadecisionbyacourtthatsaysyouowemoneytoyour
landlord. Itusuallydoes notsaywhen you haveto payit. However. the landlordcan collectthe
moneyatanytime.
Themoneyjudgment mayormaynotbepursued byyourlandlord. . Themain thing yourlandlord
wanted was possession ofthe apartment. However. the judgment is good for ten years, and
renewable for ten more, and the landlord maytry to collect itbygarnishing yourwages orbank
accounts,orbytakingyourproperty(suchasyourautomobile,ifithassufficientvalue). Consultan
attorneyaboutyourrights if yourarebeing garnished. Thereare some kinds ofincome(welfare
payments,forexample)andpropertythatcannotbegarnished. Alawyercanadviseyouaboutwhat
todoif youarebeingwrongfullygarnished.
c. The fact that you were evicted and owe a moneyjudgment will be reported to credit reporting
agenciesandwillappearonyourcreditrecord.
4. Moving out:
If you reoeivea Notice to Vacate.Jrom.the Sheriff you:ffiust move all of-your property beforetheShenff
returns. If you do not. the Sheriff will make you and your family leave. with your property inside where you
cannot get it. and the landlord can change the locks. The Sheriff will nQ! stand by while you move your things.
This means the landlord now has your property. The law says that the landlord must give you your property
back if you pay the landlord "reasonable" fees for its storage within fifteen (15) daysfollowing your eviction.
What is a "reasonable fee" depends on the Circumstances. It could mean the same as day-by-day rent, if the
items are stored in the apartment itself. It could mean the cost of having a private moving company move and
store the items. Either way, it is very expensive.
The landlord may try to make you pay aI/ the unpaid rent before giving you back your property. While this
action by the landlord is illegal, that does not help you. You will have to sue the landlord to get your things
back and that takes time. It may be difficult to recover items that sometimes "disappear" during this process.
Thus, you should move everything out before the Sheriff returns. Plan to do so a couple of days before the
Sheriff comes in order to prevent last minute problems, such as car problems or problems getting help to
move. Moving usually takes longer than you think it will.
If you have not recovered your property within fifteen (15J days. your landlord may sell it and apply the
proceeds to the storage fees. According to the law, any money left over is supposed to be returned to you
by the landlord. If the landlord thinks the property is worth less than $500.00. he or she may do what they
want with it, and will owe you nothing!
NOTE: WHEN THE SHERIFF IS COMING, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST DAY TO MOVE YOUR THINGS. IF
YOUR TRUCK BREAKS DOWN, YOU WILL BE STUCK AND YOUR BELONGINGS WILL BE LOCKED UP.
5. What if I am not named in the lawsuit:
Only a person named in the lawsuit and writ of possession (eviction order) can be evicted by the marshal or
sheriff. If an adult person lived in the apartment on the date the unlawful detainer complaint was filed, and
continues to live there. but is not named in the complaint, he or she can file a claim with the court asking to
not be evicted and to have a right to present any defense to the eviction that he or she might have. This is
called a Claim of Right to Possession. Sometimes this is called an "Arrieta claim," after the name of the court .
case that established this right, Arrieta vs. Mahon.
AClaim of Right to Possession is filed direcUy with the Sheriff or Sheriff's office that is evicting you. It may
be filed at any time before the actual eviction, including after the trial has been held.
When filed, the claim prevents eviction. A hearing will be set in court for the judge to determine if the person
making the claim shoUld be evicted or should be allowed to answer the lawsuit and have a trial. The hearing
must be held in not less than 5, and not more than 15 days. .
To file such a claim, the person must pay 15 days rent to the court and the court's filing fee. If the claimant
cannot pay the filing fee, he or she must file a request for a court order waiving fees and costs. If he or she
cannot pay the 15 days rent, the hearing will be held very quickly (on the 5th day after filing).
The landlord can force any unnamed tenant to file his or her claim of right to possession before the case goes
to court by serving, along with the summons and complaint served on the named tenants, a document called'
a Notice of Pre-Judgment Right of Claim of Possession, posting a copy, and mailing a copy to the residence
addressed to "All Occupants in care of named Tenant." If this is done, the unnamed tenant must fill out this
form and file it within ten days. Within 5 more days, the unnamed tenant must file an answer to the complaint.
or be evicted without an opportunity to object to the eviction.
6, WhatifIreceiveanoticetovacatefromthesheriffandhavenever
beensued?
TheSheriffwouldnotpostaNoticeto Vacateonyourdoorunlessyouhavebeen sued. You maynotknow
aboutbeingsuedforseveralreasons. Forexample,aprocessservermighthaveliedand told thecourt tnal
heorsheservedyouwithasummonsand complaint,when theydidnotdoso; thepapersmayhaveoeen
servedonthewrongperson;thepapersmayhavebeen servedonyourroommatewhodidnotlellyou about
it;maybethejudgegavepermissiontopostthe summonsonyourpropertyinsteadofservingyoupersonally
Therearelotsofpossibilities.
Whateverthereason,youmustseeanattomeyimmediately! YoucannOlremedythIsproblemyourself YOI.
mustactquickly,becausethecourtprocess tocorrectthisproblemcan take afewdays. If youdonot act
quicklyyouwillbelockedout,andonceyouarelockedoutbythe Sheriff, nomatterhOwgoodyourcasemay
be, youwillprobablybeunabletoconvinceajudgetoretumpossessionoftheapartmentto you.
RELOCATlON BENEFITS
Sometimes a tenant who is being evicted, orwho voluntarily moves outafterreceiving a notice from the City or
Landlord. is entitledtoapaymentofmoneytohelpcoverthecostofmoving. Thesepaymentsarecalled"relocation
benefits,"
Statelawgenerallyrequiressuchpaymentswhenapublicbody(suchas aschoolboard,redevelopmentagency,city,
etc.)takespossessionofyourlandlord'spropertyand requiresyoutomove.
Somecities havetheirownrelocationbenefitslaw. CitylawsoftenprotectthetenantwhentheCityordersabuilding
demolished,rehabilitated.orconverted toanotheruse.
EveryCity.CountyandStatelawaboutrelocationisdifferent. Mosthavespecialrequirementsthatmustbemetto
beeligibleforbenefits. Forexample, you mightberequired to havelivedon thepremisesfora specificminimum
periodoftimebeforeyou areeligible.
NOTE: SEEKLEGAL ADVICE IFYOU BELIEVE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RELOCATION BENEFITS. ACT
QUICKLY,YOU HAVEA LIMITEDTIMETOAPPLY.
CREDIT REPORTS
Courtrecordsareclosedtothepublicfor60days. Thatmeansthatnocreditreportingagency, oranyoneelse, can
findoutaboutyourevictionbysearchingcourtfiles. After60days.though.Courtrecordsarepublicandanyonecan
readthem. After60daysyourcreditreportwillreflectthefactthatanunlawfuldetainerwasfiledagainstyou. After
a judgment has been entered, or after your case has been dismissed, your credit report will also reflect that
information.
NOTE: THECOURTMAILSEACHDEFENDANTA NOTICEENTITLED"NOTICEOFUNLAWFULDETAINER
FILING." THISISJUSTTOLETYOUKNOWA CASEWASFILEDAGAINSTYOUANDTHATFORSIXTYDAYS
NOONECANREADTHEFILEEXCEPTPARTIESORTHEIRATTORNEYS, ITDOESNOT DELAYANYTIME
LIMITS. ITDOESNOT MEANTHATYOUCANPUTOFFANSWERINGTHECOMPLAINT. ITDOESNOTMEAN
THATTHECASEISDELAYEDFOR60DAYS. ,.
NOTE: TOMAKESURETHERE ARE NOMISUNDERSTANDINGS, SETTLEMENTAGREEMENTS SHOULD
ALWAYSBEINWRITING. EACHPARTYSHOULDSIGNANDRECEIVEA COpyOFTHEAGREEMENT.
-13-
SAMPLE LETTERS
In all cases, send the original leHer to the landlord and keep a photocopy for yourself. Certified mail is not required.
but it is recommended because it allows you to get a return receipt. so that you can prove the landlord received your
leUer, and you can show the date on which the landlord received it.
14
LETTEROFREQUESTFORREPAIRS
(NoticeofintenttoRepair& Deduct)
(Date)
Dear
(Owner/Manager/Agent)
Thisletteris toinformyou thatthefollowingitem(s)at
(Address)
needto berepaired:
1.
2.
3.
YO/Jrpromptattentiontotherepair(s)willbeappreciated. FailuretodosomaybeaviolationofCalifornia<;:ivil Code
Section 1941 whichrequiresrentalpropertytobemaintainedinahabitablecondition. Iftherepairworkisnotdone
withinareasonabletime, Iwillhavethenecessaryrepairsmadeanddeductthecostfrommynextmonth'srentas
providedbyCaliforniaCivilCodeSection 1942.
Pleasecontactmeassoonaspossiblesothatwecanmakeanynecessaryarrangements.
Sincerely,
(Tenant)
(Address)
(Phone)
LETTERREGARDING UNLAWFULENTRY
BYLANDLORDORLANDLORD'SAGENT
(Date)
Dear
(Owner! Agent)
Thisletterconcernsthe entryof_______________
(Person'sname)
into th.e propertylocatedat
(Address)
UnderCaliforniaCivilCodeSection1954,alandlordmustgive written24hoursnoticepriorto enteringalenant'shome
and mayonlyenterforthereasonsspecifiedtherein. Anyentrybythelandlordmustbeduringregularbusinesshours.
Ihavehadproblemswith
(Name)
tryingtooractuallyentering myhomewithoutreasonablenotice.
PleasebeadvisedthatIexpectwritten24hoursnoticepriorto anyentryandthatentrywillbeonlyforlegallyallowable
reasons.
Ifnotice is notgiven, Iwill notallowentry. Ifanyone attempts entryorenters in myabsence. withoutreasonable
notice,Iwillpursuefurtherlegalremedies.
Sincerely,
(Tenant)
(Address) (Phone)
LETTERREQUESTINGRETURN OFDEPOSIT
(Date)
Dear
(Owner/Agent)
Thisletterconcerns thereturnofmydeposit.
Asyouknow. Iresidedat
(Address)
On -:=----:______ Ivacated.leavingthepremisescleanandin goodphysical
(Date)
condition.
Asoftoday.Ihavenotyetreceivedmy $,__________
(Amount)
deposit.nora required itemized listofanydeductions. Section 1950.5 ofthe California Civil Codestatesthat a
landlordmustreturnalldepositsnolaterthan threeweeksafterthetenantvacates. Further.CivilCodeSectiqn1950.5
(k)says:
"The bad faith claim orretention by a landlord orthe landlord's
successors in interest of the security or any portion thereof. in
violation ofthissection...maysubjectthelandlordorthelandlord's
successorininteresttostatutorydamagesofuptosixhundreddoll-
ars($600), in addition toactualdamages."
Iamrequestingaresponseandacheckin themailfrom you within fiveworkingdaysafteryourreceiptofthisletter,
sothattherewillbenoneedforfurtherlegalaction.
Sincerely.
(Tenant)
(Address)
(Phone)
THIRTYDAYNOTICEOFINTENTIONTOVACATE
(Date)
Dear
(Owner/Agent)
Thisletteristoinformyouofmyintentiontovacatethepremisesat:
(Address)
asofthirtydaysfrom thedateofthisnotice.
Iwillleavethepremisesclean.andingoodphysicalcondition.andIwillappreciatethereturnofmydepositpromptly
afterImove.Thisnoticeisintendedasaformalthirtydaynoticeterminatingmy
tenancy.
Youmayreturn mydeposittothefollowingaddress:
Sincerely,
Name) (phone)