Below are questions asked by rental property owners regarding California rent control laws, followed by answers provided by eviction attorney Dennis Block.
Question 1: I have a tenant who has resided in my building for over five years. When he moved in, he brought in his own refrigerator. He now informs me that it has broken down and expects me to purchase a new one for him. He claims that there is a new law in California where landlords are forced to supply a refrigerator and a stove. Am I forced to buy a new refrigerator?
Answer 1: Under a new California law (AB-628), landlords are now required to supply a stove and refrigerator for any tenancy that commenced or renewed as of January 1, 2026. Since this tenancy was initiated prior to that date, you are not required to replace this appliance. This would clearly be your tenant’s responsibility.
Q2: My tenant has installed surveillance cameras on the outside of my apartment building. He ran a small electrical cord to power them, which goes into his apartment through a small hole that he created. I have asked him to immediately remove this camera, but he refuses. He claims that for the security of his family, he must be allowed to leave this camera in place. He explained that a burglary occurred just in an adjacent building. How can I get him to remove these cameras? Also, my building is subject to Statewide Rent Control.
A2: Clearly, your tenant does not have the right to place anything on the exterior of your building. In addition, he does not have the right to drill holes. You will need to serve your tenant with a Three-Day Notice to Perform, which will demand that the cameras be taken down and that the hole be patched. Under the guidelines of the Tenant Protection Act, after the notice expires, you are required to serve a Three-Day Notice to Quit. Thereafter, you can commence an eviction if the tenant does not comply.
Q3: I recently leased my single-family home in the city of Los Angeles. The lease was on a month-to-month basis. It has been three months, and the tenant has paid all her rent timely and has followed the terms of the rental agreement. My problem is her attitude. Every time I communicate with her, she is downright nasty and insulting. She seemed really nice when she moved in, but that has now changed 180 degrees. Is there any way that I can evict her? I know that my property is subject to the Just Cause Ordinance and that good cause is required to evict a tenant. Other than her attitude, she is following the rental agreement.
A3: You are in luck, due to the fact that you leased this property on a month-to-month tenancy. Under the Just Cause Ordinance, good cause is not required during the first six months of the tenancy. I would immediately issue a 30-Day Notice to Quit. Do not accept rent for the following month, and you should proceed with an eviction if the tenant does not vacate. For properties subject to the Just Cause Ordinance, I recommend only doing a month-to-month lease agreement for this exact reason.
Q4: When a tenant moves out, what can I deduct from their security deposit? The tenant left the place dirty and with some damage. What deductions are allowed, and what are my deadlines?
A4: You may deduct from the security deposit for:
- Unpaid rent
- Repair of damage beyond normal wear and tear (e.g., broken windows, large holes in walls, destroyed flooring)
- Cleaning to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it was at move-in
- Restoration or replacement of furnishings if the lease allows it, and only for damage beyond normal wear and tear
Deadlines and process:
- Within 21 calendar days of the tenant moving out, you must:
- Provide a written, itemized statement of deductions
- Return any remaining deposit balance
- If the deductions total $125 or more, you must include copies of receipts and/or a good-faith estimate for work that hasn’t been completed. In addition, under the new law, you must include photos of the premises after the tenant vacates and once all work is completed.
Q5: I recently lost an eviction action based on non-payment of rent. My property is located in the City of Los Angeles and is under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO). The tenant owed three months’ rent when I initiated the eviction. I lost the case on the basis that interest on a security deposit had not been paid on a yearly basis. The judge stated that my notice was overstated and ruled against me. Where do I go from here?
A5: Under RSO, a landlord who collects a security deposit must pay interest on a yearly basis. The Los Angeles Housing Department has a chart of the amount of interest to be paid for each year. You should calculate the interest and immediately send a check to the tenant in that amount. At the same time, you should issue a Three-Day Notice to Pay Rent for the current amount owed. For your information, I have created an RSO Interest Calculator that will compute the amount that is owed in interest. That can be found at: https://www.evict123.com/rso-interest.
Q6: My tenant, pursuant to the terms of the lease, is required to do the gardening. This is a single-family home in Culver City. The front and back yards are completely overgrown and in desperate need of attention. I have mentioned this to the tenant on a couple of occasions, but he just ignores me. How should I handle this?
A6: Since this is a provision in your lease agreement, you should serve your tenant with a Notice to Perform or Quit, demanding that he clean up the front and back yards. Since your property is in Culver City, there are additional requirements. Your notice must be a Ten-Day Notice To Perform or Quit. In addition, you need to send a copy of the notice and the proof of service, by certified mail, to the Culver City Housing Division located at 9770 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. After the notice expires, you will next need to serve a Three-Day Notice to Quit to your tenant. That notice should also be sent to the Housing Division in the same manner. Thereafter, you will be able to file your eviction action if the tenant does not comply.
It should be noted that Culver City is on a mission for landlords to lose their eviction cases, based on these additional requirements.
As a practical matter, I would never require a tenant to do the gardening, as the job will never be performed. When setting the rental amount, I would build in the cost of a gardener.
Q7: My tenant turned the living room into a 24/7 “podcast studio” and interviews people loudly at three a.m. They claim it’s ”content creation” and therefore protected. Is there a social media exception I missed in the law?
A7: Being a content creator doesn’t override quiet hours. If the lease restricts noise or disturbances and prohibits business use, you can enforce it. The law prioritizes the neighbors’ right to sleep over the desire to talk about crypto at three a.m.
Dennis Block, of Dennis P. Block & Associates can be reached for information on landlord/tenant law or evictions by calling (800) 77-EVICT (38428), or by visiting www.evict123.com. Now, you can also read Dennis Block on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dennisblock. Landlord Tenant Radio Weekly Podcasts
can be heard at any time at www.EVICT123.com.