Question One: What is the procedure when a tenant, in mid–lease, is suspected of abandoning an apartment unit? Answer One: You should serve a notice to enter the dwelling. You may choose the reason that you are entering the unit to determine if the premises have been abandoned. If you do not have a key…
Question One: I have a tenant that has filed a claim against me. He tripped in the swimming pool area. I truly believe that he has faked his injury. My insurance company is in the process of investigating this claim. It should be noted that for the last year, this tenant has never paid his…
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished If you allow a guest to stay on your property for 30 days, your guest will gain possessory rights to your property. This is true even though no rent was charged. The police will not assist you in forcing this guest to move. In addition, it would be considered a…
What is Costa-Hawkins? For landlords, and truthfully for the entire economy, Costa-Hawkins is a very good law. In 1995, the State of California enacted a law that stopped cities from imposing rent control on new construction, single family homes, condominiums and townhomes. It prevented municipalities from instituting rent control for buildings constructed after 1995. If…
Question One: I have an old friend from high school who is homeless. I have allowed him to live on my front porch. My house is located inAlhambra. Things have not gone well and he has become a nuisance with constant noise and bathroom issues. I have asked him to leave and when he refused…
Early Lease Termination If a tenant vacates during the lease term, this person is responsible for the remaining portion of the lease. A landlord must attempt to mitigate damages by attempting to lease the premises to another person. Once the premises have been leased, the original tenant’s obligation is cut off. There is an exception.…
Question One: I was wondering if there is a legal procedure for holding a unit. This is my situation: I have a prospective tenant who would like to give me a deposit to move in two months from now. I have never done this before, but feel this tenant would be a good fit for my building.…
Question One: My rental is undervalued and I am planning to bring the rent up to market level. I am also planning on increasing the security deposit at the same time. What do I do if the tenant only pays the new rent and refuses to pay the increase in the security deposit?
Guests Staying Over 30 Days If you allow a guest to stay in your home or unit for 30 days, you will not be able to just lock them out. Calling the police will not remedy the situation. Guests that you allow to occupy your property for 30 days become a “tenant at will”. The…