What to Prepare before the Court Hearing (for Tenants)

A tenant in California is someone who leases or rents a property. A tenant occupies a rental property and pays rent to the landlord or the owner of the property being leased. Tenants obtain the right to the exclusive use and possession of the rental property during the rental period. Sometimes, a tenant is also called a renter or resident. If you’re a tenant in need of legal assistance, don’t hesitate to connect with a San Francisco tenant lawyer. Call us at (415) 562-0504 to schedule a consultation.

Rental Agreements in San Francisco, California

Before renting a rental unit, you and the landlord must enter into a rental agreement. In the rental agreement, it states your right to live in the rental property. The tenant’s right to possess and use the landlord’s rental unit is called a tenancy. A rental agreement indicates the number of days between the rent payments or the rental period. For example, a contract indicates whether you’d have to pay rent every 15 days or 30 days. A San Francisco tenant lawyer can help you asses your rental agreement with your landlord. Call our law office today at (415) 991-6078 to schedule a consultation. The most common type of rental agreement is a monthly rental. Called a month-to-month tenancy, a tenant has to pay rent each month. Some rental agreements require a tenant to pay weekly rent. The rental agreement expires at the end of each period the tenant has paid rent and is renewed by the next payment. The length of time between the rental period also determines three things:

The schedule of rent payments

The length of advance notice the tenant must give to the landlord and vice versa if one of them decides to end or terminate the tenancy

The length of advance notice the landlord must give a tenant if the landlord decides to change the terms in the rental agreement (except for changes in rent)

If you have concerns about the rental agreement, don’t hesitate to call our San Francisco real estate law firm at (415) 991-6078 to schedule a consultation with our tenant lawyer.

Leases in San Francisco, California

As a tenant, you should also know about what’s inside a lease agreement. A lease indicates the length of time the lease will be in effect. For example, it should show whether your contract is good for six months or one year. Oral leases are considered legal. However, if the lease is for more than one year, the agreement must be in writing. Do you have questions about lease agreements in California? Call a San Franciso tenant lawyer at 415-562-0504 to schedule a consultation.

Real Estate Disputes?

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Tenant’s Basic Legal Rights

In California, tenants have basic legal rights no matter what the rental agreement or lease indicates. These rights include:

Limits on the amount of security deposit the landlord can ask from the tenant

Limits on the landlord’s rights to enter the rental property.

The right to refund the security deposit or a statement report of how.the landlord used the money

The right to sue the landlord if there are violations of the law, the rental agreement, or lease.

The right to repair the unit and to deduct certain repair costs from the rent under certain circumstances

The right to withhold rent

Protection against retaliatory eviction from the landlord

Every rental agreement and lease requires that the landlord and tenant deal with each other fairly and in good faith. If you have concerns about short-term rental services, rental agreements, or leases in California, an experienced San Francisco tenant lawyer can provide legal advice. Call our law firm today at (415) 562-0504 to schedule a consultation.

Fair Housing Rights in California

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits landlords from discriminating against tenants based on certain traits such as:

Race or national origin

Color

Religion

Age

Sex or gender identity and expression

Familial status (including pregnant women and parents or legal custodians with children under the age of 18)

Marital Status

Disability

Citizenship or immigration status

Occupation or Source of Income

If you have concerns about your landlord, don’t hesitate to seek legal advice from a competent tenant lawyer in California.Call our San Francisco law firm at 415-562-0504 to schedule a consultation.

What is Prohibited?

Under California state laws, a landlord is prohibited from taking the following actions based on the protected classes listed above:

Refusing to rent or to make housing available for the tenant.

Providing different conditions, terms, and provision of services and facilities.

Falsely denying that a rental unit is available for inspection, rental, or lease.

Refusing to make necessary modifications or accommodations

Landlord-tenant relationships aren’t supposed to be difficult, but sometimes certain issues arise, such as habitability issues or eviction. If you’re having trouble with your landlord, or if you need clarifications on certain landlord-tenant laws, call our San Francisco tenant lawyers at (415) 562-0504 right away.

Protection for Tenants with Disabilities

In California, if you or someone in your family:

Has a physical or mental disability that limits your major life activities such as hearing, physical or visual impairments, alcoholism, mental or emotional illnes, and AIDS

Is regarded as having such a disability

A landlord cannot:

Refuse to make necessary and reasonable modifications to the rental property so the disabled person can live comfortably.

Refuse to make necessary and reasonable accomodations in policies, rules, or services so the disabled person can use the rental unit

For instance, if you’re a visually impaired tenant and you have a service dog, a landlord can’t refuse renting out a property to you based solely on their “no pets allowed” policy. A physically-impaired tenant can also request a reserved parking space near their apartment even if the apartment complex offers tenants unassigned parking spaces. If you have concerns regarding your rental unit, our San Francisco tenant lawyers can provide legal assistance. At Steven Adair MacDonald & Partners, P.C. we have extensive experience in handling landlord-tenant disputes and other real estate law issues. Call our San Franciso law firm today so we can plan a successful legal strategy for your concern.

Connect with a San Francisco Tenant Lawyer Today!

If you’re a tenant in California, and you want to know more about your rights, don’t hesitate to connect with our San Francisco tenant lawyers at Steven Adair MacDonald & Partners, P.C. Our experienced attorneys can provide realistic solutions to your landlord-tenant concerns about rent increase, the eviction processs, and more. Call our San Francisco real estate law firm at 415-562-0504 to schedule a consultation.