Nils Rosenquest & Janet Portman 
California Landlord’s Law Book, The: Rights & Responsibilities 
Rights & Responsabilities

The legal information and forms every California landlord needs



Choosing tenants, raising the rent, returning deposits, and maintaining rental property—these are just a few of the things landlords do that are strictly regulated by California law. To avoid problems and hefty legal fees, rental property owners and managers need to know and comply with federal, state, and local rules, and use the proper legal forms. Fortunately, everything you need is in this book.



For more than 30 years, The California Landlord’s Law Book: Rights & Responsibilities has been the leading source of legal information for hundreds of thousands of California landlords. This edition has been completely updated to cover state and federal laws and local rent control ordinances. It includes dozens of California-specific forms, such as leases and rental agreements, all with complete, easy-to-follow instructions tailored to state law.



You’ll learn how to:



screen prospective tenants – without discriminating illegally

prepare (and enforce) leases and rental agreements

collect and return security deposits

raise the rent and change other terms of the tenancy

hire, work with, and fire a property manager

keep up with repairs and maintenance

restrict tenants from subletting or hosting short-term guests

act promptly when rent is late, and

terminate a tenancy.



All forms are downloadable through a special link in the book .

Table of Content

1. Renting Your Property: How to Choose Tenants and Avoid Legal Pitfalls

2. Understanding Leases and Rental Agreements

3. Basic Rent Rules

4. Rent Control

5. Security Deposits

6. Property Managers

7. Getting the Tenant Moved In

8. Lawyers, Legal Research, Eviction Services, and Mediation

9. Discrimination

10. Cotenants, Subtenants, and Guests

11. The Landlord’s Duty to Repair and Maintain the Property

12. The Landlord’s Liability for Dangerous Conditions, Criminal Acts, and Environmental Health Hazards

13. The Landlord’s Right of Entry and Tenant’s Privacy

14. Raising Rents and Changing Other Terms of Tenancy

15. Retaliatory Rent Increases and Evictions

16. The Three-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit

17. Self-Help Evictions, Utility Terminations, and Taking Tenants’ Property

18. Terminating Tenancies

19. When a Tenant Leaves: Month-to-Month Tenancies, Fixed-Term Leases, Abandonment, and Death of a Tenant

20. Returning Security Deposits

21. Property Abandoned by a Tenant

Appendixes A Rent Control Chart

B How to Use the Interactive Forms on the Nolo Website

Index

About the author

Janet Portman, Nolo’s executive editor specializes in residential and commercial landlord/tenant law. She is the author or coauthor of Every Landlord’s Legal Guide, Every Tenant’s Legal Guide, Renters’ Rights, Leases & Rental Agreements, The California Landlord’s Law Book: Rights and Responsibilities, and others. Portman received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and a law degree from Santa Clara University. Before joining Nolo in 1994, she practiced law as a public defender.