Landlords & Tenants: Renting in California

 Whether you’re combing Craig’s List for the perfect apartment, or you’re embarking on the potentially lucrative investment of leasing your own property, there are a few basic things both tenants and landlords should know before diving in. The California Department of Consumer Affairs defines the landlord as “a person or a company that owns a rental unit.” They go on to explain: “the landlord rents or leases the rental unit to another person, called a tenant, for the tenant to live in. The tenant obtains the right to the exclusive use and possession  of the rental unit during the lease or rental period. Sometimes, the landlord is called the owner, and the tenant is called a resident.”

Both the landlord and the person renting the unit will come to the table with certain responsibilities, all defined in the Residential Lease or Month-to-Month Agreement. Landlords are responsible for pre-screening any rental applicants to ensure that the person who ends up moving in will behave responsibly, keep the property clean, and always pay their rent on time. Tenants have the right to inspect the unit for damage before they sign anything, they have the right to timely property repairs, and the right to advance notice if the landlord needs to enter the unit (unless it’s an emergency, of course).

To learn more about everything from hold deposits and lease terms to fair housing organizations, take a look through this helpful California Tenants’ & Landlords’ Guide

Renting to multiple people? Managing multiple rental properties? Use PDFfiller’s editor to turn your California Residential Lease or Month-to-Month Rental Agreement into a template that you can use over and over again. Learn more about creating templates here.

Click here to complete and sign your CA Residential Lease or Month to Month Rental Agreement