Sheila James, an office worker, starts her week by rolling out of bed at 2:15 am to get to her job in downtown San Francisco by 8:00 am. Because of high rental rates in the Bay Area, she moved to Stockton, where she can rent a 3-bedroom house for $1,000 a month. She...
You believe your home has a serious violation of the housing code. But you’re not certain. How can you tell? “Substantial” compliance is the standard used by the courts. Landlords are not required to have their properties in perfect, aesthetically pleasing...
As an attorney defending residential tenants, I find that each case has unique details. Knowing which details are important when arguing a case can be the difference between winning and losing. That’s why I keep track of court opinions, which I write about...
The landlord or his realtor presents you with a document asking you about the details of your lease. The document might be called “Rental Questionnaire” or a “Statement of Tenancy.” Be careful. It could be a tenant estoppel. Tenant estoppels legally certify facts...
You come home one evening and see a sign on your building. It’s for sale. Or you hear a rumor from another tenant. You google your building’s address, and up it comes on some real estate company’s website. As a tenant, are you in trouble? Take a deep breath. The first...
Details are important. They can make or break your case. That’s why, when you’re in a dispute with your landlord, it’s important to know the rules and regulations. In Azar v. Rodriguez, the landlords did not know the details. Or if they did, they chose to ignore them....
