California Tenant/Landlord Rights and Responsibilities

Week One of Unit - May 11-15, 2020

Instructions​:​ Copy and paste this worksheet into your Final Warm-up document in Schoology.
Click the link to watch each video. After you have watched the entire video through, go back and
read each question below the video link. Rewatch the video a second time, stopping as needed to
answer each question. Highlight your answers in ​yellow​. Feel free to use this ​slideshow ​as an
additional resource.

Monday, May 11: ​California Rental Law Basics​ ​be prepared to pause the video often to answer
the questions below):

1. What is the difference between a landlord and a tenant?

2. What is a standard lease agreement?
3. How long is a standard lease agreement and how commonly used is it?
4. What is a month-to-month lease? How is this different from a standard lease agreement?
5. If on a month-to-month lease, how many days’ notice must you provide to your landlord
before terminating your lease?
6. If on a standard lease agreement, how many days’ notice must you provide your landlord
before moving out?
7. What disclosures does California law legally require the landlord to provide?
8. How many hours’ notice must a landlord provide the tenant before entering the property
for repairs or non-emergency reasons?
9. How many hours’ notice must a landlord provide the tenant before entering the property
for move out inspection?
10. In California, what is the maximum security deposit a landlord can request if the unit is
furnished?
11. If the unit is unfurnished, what is the maximum security deposit a landlord can request?
12. By law, how many days does the landlord have to return your security deposit?
13. What are the three legally accepted causes for eviction in California?

Tuesday, May 12:

Nine things to know before signing a lease​ (​be prepared to pause the video often to answer the
questions below):

1. Why should you read through the entire lease before signing it?
2. Why is it important to check whether your landlord lives nearby?
3. What are the three clauses you should be looking for in your lease?
4. A sublet, sometimes called a sublease, is a contract under which a tenant rents out their
apartment to another individual while their name is still on the lease. As the tenant, why
would you sublease your apartment and what are the benefits?
5. Before signing the lease, your landlord asks you to Venmo her the security deposit. Is this
a red flag? Why or why not?
6. As a potential tenant, why should you document any issues you observe in the unit, be
them big or small? How can you document these issues?
7. PRovide three examples of issues you should document when touring a unit.
8. What is a severability clause? Why is it useful?
Wednesday, May 13:
What is a security deposit?​ (​be prepared to pause the video often to answer the questions below):

1. What is a security deposit?

2. What is the typical amount of a security deposit? (How many months’ rent?)
3. What does the landlord use the security deposit for?
4. What is the silver lining when initially paying a security deposit?
5. Where does the landlord store the funds from your security deposit?
6. Is the security deposit the same as renters’ insurance? Why or why not?
7. Can your landlord use your security deposit to repair damage on the property you did not
cause? For example, if a leak in the ceiling caused water damage during rainy months?
8. How do you get your security deposit back?

Thursday, May 14:

Take a look at this ​website​ that provides an overview of tenant rights and answer the questions
below.

1. What are the two forms the rental agreement can appear as?
2. What are the three other names a security deposit can be called?
3. What is the “warranty of habitability” and what does it include?
4. What is the one exception where the landlord can discriminate against children?
5. When the landlord rents out their unit to you, what privacy right does the landlord also
sell you?
6. Under Civil Code Section 1954, what are the two reasons your landlord can enter your
unit?
7. What is a late fee and why is it charged?
8. Civil Code Section 3302 clearly defines the amount of damage incurred from a late
payment. What does this law state?
9. Is there an official or legal grace period for missed rent payments?
10. Are you legally allowed to break a lease? If you do break a lease, what are the
requirements and ramifications?

Friday, May 15:

Take a look at this ​sample lease agreement​ and answer the questions below:

1. Who is the landlord and who are the tenants?

2. When does the lease begin? Is it a month-to-month lease or a standard year lease?
3. How much is the rent?
4. How much is the security deposit?
5. What two payments is the initial payment comprised of? What is the total initial
payment?
6. Is the tenant allowed to sublease the unit?
7. What utilities is the tenant NOT responsible for?
8. Is there assigned parking for this unit? If so, what is the number of the parking space?
9. What two conditions of the premises are the tenants responsible for?
10. What is the charge for failing to pay your rent on time?
11. As defined by this lease agreement, what is the landlord’s right of entry?
12. What is outlined in the termination of lease agreement?