Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Los Gatos

Find the right Tenant attorney in Los Gatos, CA

Tenant Law in California

The relationship between a landlord and tenant in Los Gatos, California can sometimes be a touchy one. Landlords and tenants are not always clear on their respective rights and responsibilities.

There are many rights and responsibilities that landlords and tenants have. It's important that each party is aware of their rights, and the rights of the other party. By knowing and respecting these rights, the risk of conflict should be reduced dramatically.

Landlord's Rights in Los Gatos, CA

The most important and most obvious right that a landlord has is the right to timely payment of rent from the tenant. This, of course, means that the tenant has a duty to pay rent.

Landlords also have a right to be free from damage to the rented unit. Tenants are expected not to damage their dwellings, intentionally or negligently. Landlords can deduct the cost of repairs from the tenant's security deposit. In general, tenants are not accountable for damage resulting from ordinary wear and tear.

Tenant's Rights in Los Gatos, CA

The most basic right of a tenant is the right to a living space that's fit for human habitation. This is, after all, what they're paying the landlord to provide. Landlords in Los Gatos, California are under a legal duty to make sure that their apartments are habitable. There are many factors that are considered in determining if an unit is habitable or not, but, generally, an unit will not be deemed habitable if it lacks any of the following: running water, electricity, heat, and protection from the elements (such as proper insulation, and windows that close).

Additionally, tenants are entitled to common areas which are reasonably safe and clean, and free of physical obstacles. Areas such as lobbies, hallways, stairwells, and fire escapes must comply with the building codes of Los Gatos, California. Additionally, any other unreasonable safety hazard, even if it doesn't violate a specific provision of a building code, can create liability for the landlord if it injures a tenant.

Tenants also have rights, under federal and California law, to not be victims of racial, ethnic, or gender discrimination in housing, whether they are renting or buying. Additionally, landlords are not allowed to discriminate against tenants based on physical disabilities. They must also allow physically-disabled tenants to make reasonable modifications to the apartment to make it more accessible. However, the landlord can require tenants to remove those modifications and restore the property to its original condition once the tenant moves out.

And finally, most state laws prevent landlords from arbitrarily evicting tenants. If the lease agreement is for a set period of time, the landlord typically can't evict the tenant until the lease expires, without a good reason. Valid causes for eviction include unpaid rent, illegal activities on the property, damage to the building caused by the tenant, and excessive noise.

Can a Los Gatos, California Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Landlords and tenants normally prefer to avoid getting into fights with one another, for obvious reasons. A harmonious relationship is profitable for everyone involved. To that end, the advice of a good Los Gatos, California landlord/tenant attorney can help defuse arguments before they become too serious.

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Life in Los Gatos

Los Gatos, California is a city in Santa Clara County, in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population is currently about 25,000 people. "Los Gatos" is Spanish for "the cats." The name refers to the mountain lions which used to roam the area.

The nearest large city to Los Gatos is San Jose. It is also a fairly short drive from the other major Bay Area cities of San Francisco and Oakland, meaning that residents of Los Gatos, California have access to a wide variety of amenities and job opportunities that these three large, and very different, cities offer.

Being located in the Silicon Valley region of California, several high-tech companies, including Netflix, ImageShack, Cryptic Studios, among others, are headquartered in Los Gatos, California.

Thanks to the presence of companies like those, many national and international law firms have Silicon Valley offices, many of them close to Los Gatos. Of course, you don't need to be able to afford the rates charged by a large law firm to get quality legal representation in Los Gatos, California. There are many quality and affordable Los Gatos, California lawyers who can help you with almost any legal issue you might be facing.

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