Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Malibu

Find the right Tenant attorney in Malibu, CA

Tenant Law in California

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

There are several 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 Malibu, 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 Malibu, CA

Tenants, most basically, have a right to a habitable apartment. After all, this is what they're paying for. Malibu, California landlords are obligated to see that the units they rent to tenants are fit to be lived in by people. Many various defects might render an apartment uninhabitable, such as serious infestations and other problems with sanitation, lack of running water or electricity, or failure to provide adequate protection from the outside elements.

In addition to habitable living spaces, tenants also have a right to reasonably safe common areas. Common areas include lobbies, hallways, and stairwells - basically anything that everyone living in an apartment complex has access to. These common areas must meet the building standards of Malibu, California, and must not contain any unnecessary safety hazards.

Under federal and California law, tenants are also entitled to protection against discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, marital status, or gender. Such discrimination can lead to severe civil penalties against the landlord. Landlords further cannot discriminate against tenants based on physical disability, and have to make reasonable accommodations for physically disabled tenants. For example, they have to allow disabled tenants to make minor physical alterations to the unit (at the tenant's expense) to make it more accessible. Now, they don't need to allow the tenants to have the building remodeled. We're just talking about things like installing handrails in the bathroom, and similar things. The landlord can, however, require tenants to restore the apartment to its original condition, at the tenant's expense, once the tenant leaves.

Finally, tenants are legally protected from arbitrary eviction. Landlords typically must have a very good reason to evict a tenant before the lease agreement reaches the end of its term (at this point, they are of course allowed to decline to renew the lease). Of course, if the tenant breaches the lease agreement (such as by failing to pay rent, damaging the property, or violating other reasonable rules the landlord has put in the lease), the landlord, like a party to any other contract, is free to terminate the agreement and evict the breaching tenant.

Can a Malibu, California Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, chances are that you want to avoid conflict. But if you do end up in a seemingly irresolvable conflict with the other party, a Malibu, California attorney can help you protect your rights.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Malibu

Malibu, California is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California. its population is approximately 12,700 people.

Malibu is one of the most affluent cities in Los Angeles County, with a median household income of over ,000 per year.

Malibu is best known for its beaches. The presence of these beaches, and their quality, caused the value of beachfront property in Malibu, California to soar, with people from all over the country scrambling to take up residence there. Over the past several decades, this created a boom for real estate brokers, and Malibu, California real estate attorneys.

Malibu, California is home to several popular art festivals and art museums, including a branch of the Getty museum.

If you live in Malibu, California and need a lawyer, you're in luck. There are many very successful and sophisticated lawyers in Malibu, California who can help.

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