Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Mission Viejo

Find the right Tenant attorney in Mission Viejo, CA

Tenant Law in California

The relationship between a landlord and tenant in Mission Viejo, California can occasionally be a touchy one. Landlords and tenants are not always clear on their respective rights and obligations.

There are numerous 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 Mission Viejo, CA

The most important and most noticeable 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 Mission Viejo, CA

Tenants, most essentially, have a right to a habitable apartment. After all, this is what they're paying for. Mission Viejo, 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.

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 Mission Viejo, 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.

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 grave 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 instance, 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.

Tenants are also legally safeguarded from unfair eviction. Before a lease agreement expires, landlords cannot evict tenants unless they breach as significant term of the agreement by not paying rent, causing serious damage to the property, engaging in activities that are a nuisance to the other tenants, or engaging in illegal activity on the property, among other things.

Can a Mission Viejo, California Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

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

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo, California is a city in Orange County, California. Its current population is estimated to be about 93,000 people, making it one of the largest master-planned communities built under a single plan in the United States.

Mission Viejo, California's economy is dominated by Saddleback College, a community college located in the city. With over 2,000 employees, it is the largest employer in Mission, Viejo, California. The community college is attended by a large number of students who plan to go on to four-year universities. Some of these students go on to graduate school, and become Mission Viejo, California attorneys.

Another major employer in Mission Viejo, California is the local healthcare system, which employs over 1,000 people, such as doctors, as well as administrative personnel, including lawyers.

If you live in Mission Viejo, California and are in need of legal advice, you would do well to contact a Mission Viejo, California attorney as quickly as possible.

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