Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Concord

Find the right Tenant attorney in Concord, CA

Tenant Law in California

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

Tenants and landlords have several legal rights and responsibilities. In general, these rights don't conflict with one another, as long as both parties are clear about what they are, and act accordingly.

Landlord's Rights in Concord, CA

Landlords are, of course, entitled to collect rent from their tenants. If a tenant fails to pay the agreed-upon rent, the landlord is normally able to evict the tenant without too much trouble, though the process can sometimes get fairly complicated.

Moreover, landlords can bill the tenant for any damage they cause to the unit, whether it was intentional or negligent. The costs of repairs for such damage can be deducted from a tenant's security deposit, but it should be noted that tenants aren't responsible for usual wear and tear, over which they have little control.

Tenant's Rights in Concord, CA

Most basically, tenants have a right to get what they're paying for: a dwelling fit for human habitation. To this end, landlords have to ensure that the units they rent meet Concord, California's minimum standards for habitability. These requirements are typicallyy not difficult to meet. They include basic amenities such as running water, electricity, a working phone line, heating, and protection from the elements.

Moreover, 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 Concord, California. Moreover, 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 severe civil penalties against the landlord. Landlords additionally 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.

Tenants are also legally protected 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 Concord, California Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Tenants and landlords always want to avoid getting into any serious disputes - these disputes interfere with the tenant's living arrangement, and the landlord's business. In short, they help nobody. While a good Concord, California attorney can certainly help his or her client prevail in such a dispute, they may be more valuable for their ability to help prevent such disputes from escalating in the first place.

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Life in Concord

Concord, California is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California. It has a population of over 122,000 people, making it one of the largest suburbs in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Concord was founded in 1869, and was originally named "Todos Santos," meaning "All Saints." Adjacent to Concord, California is Port Chicago - a major Navy supply depot. In 1944, it was the site of one of the biggest naval disasters to ever occur on the U.S. mainland. Sailors were loading munitions onto a large cargo ship.

The munitions on the ship detonated, causing a massive explosion, killing 320 sailors and civilians - most of them African-American. This led to over 200 African-American sailors refusing to load munitions due to unsafe working conditions, resulting in the largest mutiny trial in U.S. Navy history, in which 50 men were convicted. Thurgood Marshall, a lawyer and future Supreme Court justice, sat in on most of the proceedings and claimed that they were prejudiced against the defendants. The men were sentenced to long prison terms, but were released after a few years. These events led to the Navy hastening its desegregation plans, and making efforts to improve working conditions.

Several lawyers from in and around Concord, California were likely involved in these proceedings.

If you live in Concord, California, and are in need of legal advice, the lawyers of Concord, California can help. A Concord, California attorney can probably assist you with virtually any legal issue you're likely to face.

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