Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in San Rafael

Find the right Tenant attorney in San Rafael, CA

Tenant Law in California

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

There are various 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 San Rafael, 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.

They also have a right to compensation for any damage that a tenant causes, beyond ordinary wear and tear. Landlords are free to bill the tenants for repairs to damage they caused, and deduct the cost from the security deposit.

Tenant's Rights in San Rafael, CA

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

Furthermore, tenants are entitled to common areas that are reasonable safe and sanitary. The common areas of an apartment building would contain lobbies, laundry rooms, stairwells, hallways, and fire escapes (essentially, any part of the building which all of the tenants can access). In San Rafael, California, these areas must be kept reasonably clean and safe.

In the United States, and most likely under the laws of California, it is unlawful for renters or sellers of real estate to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, color, or religion. Doing so can subject a landlord to harsh civil penalties. Also, they cannot discriminate based on physical disabilities, either. Tenants with physical disabilities, who are otherwise qualified to rent an apartment (they are able to pay, have good credit, etc.) are entitled to make reasonable modifications to the apartment to make it more accessible to them, and the landlord generally can't bar a tenant from doing this, as long as the modifications are not too extensive, and are reversible. The landlord can, however, require the tenant to remove the modifications, at the tenant's expense, when they move out.

Lastly, the laws of most states safeguard tenants from unfair eviction. In general, as long as a tenant is paying rent on time, and is not damaging the unit, they cannot be evicted before the term of the lease expires, unless there is a very good reason to do so (such as excessive noise caused by the tenant, or illegal activities in the apartment).

Can a San Rafael, California Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

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

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Life in San Rafael

San Rafael, California is a city in Marin County, which lies north of San Francisco, at the other end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Its population is currently about 58,000 people.

The area now known as San Rafael, California was originally populated by members of the Coast Miwok tribe of Native Americans.

Modernly, San Rafael's economy is one of the major centers for the entertainment industry outside of Hollywood. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars series of films, did most of his early work in San Rafael and the surrounding areas. Nowadays, it is still a center of the entertainment industry, but it focuses more on the high-tech aspects of the business, like special effects. A large number of software companies (particularly game developers) also have headquarters in San Rafael.

As a result of this, there are many lawyers in San Rafael who have developed sophisticated practices around the entertainment industry. Of course, San Rafael, California lawyers can also handle a wide range of other legal issues. If you need legal advice in San Rafael, there's probably a San Rafael, California attorney who can help.

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