Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Santa Barbara

Find the right Tenant attorney in Santa Barbara, CA

Tenant Law in California

The relationship between a landlord and tenant in Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara, 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.

They additionally 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 Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara, 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.

Additionally, tenants have rights to common areas that are free of physical obstructions, as well as serious health and safety hazards. Common areas are the places in apartment buildings and other residential complexes which every tenant can access, and include hallways, stairwells, and fire escapes. In Santa Barbara, California, these areas must be kept in a safe condition, at the landlord's expense.

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. Moreover, 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 usually 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 Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara, California attorney can help you protect your rights.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California is a city in Santa Barbara County, where it also serves as the county seat. It currently has a population of about 88,000 people.

Santa Barbara, California is known for being host to one of the very few military engagements of World War II to occur on the continental United States. In 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced off the coast of Santa Barbara, and fired several shots at the Ellwood oil refinery. There were no injuries. Although there was no evidence that collaboration or espionage by any U.S. residents played a role in the attack, the incident was used by the government to justify the internment of Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast, a decisions which is now remembered as one of the low points in America's history.

After World War II, many of the servicemen who served in the war, and disembarked from Santa Barbara, California moved into the city permanently. This caused a population boom. Many of these servicemen went on to college, and became successful professionals in Santa Barbara, California, some of them lawyers.

If you live in Santa Barbara, California and are in need of an attorney, it's very likely that there's a Santa Barbara, California attorney who can provide assistance.

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