Author: timothymccandless

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation When the property you rent is sold to a new owner, your lease and tenant rights don’t disappear. California law imposes obligations on both the selling landlord and the new buyer that protect your tenancy through a sale and beyond. Understanding these protections prevents displacement that is often…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Utilities — electricity, gas, water — are essential services that landlords cannot shut off as a way to force tenants out. California law specifically prohibits utility shutoffs by landlords as a form of self-help eviction, and utility companies have independent obligations to provide service continuity when landlords attempt…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Renter’s insurance is one of the most valuable and least expensive protections available to California tenants — yet millions of renters go without it. Understanding what it covers, what it costs, and why it matters in the context of California tenant rights helps you make an informed decision…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation The Justice Foundation Tenant Defense Kit is designed to empower tenants to handle most housing situations independently. But there are circumstances where professional legal representation is necessary — when you’re in court facing an experienced landlord attorney, when a wrongful eviction case has substantial damages, or when discrimination…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation In California, a landlord cannot remove a tenant from a rental unit except through the court eviction process. Changing the locks, removing the tenant’s belongings, shutting off utilities, or any other action designed to force a tenant out without going through the legal process is illegal — called…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation Millions of California rental units were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned, or before 1981, when asbestos use in construction was restricted. Tenants in older buildings have specific rights regarding disclosure of these hazards, and landlords have specific obligations to address them that go beyond ordinary…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation California law limits what landlords can charge in late fees, and many lease provisions imposing late fees are unenforceable under current law. Understanding the legal standard for late fees — and how to challenge excessive ones — prevents you from paying unlawful charges that your landlord has no…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation California tenants have the right to organize collectively — to form tenant associations, communicate with other tenants in their building, and engage in collective action to address shared concerns. Landlords who interfere with tenant organizing face significant legal consequences. Understanding your right to organize — and how to…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation “Substantial remodel” evictions — where landlords claim they need to renovate the unit in a way that requires tenant displacement — are a recognized just cause under AB 1482 but come with strict requirements designed to prevent their use as a pretextual eviction tool. Understanding exactly what qualifies…

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation California tenants have the legal right to organize collectively — to form tenants’ associations, meet with other tenants, and engage in collective action to address housing conditions and landlord practices. These organizing activities are specifically protected from retaliation under California law, and landlords who attempt to punish organizing…