Buying makes more sense than renting in most of California.
Buying is still (almost) always cheaper than renting
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Landlords, Tenants and Property Management
Discover the legal aspects of residential and commercial landlord-tenant relationships.
Stay current on the latest news, videos, forms, and updates for Landlords, Tenants and Property Management.
Recent updates to the course e-book
The amount of security deposit residential landlords may charge have changed in 2024.
Read the new restrictions on residential security deposits.
06/25: The 2025 rules for buyer representation and fee-splitting avoidance are currently being edited into this e-book.
09/25: Updated that the three-day notice to pay rent or quit excludes weekends and court holidays.
Newly published related content
Price gouging, mortgage forbearance following wildfires
Fire season is impacting residents on a historic scale.
May a court order a property with multiple owners be sold before each owner’s interests are determined?
Summers v. Superior Court (Tan) Facts: Three property owners co-own a property. The owners disagree on the percentage of each owner’s interests. The first owner is granted a partition action to divide the property according to their interests and sell it, but the...
Is a landlord liable for unintentional damage to a holdover tenant’s personal property?
Multani v. Knight Facts: A landlord leases a commercial property to a tenant. When the lease term expires, the landlord modifies the lease for a month-to-month tenancy, all of the other terms remaining the same. The tenant defaults on rent and is served with a...
May rent report
Rent growth slows in May while prices rise.
May a city prohibit a landlord defying the Ellis Act from re-renting previously vacated rental units?
Read about how landlords can comply with the Ellis Act.
California home to nation’s least affordable rentals
Six of the ten least affordable markets for renters are in California.
Is a landlord’s time-sensitive notice based on the landlord’s business hours?
Hsieh v. Pederson Facts: A residential tenant owes several months of unpaid rent to the landlord. The landlord serves the tenant with a 14-day notice to pay rent or quit, which specifies an address to mail payment to and hours during which the landlord is physically...
Letter to the editor: How does a landlord enforce a Section 8 contract?
Question: How does a landlord in California enforce a Section 8 contract? Answer: Landlords accepting Section 8 housing vouchers generally follow the same procedures as with non-housing voucher tenants, with a few extra steps. First some background: What is Section 8...