Fair Housing
Federal and California state laws prohibit housing discrimination. It is
illegal to deny housing to an individual on the basis of race, religion,
national origin, sex, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, or
disability.
Renter's Insurance
Renter’s insurance protects a tenant against property losses, such as losses
from fire or theft. It also protects a tenant against liability (legal
responsibility) for many claims or lawsuits filed by the landlord or others
alleging that the tenant has negligently (carelessly) injured another person or
damaged the person’s property. Carelessly causing a fire that destroys
the rental unit or another tenant’s property is an example of negligence for
which you could be held legally responsible. You could be required to pay
for the losses that the landlord or other tenant suffers. Renter’s
insurance would pay the other party on your behalf for some or all of these
losses. For that reason, it’s often a good idea to purchase renter’s
insurance. Renter’s insurance may not be available in every area.
If renter’s insurance is available, and if you choose to purchase it, be
certain that it provides the protection you want and that it is fairly
priced. You should check with more than one insurance company, since the
price and type of coverage may differ widely among insurance companies.
The price also will be affected by how much insurance protection you decide to
purchase. Your landlord probably has insurance that covers the rental unit or
dwelling, but you shouldn’t assume that the landlord’s insurance will
protect you. If the landlord’s insurance company pays the landlord for a
loss that you cause, the insurance company may then sue you to recover what it
has paid the landlord. If you want to use a waterbed, the landlord can
require you to have a waterbed insurance policy to cover possible property
damage.
Lease Conclusion
At the conclusion of a fixed term lease, if the tenant remains in possession and
continues to pay rent, the tenancy is presumed to be renewed on a month to month
basis, with all the terms of the original lease intact {Civil Code Sec.
1945}. Otherwise, the landlord is entitled to possession at the conclusion
of the term and may bring eviction proceedings if the tenant fails to move out
{Civil Code of Procedure Sec. 1161}.
