Customer Reviews

California Tenants' Rights (California Tenants' Rights, 14th ed)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Roof leaking? Sure, you can repair the problem and deduct it from your rent, but what if the landlord responds with an eviction notice? There is a lot of bad advice out there. Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something. Know your rights! This book will keep you on the right side of the law.

If your landlord is a jerk and you want to know what he (or she) can legally do or not do, this book will help. It will also give you some idea of when to go for professional help. It is of less help in figuring out what to do before you have to bring in the lawyers. I found it very helpfull to leave this book on the coffee table when my nosy landlord was snooping around my apartment. Apparently bad landlords don't like it when tenants know their rights.

Overall the book is good but there is a huge omission that has to be corrected. While there are sample forms in the book there is no sample notice to terminate tenancy. In fact, there is no information at all about what a tenant's notice to terminate should look like. This is an enormous problem and has to be corrected.

The Landlord's version of this book is much more complete. It includes a CD with PDF files for printing notices, etc. This Tenant's Rights books needs a CD with forms, including notice, to be included.

I received this book from Amazon just in time- after being homeowners for 25 years, we're about to become renters until we relocate out of California.
This book will be an indispensable resource in helping us negotiate our lease conditions, protect our rights, maintain a smooth relationship with our landlord.
This book is very comprehensive- I haven't yet found a question it can't answer. It even details select local city and county laws protecting tenants rights.

Highly recommended!

If you cannot purchase the latest edition from Amazon -- not something that is as out-dated as this one -- then go to a physical bookstore and buy or order the latest edition from it. California's state codes for tenants and landlords have been amended several times since 1989. If Nolo cannot keep up with the changes, it should get out of the business of publishing books about California tenants rights (and for landlords, as well).

To pick good tenants, a landlord sometimes has think like one. I selected this book to get a feel for what concerns tenants might have. It has a decidedly different perspective than Every Landlord's Legal Guide.

In reading through this book, I found several interesting points. Landlords looking to sell a place have to abide by certain rules, similar to providing advanced notice before entering the property. Foreclosure's effect on tenants is equally devastating, but covered to some degree. Recent laws provide some protection for tenants in bank-owned properties. And tenants have several ways of staving off evictions. The Landlord's Legal Guide provided information on Answers to evictions but did not cover Motions to Quash or Demurrers. I hope I never get first hand experience with any of these, but it is good to know.

In addition, while the Landlord's Legal Guide provided some guidelines about California, this book goes into detail on Californian rental laws. It covers rent control and eviction protection ordinances. This book is highly recommended for tenants and also recommended for landlords in California.

This is not my first Nolo series book, but I find them all to be easy to read and understand, as it is casually explained. This one is printed much bigger and is easier to read and includes many forms that would, one day, may become necessary while living as a tenant.

While there's definitely things that are common sense in here, or you can panic and look up a particular issue when the problem actually occurs, this book is definitely a good guidance support to have whether it's your first time moving in or living as a tenant for awhile. Your rights could even be violated and you might not even know it or care; but knowledge is power, and having books like these can be a major asset. I really had no clue when it came to tenant's rights/etc. but this definitely makes me feel comfortable on what to do and look at for (as is the case with most Nolo books). Although for specific issues, laws can definitely differ, but having a general knowledge/idea is better and one step forward in moving in the right direction than being completely oblivious that there is even a problem to begin with.

Why be in the dark and unprotected when for a small investment for the price of this book, you'll get far more for your money than seeing a lawyer, and know how to protect yourself from bad landlords.

You just can't beat "Nolo's" books. From their Divorce books to books on how to create a Living Will and Trust, they get 5 stars, and this book, "California Tenant's Rights' is no exception.
Well thought out, well organized, and filled with information a renter in California should not be without.

Nolo is well known for its clearly written do-it-yourself guides to handling legal issues. I've used many Nolo products in the past and have always found them to be informative and practical. "California Tenants' Rights" is no exception.

Anybody who rents an apartment or house in California will find this book to be an invaluable resource. The text is very comprehensive, with guidance for all of the important activities in renting: finding properties, signing leases, dealing with roommates, requesting repairs, resolving conflicts, and moving out.

As with just about all Nolo publications, this book is organized in a very straightforward way and is written in a clear, clean style. Each chapter covers a broad topic, such as All About Rent, Security Deposits and Last Month's Rent, or Evictions. After a brief introduction, the text explains the key principles underlying each topic and helps you figure out your legal rights and responsibilities.

Bottom line: "California Tenants' Rights" is a reliable, no frills-no hype guide. I strongly feel that all renters (and prospective renters) owe it to themselves to pick up this book. Five stars.

We have actually been in the unfortunate position in the past of locking horns with a landlord over a dispute concerning repairs we wanted. We had looked up California law on the subject, and we had even consulted with our attorney on the matter. What we hadn't counted on, was that the landlord might just shrug their shoulders and agree that there was a problem, but they didn't agree with us to the extent/urgency of the problem, nor did they agree with some of the options the law said we had. California law said we had the right to go ahead and have the repairs made ourselves, giving us the option to pay for that, and then deduct the cost out of the rent. The landlord told us in no uncertain terms that if we do that, we would be evicted. Our attorney then told us that they had the deeper pockets, and while we were fighting the eviction we would be losing money in court, and have been blacklisted from renting anywhere else in town due to an eviction on our record. So, we folded and just put up with it.

I got this book hoping for tips on what one can REALLY do to actually fight that kind of situation. And they discuss those issues in chapters 6, 7 and 14, but not what to do if you really want to FIGHT for your rights. Our current landlord is actually very nice, and we are no longer in that sort of situation. But, it would still be nice to have the information. Unfortunately, that is exactly the kind of situation they send you to their website for, or tell you to hire an attorney for. So, why get the book?

Well, the book does cover ALL aspects of California Tenant Law. Of course, laws are updated pretty much yearly, so any law book is already close to being out of date on some issues almost as soon as it is printed. But, still, a lot of the core material is right at your finger tips, and sorted nicely. The chapters cover:
01. Sites and the rental process
02. Home sharing
03. Rent details and rules
04. Discrimination
05. Privacy
06. Repairs and Maintenance (big)
07. Repairs and Maintenance (small)
08. Modifications & Satellite Dishes
09. Inuries and landlord insurance
10. Environmental hazards
11. Crimes
12. Breaking a lease, and lease issues
13. Deposits and security holdings
14. Evictions
15. Rental insurance
16. Condos
17. Lawyers, mediation, and research
Appendix: Forms

So, there is a lot of information there. This could be a good gift for your 18-25 year old, or a refresher course for yourself, if you don't know all of the laws. However, if you are in a bad situation, and you want to fight, know that this book doesn't really help you with that. It only educates you on what you can fight about. For the actual process of fighting for your rights, it generally refers you to their website, or to hire an attorney. So, caveat emptor.