{"id":371800,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:29","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/california-law\/california-leases-and-rental-agreements-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:50:56","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:50:56","slug":"california-leases-and-rental-agreements-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/california-law\/california-leases-and-rental-agreements-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"California Leases and Rental Agreements Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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California Leases and Rental Agreements Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

At one time or another, most of us have been on one side of the landlord-tenant relationship<\/a>. Each state makes its own landlord-tenant laws, therefore, each state\u2019s requirements for drafting and enforcing lease and rental agreements<\/a> differ. Read on to get a brief overview of the laws governing these agreements in California, and the key things you should know before signing a lease or rental agreement.<\/p>\r\n

State and Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws<\/h2>\r\n

Even before a landlord-tenant relationship is formed, note that both California and the federal government impose anti-discrimination laws on the tenant selection process. This means that when deciding whether or not to lease to a potential tenant, a landlord may not discriminate based on the tenant\u2019s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status or disability; special accommodations for senior citizen housing, familial status or disability.<\/p>\r\n

Key Lease and Rent Agreement Terms<\/h2>\r\n

Once a tenant is ready to sign a lease, there are certain terms and information that must be included in the final written agreement. Some of these terms include:<\/p>\r\n