While most property owners strive to meet their obligations, disputes inevitably arise. Most of them can be addressed through negotiation, but conflicts may end up in court. Here are some common lease-breach claims I encounter in my practice representing landlords in tenant disputes. Anthony Burton helps those renting residential real…
Alexys Watson, rightly or wrongly, has filed dozens of Section 8 discrimination lawsuits against real estate agents and landlords across the Los Angeles area (including one of our clients). It’s a situation where landlords who may be, or may not be, discriminating against her because of her income are being…
As an Orange County landlord, you have rights when a tenant does not hold up their end of the rental agreement. When problems arise, if you can’t resolve the situation, you may need to go to court to protect your property and income. Here are five common reasons landlords sue…
Summer brings longer days, warmer weather, and changes in how we live at home. Residential landlords in Orange County may also see a predictable upswing in certain problems: noise and nuisance complaints, unauthorized guests, and questions about cooling systems. Anthony Burton helps those renting residential real estate facing conflicts with…
Security deposits, like many aspects of renting residential property, are heavily regulated in California. California statutes state what you should do, when, and how. You could play fast and loose with the rules and skirt around the edges. But if you get into this bad habit, chances are good that…
You can evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent, whether they’re willing and able to pay what you’re owed or not. Tenant advocates complain this makes rental assistance programs less effective because there’s no point in coming up with back rent if it won’t be accepted. But landlords need the…
April isn’t just a time when Spring goes into full swing. It’s a time when the state government adds to your “to do” and “not to do” lists. Here are the latest requirements and prohibitions for California landlords. Prohibited Fees Starting April 1, tenants can’t be required to pay you…
Fact or fantasy? An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm can do a better job of picking tenants than you can. A recent lawsuit shows that AI screening tools need a lot of improvement. Blindly following their suggestions may not only result in you missing out on a perfectly good tenant, but…
Klosed Properties of New York has a tenant that no landlord would want. Thanks to New York law, he can stay in what Klosed plans to be a 52-unit apartment building (it operated as an illegal hotel before Klosed bought it for $15.5 million in 2021) in Manhattan. Sixty-four-year-old Eric…
You don’t often see landlords sentenced to that kind of jail time for crimes related to their business, but this story is proof it can happen. Fifty-nine-year-old David Merryman may not walk away from the federal prison system until he’s 76, assuming he lives that long. Landlord Accused of a…
