Ask an Attorney Questions for March Perspectives

Question: If a person with a disability wants to move in to one of our rental units (i.e. a person in a wheelchair) are we responsible for installing the bars in the bathrooms, wheel chair ramp, or any other needs at our expense?

Answer: You are required to allow the resident to make the modifications at the resident's expense. You may also require the resident to pay to have the unit restored to its original condition, unless the modifications would be of use to any resident.

Question: I just served a Three-day Notice to Pay or Quit. Does the three days include weekends or just business days? If the tenant moves within the three days still owing rent, what is the next step?

Answer: If the three-day notice expires on a weekend or holiday, the period is extended to the next business day. This means that if the third day is Saturday, the resident may still pay rent on Monday, and if it is not paid, an unlawful detainer action may be filed on Tuesday. If the resident moves out and the security deposit is not sufficient to cover outstanding rent and damage to the unit, you may file a small claims court action to recover any additional amounts you are owed by the tenant. You must still provide the itemized disposition of security deposit within 21 days after you have regained possession of the unit.

Question: Does the Owner/Landlord have to provide Rental Agreements in other languages if the Tenant is non-English speaking?

Answer: California law only requires the provision of a contract, i.e., the rental agreement, in Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean, if the contract is negotiated in that language. If you negotiate in English, you may provide the contract in English.