Subject Guides

This guide provides information on landlord-tenant issues in Santa Cruz County.

Local Agencies

The following local agencies provide information and referral information as well as counseling on landlord-tenant issues. Bilingual staff may be available. Visit the Community Information Database (CID) for more agencies.

Related Websites:

• California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)
  CRLA provides no-cost legal services, educational workshops, and community outreach to California's rural poor.
• Conflict Resolution Center (CRC)
  CRC offers public workshops, mediation services, group facilitation, and consultation to individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits in Santa Cruz County.
• Senior Citizens Legal Services
  Free legal advice and representation for seniors.

Self-Help Websites

These websites offer information and self-help resources for common landlord and tenant issues.

Related Websites:

• California Courts Self-Help Center
  This site provides questions and answers on landlord and tenant topics, free publications, useful web links, and legal forms.
• California Office of Consumer Affairs
  This site offers legal guides for common landlord and tenant situations.

Books

The following books are available in the Santa Cruz Public Library system.

Books:

• California Landlord's Law Book: Evictions
  by Brown, David Wayne
  
  Includes information on preparing notices, filing an unlawful detainer complaint in court, winning by default if the tenant doesn't respond, handling a contested case, representing yourself in court, dealing with eviction delaying tactics, and collecting the unpaid rent after you win.
  
  
• California Landlord's Law Book: Rights and Responsibilities
  by Brown, David Wayne
  
  Includes information on leases & rental agreements, security deposits, dangerous conditions, rent control, repairs & maintenance, discrimination & privacy, and evictions.
  
  
  
  
• California Tenants' Rights
  by Brown, David Wayne and Portman, Janet
  
  Information on understanding and negotiating a lease, inspecting a rental before you move in, fighting discrimination, getting needed repairs and maintenance, dealing with a nosy landlord, breaking a lease with minimum fall-out, getting your security deposit back, figuring out rules for rent increases, and fighting an eviction.
  
  
• Every Landlord's Legal Guide
  by Stewart, Marcia
  
  Includes information on choosing tenants, preparing a lease or rental agreement, collecting and returning deposits, avoiding discrimination charges, hiring a property manager, keeping up with repairs and maintenance, minimizing liability, dealing with problem tenants, and more.
  
  
• Every Tenant's Legal Guide
  by Portman, Janet and Stewart, Marcia
  
  Includes information on inspecting a place before you move in, negotiating a lease or rental agreement, putting roommate relationships on a sound legal footing, understanding key rules on rent increases and rent control, getting needed repairs and maintenance, protecting your privacy, fighting illegal discrimination, breaking a lease with minimum financial liability, getting your security deposit back, and understanding and preparing for eviction proceedings.
  
  
• Leases and Rental Agreements
  by Stewart, Marcia
  
  Includes information on preparing a lease or rental agreement, tailoring your documents to meet your needs, making required disclosures, complying with your state's laws on security deposits, privacy rules and discrimination, checking tenant references and credit, doing a final inspection when the tenant moves out, and more. Some forms are in Spanish.
  
  
• Renters' Rights: The Basics
  by Portman, Janet and Stewart, Marcia
  
  Information on leases and rental agreements, discrimination, rent, security deposits, privacy, roommates, repairs and maintenance, and more.