Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

You have to pay for whatever the lease calls for you to pay. In my leases I pay trash and my tenants pay all other utilities. As for insurance, if the lease agreement says you pay for it, you have to pay for it. Remember, however, that the landlord can change the terms of the lease any time the lease comes up for renewal, and unless you are under a local rent control ordinance, there are no limits on the changes. If you are month-to-month, the landlord can change the terms any time with 30-days notice, just as you can move out any time you want on 30-days notice. It is essentially a new contract every 30 days. As for your landlord changing from homeowners' to renters insurance, I don't follow that. She can't get renters insurance for a property she owns, and renters insurance will not cover the dwelling or her for any liability. It only covers the renter's personal property and the renter's premises liability.