Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

I have been in a verbal agreement rental for 1.5 yr BUT, I * do * have emails back & forth to & from the housemate / landlord stipulating that I was paying him. At first he wanted 400 /month. Then he demanded 1250 /month. Sometimes I ended up paying 400, sometimes 680, sometimes 850, sometimes 950, sometimes 700. Because he wouldn't put anything in writing, I took pictures of the $, & the money & envelope wi/ a date on the envelope & emailed the pictures to the lieutenant here at the local police dept , so I had proof. I still have all the pictures on my camera. This has been going on for 1.5 yr. Also, I paid for all his food, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, toothpaste, toilet paper , benadryl, zylitol nose spray, afrin (up to 10 a month) etc. & I fixed his computers several times. Not to mention, since Dec of 2010 there has been no heat. Now, he is making me go to laundromat. He has demanded sex for the 1.5 yr. When I refused today, he said I have 30 days to go. Do I have recourse ?


Asked on 3/25/11, 11:35 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

It sounds like you are a lodger, not a renter. Unless he rents to more than one lodger, he only has to give you 30-days notice. You have legal recourse if you can prove the sexual demands, but you are literally in a he-said she-said situation on that.

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Answered on 3/26/11, 6:57 pm


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