Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

Re: Lease, Rent, Los Angles

The landlord does not have to give you a written lease. Without one, you are a month-to-month tenant under an oral lease agreement. No need to worry, except he can terminate your tenancy on 30 days notice for no reason whatsoever, so a lease with a term of more than 30 days would be beneficial to you in that respect. Otherwise, you need to remember that a term-lease (one of more than month-to-month) runs both ways, and you would not be able to terminate that lease early. The benefit to you of no written lease is that the landlord cannot technically charge you late fees, nor can he collect attorneys fees if you get sued by him for eviction. There are pros and cons on each side of having a lease, and not having a lease. You are more than free to make any complaint you want, but remember that (1) you can be evicted on 30 days notice for no reason - complaining about little things that don't affect habitability invite eviction, and (2) the landlord is only required to repair items that affect the habitability of the property, or that were in working order when you moved in, but have, through no fault of yours, stopped working. A slowly draining shower can be any number of things - I would let the landlord know of the problem, and advise him that you are going to run Draino down the drain to see if it will clear. Try that before he has to call a plumber out.

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Re: Lease, Rent, Los Angles

In California, the renting of an apartment can be month to month or a specific term beyond that. Your rights as a tenant do not depend upon how long the term is or whether you have a written lease or not. You should complain about a malfunctioning shower as soon as it occurs. You shuld ask whether they are going to give you a written lease or not. If the manager will not respond, tell him you wish to speak to the owner. But remember, if you get the manager angry he might take it out on you.