How to Create a Solid Lease Agreement in San Diego

Did you know that apartment building owners in San Diego need to provide their tenants with a California Association of Realtors Lease Agreement or similar? In this bilateral contract, you also have to make sure that you define the clauses clearly that adhere to the Judicial Branch of California. Moreover, the lease agreement should be fool-proof in protecting your interests. With an apartment rental property management company in San Diego, such as Beach Front Property Management, you won’t face any risk of lease violation when you draft new lease agreements.

Apartment rental property management: How it helps create a better lease agreement

1. Residents per Unit

In San Diego, it’s essential that every adult living in a rental unit must sign the lease and adhere to the responsibilities stated on the legal contract. If one of the adults fails to pay rent, the owner of the unit can seek full payment from the other occupant.

2. Term of Lease

A lease must have a starting and ending date. It can be month-to-month for one year or more. Without specifying this duration term clearly, it’ll be difficult to evict tenants when they break any lease clause.

3. Security Deposit

A security deposit is an amount paid to the owner of a unit other than the advance rent payment. It covers the damages to the property during the tenancy and protects the landlord if the occupant violates any lease.

However, the Judicial Branch of California has put limits while procuring this amount from the tenant. The tenant has to pay 2 times the monthly rent for a residential property without furniture. For a furnished apartment, the tenant has to pay 3 times the rent. Such rules have to be stated in the lease agreement.

4. Repairs and maintenance

The lease agreement must clearly state the tenant’s responsibilities in maintaining the property. Tenets such as paying for damages due to neglect, keeping the property clean, and notifying the landlord of any dangerous condition must be included in the contract.

It’s also the duty of a property owner to state the potential hazards at the property. Otherwise, if the tenant is injured, the owner is liable for it. Ideally, any defect should be fixed before the occupant moves in.

5. Termination of tenancy notice

When the lease is about to end, it’s the property owner’s responsibility to provide written notice under the California Civil Code. If it’s a month-to-month lease agreement, the tenant who has resided less than a year must be provided with a 30-day notice period. On the other hand, when the leaseholder lives for more than a year, the owner should provide a 60-day notice period.

Choosing Apartment Rental Property Management

For any residential property in San Diego or California, it’s essential for owners to understand what goes into creating a perfect lease agreement as outlined above. If you are a new property investor in the city, feel free to consult Beach Front Property Management.


Trevor Henson

Trevor Henson is an experienced entrepreneur (10+ highly-successful start-ups) and property investor with a demonstrated history of building and leading teams in investment property management environments, maximizing returns for property owners, and optimizing properties through construction management and re-positioning. He…
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