Landlord’s Guide to Service and Companion Animals

NOTE: This Article was authored by Ashley Peterson and published in the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division “TYL In Focus” Real Estate Edition for June 2018. The original publication can be found here: TYL In Focus June 2018 Recurring questions in leasing surround the landlord’s pet policy: If there is a strict no-pet policy in a lease or declaration …

Companion Animals and Service Animals: What a Landlord Should Know

If a landlord or a homeowner association has a strict “no pet” policy in a lease or rules and regulations, what do you do when faced with a tenant or owner who makes a reasonable accommodation request to have a service dog or companion animal in the unit? The answer is you should consult an attorney to ensure your actions …

Sharing Space by Ashley M. Peterson

Article Published in January 2017 edition of Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine To counteract the impact on long-term rental availability various jurisdictions are restricting the ability of homeowners and tenants to offer short-term vacation rentals. The concept of blindly renting a room, an apartment, or an entire house to a complete and utter stranger for a day, a week, a month …

Real Property Protections for Military Families

On December 19, 2003, President Bush signed the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act into federal law (“Act”) which expanded legal protections for servicemembers and their families from civil court and administrative proceedings initiated during periods of active duty military service. 50 USC Title 50, Chapter 50. The protections under these laws extend to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and …

What a Landlord Should Know if a Tenant is a Victim of Domestic Violence or Abuse

Effective January 1, 2016, the California Legislature amended Civil Code Section 1946.7. This code section effectively enables a tenant to break a lease agreement prematurely, without penalty, if the tenant notifies the landlord in writing that he or she is a victim of an act of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, or abuse of a dependent adult. …

No Assignment, Sublease…or Airbnb?

Airbnb is a new internet hosting platform being used by people worldwide to list their residential property, or a room, to short term guests or occupants in exchange for payment. What many landlords don’t know is that Airbnb does NOT restrict the use of the site to title owners of the property. This could potentially create problems for both landlords …