Landlords can charge potential occupants a screening or application charge, however there are limits to just how much. Prospective renters must receive a copy of their credit report if the property manager obtained one, a receipt showing the cost of the screening, and a refund of any unused part of the cost. To find out more, consisting of the current screening fee limit, see our Tenant Screening Fees page.

Make sure you can pay for the rent

Signing a fixed-term lease might obligate you to pay the lease for the whole term, unless there is a truly excellent reason to leave, like significant habitability problems. If you vacate before the lease ends, you may be held accountable for paying rent if the owner can not re-rent the system before the lease period expires. See our Lease Breaking page for additional information.

Check if the unit has defenses under the Rent Ordinance

Most rentals in Berkeley are either fully or partly covered by the Rent Ordinance, however some units are completely exempt from any securities. It is very important to understand what rights you'll have as a tenant. Check our Is Your Unit Covered by Rent Control? page for information about protections and different exemptions for various kinds of systems. You can also contact us to inquire about a particular system.

Understand the regards to the lease before signing

It's important to plainly understand what you are accepting before accepting the terms of a lease. While often only the property manager can clarify what a proposed lease term means, we can assist recognize problems so that you are able to ask the best concerns. Common problems are:

Last month's rent: Ask the property manager if the last month's rent will be used. Be clear on what the proprietor's intentions are with all money gathered (beyond the first month's rent) at the beginning of an occupancy. If you have actually a composed lease, this need to be clearly defined.

Discounted lease: For systems with rent control, decreased, totally free, or marked down lease should be factored into the base lease ceiling for a new tenancy. For example, if a proprietor and occupant consent to a lease of $2,000 monthly for a new occupancy with a 12-month term, however the tenant receives one month of complimentary rent, the base lease ceiling for the unit would be $1,833.33, which is the average of the month-to-month rent payments produced the preliminary lease term ($ 22,000/ 12 months). In this example, beginning the month following the expiration of the preliminary lease term, the optimum lease the property manager could charge would be $1,833.33.

Spending for utilities: For occupancies that started on or after February 6, 2024, a proprietor may charge a tenant in a fully covered system for energies just if either: the cost of the utilities belongs to the base lease, or the utility service is separately-metered and the lease requires the occupant to position the energy in the occupant's name. A landlord who is charging a renter for utilities individually from lease on or after February 6, 2024, may submit a petition with the Rent Board to add the typical expense of utilities to the rent ceiling. Rent ceiling increases need to be made through the petition process, but the celebrations can ask to waive the hearing if they agree on the boost, and the contract and evidence sent with the petition satisfy certain requirements. See our Rent Adjustment Petitions page for information.

Get a signed, composed copy of your lease and receipts for all payments

California law needs your proprietor to give you a copy of your lease, so you must ask for a copy of the property manager hasn't offered you one. It's likewise important to get receipts for any payments that you make, especially if you pay in cash.

Notice of Tenant Rights

For tenancies that began on or after December 20, 2024, within fifteen days of the start of the tenancy, your property manager must provide you a written notification containing the following details: The existence of and scope of the Rent Ordinance; the occupant's right to petition versus particular rent increases, if suitable; whether the unit is exempt from lease control; and any other partial exemptions which may exist. If the residential or commercial property has an interior typical area that all occupants have access to, the landlord should publish the notice in the common location. The Rent Board has produced a Notice of Tenant Rights for Fully Covered Units and a Notice of Tenant Rights for Partially Covered Units that your property manager can use.

Document any problems with your unit

- Document in composing to the property manager any issues with the unit, and keep copies of your documentation for yourself.

- Have a buddy, neighbor, or other neutral party witness the condition of the rental unit.

- Take date-stamped images of any damage so that you have the ability to document the condition of your house when you moved in. Send them to your property owner.

- If the system exists in a condition that does not live up to the original rental agreement (for instance, if the owner promised to fix a problem but did not), you should document this also-- in composing, in addition to images if possible-- right after moving in.


When Your Lease Expires

Most of the times, you do not have to vacate simply due to the fact that your lease expires

Rentals that are fully or partly covered by the Rent Ordinance have excellent cause for expulsion protections. The expiration of a fixed-term lease is not excellent cause for expulsion, so your property owner can not make you leave even if your lease ends.

If your property manager asks you to sign a brand-new lease

Since November 2024, you do NOT have to sign a brand-new, considerably similar fixed-term lease upon expiration of the present lease if your landlord asks you to. After the lease ends, it instantly transforms to a month-to-month contract under the same terms of the original lease when your property manager accepts your rent. A property owner can never need an occupant to sign a lease that changes any material term of the initial lease. Examples of product terms:

- Lease period

- Security deposit amount

- Space offered

- Services supplied

- Late costs


Vacating

When written notice of move-out is needed

State law needs that the tenant offer a minimum of thirty days' composed notification to the property manager if the renter is terminating the occupancy. This does not use to tenants preparing to leave at the end of a fixed-term lease; because case, occupants should inspect their lease and follow any notice requirements recognized in the lease.