WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO UH HAVE A HABITABLE RENTAL HOME

@turbotenant

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Why it worked

The video provides practical, legally relevant information for landlords, addressing a common pain point and offering actionable advice. The clear explanation of tenant rights and landlord responsibilities, coupled with a strong recommendation for documentation, makes it highly valuable for the target audience.

Summary

The video explains the legal definition of a habitable rental property in California, outlining conditions like lack of running water, electricity, or heating that can render a property uninhabitable. It emphasizes the importance of landlords conducting thorough condition reports with photographic evidence before a tenant moves in to protect themselves from potential legal issues and tenant claims.

Structure

1Defining habitable rental property standards
2Listing uninhabitable conditions (water, electricity, heating, mold, sewage)
3Explaining tenant recourse for uninhabitable conditions
4Highlighting the importance of condition reports
5Advising landlords to document appliance condition with photos and tenant signatures

On-screen text

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO UH HAVE A HABITABLE RENTAL HOME FOR A RENTAL PROPERTY TO BE CONSIDERED LEGALLY UNINHABITABLE UH THERE'S A HANDFUL OF CONDITIONS THAT WOULD'VE TAKEN PLACE ONE IS NO RUNNING WATER NO ELECTRICITY NO HEATING ESPECIALLY IN COLD COLD WEATHER A- ANY ANY SORT OF STRUCTURAL HAZARD MOLD- MOLD IS DEFINITELY A SEWAGE BACKUPS SO BASICALLY A GOOD WAY TO IF YOU WOULDN'T WANNA LIVE IN THAT PROPERTY AS THE LANDLORD IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO THE CONDITION OF IT THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IT'S LEGALLY UNINHABITABLE FOR THE RENTER IF IT'S LEGALLY UNINHABITABLE THINGS LIKE UH REPORT THE VIOLATIONS IF IF THERE'S SOME AUTHORITY TO REPORT IT TO THEY CAN WITHHOLD RENT THEY CAN DO REPAIRS THEMSELVES AND DEDUCT THE COST FROM RENT UH THESE THINGS IT'S DIFFERENT STATE BY STATE BUT THIS LEGAL CATEGORY IS PRETTY IN-INTENSE AND THAT'S WHY THIS REFRIGERATOR AND STOVE REQUIREMENT FEELS KIND OF WEIRD IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN NO RUNNING WATER AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER REASON BECAUSE YOUR TENANT DOES HAVE ALL THIS RECOURSE RIGHT- RIGHT TO REPORT THIS IT'S ANOTHER REASON TO JUST BE ON TOP OF IT- MM-HMM RIGHT AS A LANDLORD SO THAT IT DOESN'T GO TO THAT UH RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE GETTING REPORTED ONLY WITH AN UNHAPPY TENANT BUT YOU'RE DEALING WITH YOUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITY MUNICIPALITY'S HOUSING THE ONE THING THAT THE REFRIGERATOR AND THE STOVE REQUIREMENT DOES MAKE ME THINK ABOUT IS HOW IMPORTANT CONDITION REPORTS ARE BECAUSE THERE ARE SITUATIONS DAMAGE THE STOVE AND IT NOT BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND YOU DON'T WANT SUDDEN TO BECOME A HABITABILITY ISSUE AND SO THE SUGGESTION IS DO A REALLY THOROUGH WALKTHROUGH AND CONDITION REPORT BEFORE YOUR TENANT MOVES IN MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOCUMENTING VIA PHOTOS AND NOTES THE CONDITION OF ALL ALL OF YOUR APPLIANCES HAVE YOUR TENANT SIGN THAT CONDITION REPORT SO THEN IF THERE ARE ISSUES THAT COME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LEASE PROVE THIS WAS IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION WHEN THEY MOVED IN

Original caption

California just dropped new laws requiring landlords’ rentals to uphold a certain standard to classify as a habitual rental. Those standards now include having running water, electricity, a working stove, a working refrigerator, etc. Have you ever lived in a rental that doesn’t pass that test and if so, what did you do about it? #renterrights #californialaw #longtermrental #housingmarket #RentalProperty

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Transcript

What does it mean to uh have a habitable rental home for a rental property to be considered legally uninhabitable? Uh, there's a handful of conditions that would've taken place. One is no running water, no electricity, no heating, especially in cold, cold weather. Uh, any, any sort of structural hazard, mold. Mold is definitely a, sewage backups. So basically, a good way to, if you wouldn't wanna live in that property as the landlord, if you're not ready to, the condition of it, there's a good chance it's legally uninhabitable for the renter. If it's legally uninhabitable, things like, uh, report the violations if, if there's some authority to report it to, they can withhold rent, they can do repairs themselves and deduct the cost from rent. Uh, these things, it's different state by state, but this legal category is pretty intense. And that's why this refrigerator and stove requirement feels kind of weird. It's a little different than no running water. Yes. Absolutely. And it's just another reason because your tenant does have all this recourse, right? Right to report this. It's another reason to just be on top of it. Mm-hmm. Right. As a landlord. So that it doesn't go to that, uh, right. Where you're getting reported only with an unhappy tenant, but you're dealing with your local municipality, municipality's housing. John, the one thing that the refrigerator and the stove requirement does make me think about is how important condition reports are. Because there are situations, damage the stove, and it not be in good working order. And you don't want sudden to become a habitability issue. And so, the suggestion is do a really thorough walkthrough and condition report before your tenant moves in. Make sure you're documenting via photos and notes, the condition of all, all of your appliances. Have your tenant sign that condition report so then if there are issues that come up in the middle of the lease, prove this was in good working condition when they moved in.