California Property Law Blog

*This article first appeared in the San Francisco Apartment Association’s (SFAA) November 2025 issue of the SFAA Magazine. Everything these days is an AI story. As you faithful SFAA members know, San Francisco has seen double digit percentage incre… Read More

An important tool in the proper operation of homeowners’ associations in California is the ability of associations to impose fines on owners when their actions, or those of their tenants or guests, violate the association’s rules. When used prope… Read More

Remember when members of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI) colluded with corrupt developers and signed off on thousands of shoddy, unsafe, and sometimes even life-threatening construction projects? Well, San Francisco would li… Read More

The termination of a lease, whether residential or commercial, is rife with pitfalls for a landlord. One mistake that is easy for landlords to avoid is, following the termination of a lease, to not accept rent. First enacted in 1872, Civil Code Secti… Read More

Signing a commercial lease is an exciting time for any company, whether moving into a newly renovated office space or expanding from a small warehouse to a single-tenant industrial building. It signifies a commitment, indicating steady business and a… Read More

Easements are a crucial but often misunderstood aspect of real estate law. They grant one party the right to use another’s property for specific purposes, such as access to a road, shared sewer lines, or utility maintenance. While easements can ben… Read More

AB 2801, which became effective on January 1, 2025, imposes new requirements on landlords of residential properties. AB 2801 amended Section 1950.5 of the Civil Code, which regulates the amount and disposition of security deposits. What’s New? Begi… Read More

For decades, property owners in California have provided housing with the assurance that if their renters failed or refused to pay rent on time, they would have an expedited means of recovering possession of their property. While that generally remai… Read More