Meet the speakers
Host
Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs, CAA
Presenters
Policy & Compliance Counsel, Local Government Affairs, CAA
Compliance and Legislative Counsel, CAA
California landlords received practical guidance on fair housing rules, tenant screening, and lease essentials during Part 1 of the California Apartment Association’s Landlord 101 webinar series this week.
Hosted by Whitney Prout, executive vice president of legal affairs, the session featured CAA attorneys Monica Deka and Mallory Homewood. The 90-minute webinar gave members a high-level overview of California’s complex rental housing laws and pointed them to CAA resources for deeper dives.
“This course is really designed as a high-level overview of the most important topics landlords need to know about,” Deka said. “By the end of the session, you’ll have a working knowledge of the key issues so you can spot potential problems and know when to get more information or professional guidance.”
Key takeaways from Part 1
While the webinar covered much more detail, a few highlights included:
- Fair housing: Landlords cannot make decisions based on a person’s protected class, even with good intentions. For example, refusing to rent to someone with a mobility impairment because you think stairs may be difficult would still count as discrimination.
- Tenant screening: Homewood explained that creating clear, written screening criteria helps landlords avoid discrimination and treat every applicant fairly. “They provide clear objective standards that apply equally to every applicant,” she said.
- Security deposits: Since July 2024, most landlords have been permitted to collect no more than one month’s rent as a deposit, though a narrow exemption applies to small landlords.
- Rent collection: Landlords must accept rent from a third party, such as a family member, so long as the payer signs a statement confirming they are not gaining tenancy rights.
These points offered members practical insight into California’s legal environment while underscoring the importance of CAA’s forms, Industry Insight papers, and other resources.
Looking ahead to Part 2
The Landlord 101 series continues Sept. 17 with Part 2, which will address a landlord’s right of entry, rent increases, turnover and lease renewal, termination of tenancy, and handling difficult tenant situations.
Both webinars are available live and on demand. Members may purchase each session individually or as a discounted bundle. Attendees who are Certified California Rental Housing Providers (CCRM) can earn continuing education credit.
👉 Register for Part 2
👉 Purchase Part 1 on demand
👉 Bundle both sessions
