The perfect place for the potential tenant

Okay! So you have decided to look for a new place for you and your family to live.  Now that you have begun the search it is important to remember this; landlords are looking for a tenant who will pay their bills on time, maintain a clean and well-kept home and has steady employment with a reasonable income to justify the rent.

Great! Now you have found that perfect place. It looks like your ready to apply for the property. Click on the link below and you can view our rental application. Print an application out for you and any other adults that will be living with you. Accurately and completely fill out the entire application and submit via fax or in person to our office. Note: We require $25.00 per credit application for processing fee. Cal West retains the right to increase the credit application amount at any time without notice.

 
 Policies on Qualifying Applicants

Cal West Asset Management has a few policies that you should keep in mind before we accept your application.

• You must schedule an appointment with one of our agents to see the inside of the property.
  
• All deposit funds and first months rent must be in certified funds. (Cashiers check, money order)
  
• Rent is always due on the 1st of the month. It is late after the 5th.
  
• In some cases bad credit does not automatically disqualify you from consideration however you must have an acceptable landlord history and at least 6 months on the job.

 
 Current Tenant Information

Do you have a maintenance issue? Please click on the online maintenance request form below. Print a copy, fill it out giving as much information as possible and fax it to our office at (408) 978-5468. We will respond within 24 hours.

If you have an emergency that needs immediate attention, please page us at (408) 344-0315.

 
Helpful Tenant Tips and links

Tenants often suffer because they are not aware of their rights.  Our company pays attention to the ever changing landlord tenant laws in order to protect our clients from liability. If you have questions about your rights, check this link Landlord Tenant Law

It’s a common misconception that owners do not want their tenants to contact them when they have a maintenance issue. Many issues that occur around a home do not require a major expense but if neglected, could become a much larger problem. If it is causing an inconvenience to you it’s possible that the landlord would be willing to repair the item. It’s just as important to the landlord in most cases that the home remains occupied and in good condition. Don’t fear retaliatory actions from the landlord. Report the problem. I think you’ll find most landlords appreciate your diligence with regards to the care of their home.

If you have lost or misplaced your maintenance instructions addendum, just click on the link below to print out another copy. Please remember that this addendum is something that needs to be thoroughly read and followed throughout your tenancy and upon move-out.

 Maintenance Instruction Addendum

 Move-out

Before you vacate a property the following steps should be taken:

• Provide Cal West with a 30-day notice. You can create your own or use the form provided here Notice to vacate.The day you give the notice is the day the 30 days will begin. You can give your notice any day of the month. For example, if you give your notice on June 16th 2009, your last day at the property would be approximately July 15th 2009.
  
• At some point during that 30 days leading up to vacancy, provide Cal West with a forwarding address and contact Cal West if you have questions about a pro-rated amount of rent.
  
• Cal West will provide you with an inspection form that will give you an option to have a pre-inspection done with one of our agents. The purpose of this inspection is for the agent to review with you the definition of cleanliness and for Cal West to make a list of items that still need to be done in order for you to receive the maximum amount back from your security deposit.
  
• Upon vacating the property, you need to return all keys and any remotes (if applicable). Cal West has 21 days to return the security deposit. If the forwarding address is not provided this will hold up the return of your security deposit.
  
• The security deposit will be mailed to you. We do not allow tenants to come by the office to pick up their check.

• Race or color
• National origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Handicap
• Familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18)

What Housing Is Covered?

The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In some circumstances, the Act exempts owner occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker and housing operated by organization and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.

What Is Prohibited?

In the Sale and Rental of Housing: No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap:

• Refuse to rent or sell housing
• Refuse to negotiate for housing
• Make housing unavailable
• Deny a dwelling
• Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling
• Provide different housing services or facilities
• Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental
• For profit, persuade owners to sell or rent (blockbusting) or
• Deny anyone access to or membership in a facility or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or rental of housing.

• Refuse to make a mortgage loan
• Refuse to provide information regarding loans
• Impose different terms or conditions on a loan
• Discriminate in appraising property
• Refuse to purchase a loan or
• Set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan.

• Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right or assisting others who exercise that right
• Advertise or make any statement that indicates a limitation or preference based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap. This prohibition against discriminatory advertising applies to:
  • single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.

• Have a physical or mental disability (including hearing, mobility and visual impairments, chronic alcoholism, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and mental retardation) that substantially limits one or more major life activities
• Have a record of such a disability or
• Are regarded as having such a disability
• Your landlord may not:
  • Refuse to let you make reasonable modifications to your dwelling or common use areas, at your expense, if necessary for the handicapped person to use the housing (Where reasonable, the landlord may permit changes only if you agree to restore the property to its original condition when you move.)
  • Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services if necessary for the handicapped person to use the housing.
    • Example: A building with a "no pets" policy must allow a visually impaired tenant to keep a guide dog.
    • Example: An apartment complex that offers tenants ample, unassigned parking must honor a request from a mobility-impaired tenant for a reserved space near her apartment if necessary to assure that she can have access to her apartment.

• Public and common areas must be accessible to persons with disabilities
• Doors and hallways must be wide enough for wheelchairs
• All units must have:
  • An accessible route into and through the unit
  • Accessible light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls
  • Reinforced bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars and
  • Kitchens and bathrooms that can be used by people in wheelchairs.

If a building with four or more units has no elevator and will be ready for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, these standards apply to ground floor units. These requirements for new buildings do not replace any more stringent standards in State or local law.

Housing Opportunities For Families Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older persons, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not discriminate against families in which one or more children under 18 live with:

• A parent
• A person who has legal custody of the child or children or
• The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission.

• The HUD Secretary has determined that it is specifically designed for and occupied by elderly persons under a Federal, State or local government program or
• It is occupied solely by persons who are 62 or older or
• It houses at least one person who is 55 or older in at least 80 percent of the occupied units; has significant services and facilities for older persons; and adheres to a published policy statement that demonstrates an intent to house persons who are 55 or older. The requirement for significant services and facilities is waived if providing them is not practicable and the housing is necessary to provide important housing opportunities for older persons.

A transition period permits residents on or before September 13, 1988 to continue living in the housing, regardless of their age, without interfering with the exemption.

If You Think Your Rights Have Been Violated HUD is ready to help with any problem of housing discrimination. If you think your rights have been violated, you may fill out the Housing Discrimination Complaint Form in this brochure, write HUD a letter or telephone the HUD Hotline. You have one year after an alleged violation to file a complaint with HUD, but you should file it as soon as possible.

What to Tell HUD:

• Your name and address
• The name and address of the person your complaint is against (the respondent)
• The address or other identification of the housing involved
• A short description of the alleged violation (the event that caused you to believe your rights were violated)
• The date(s) of the alleged violation

Where to Write: Send the Housing Discrimination Complaint Form or a letter to the HUD regional office nearest you (addresses on the Complaint Form) or to:

Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Room 5204
Washington, D.C. 20410-2000

Where to Call: If you wish, you may use the toll-free Hotline number: 1-800-669-9777. (In Washington, D.C. call 708-0836.)

If You Are Disabled: HUD also provides:

• A toll-free TDD phone for the hearing impaired: 1-800-927-9275. (In Washington, D.C., call 708-0836.)
• Interpreters
• Tapes and Braille materials
• Assistance in reading and completing forms

What Happens When You File A Complaint?

HUD will notify you when it receives your complaint. Normally, HUD also will:

• Notify the alleged violator of your complaint and permit that person to submit an answer
• Investigate your complaint and determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe the Fair Housing Act has been violated
• Notify you if it cannot complete an investigation within 100 days of receiving your complaint

Conciliation:

HUD will try to reach an agreement with the person your complaint is against (the respondent). A conciliation agreement must protect both you and the public interest. If an agreement is signed, HUD will take no further action on your complaint. However, if HUD has reasonable cause to believe that a conciliation agreement is breached, HUD will recommend that the Attorney General file suit.

Complaint Referrals:

If HUD has determined that your State or local agency has the same fair housing powers as HUD, HUD will refer your complaint to that agency for investigation and notify you of the referral. That agency must begin work on your complaint within 30 days or HUD may take it back.

What If You Need Help Quickly?

If you need immediate help to stop a serious problem that is being caused by a Fair Housing Act violation, HUD may be able to assist you as soon as you file a complaint. HUD may authorize the Attorney General to go to court to seek temporary or preliminary relief, pending the outcome of your complaint, if:

• Irreparable harm is likely to occur without HUD's intervention
• There is substantial evidence that a violation of the Fair Housing Act occurred
  • Example: A builder agrees to sell a house but, after learning the buyer is black, fails to keep the agreement. The buyer files a complaint with HUD. HUD may authorize the Attorney General to go to court to prevent a sale to any other buyer until HUD investigates the complaint.

What Happens After A Complaint Investigation?

If, after investigating your complaint, HUD finds reasonable cause to believe that discrimination occurred, it will inform you. Your case will be heard in an administrative hearing within 120 days, unless you or the respondent want the case to be heard in Federal district court. Either way, there is no cost to you.

The Administrative Hearing: If your case goes to an administrative hearing HUD attorneys will litigate the case on your behalf. You may intervene in the case and be represented by your own attorney if you wish. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will consider evidence from you and the respondent. If the ALJ decides that discrimination occurred, the respondent can be ordered:

• To compensate you for actual damages, including humiliation, pain and suffering.
• To provide injunctive or other equitable relief, for example, to make the housing available to you.
• To pay the Federal Government a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest. The maximum penalties are $10,000 for a first violation and $50,000 for a third violation within seven years.
• To pay reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

Federal District Court: If you or the respondent choose to have your case decided in Federal District Court, the Attorney General will file a suit and litigate it on your behalf. Like the ALJ, the District Court can order relief, and award actual damages, attorney's fees and costs. In addition, the court can award punitive damages.

In Addition You May File Suit: You may file suit, at your expense, in Federal District Court or State Court within two years of an alleged violation. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court may appoint one for you. You may bring suit even after filing a complaint, if you have not signed a conciliation agreement and an Administrative Law Judge has not started a hearing. A court may award actual and punitive damages and attorney's fees and costs.

Other Tools to Combat Housing Discrimination:

• If there is noncompliance with the order of an Administrative Law Judge, HUD may seek temporary relief, enforcement of the order or a restraining order in a United States Court of Appeals.
• The Attorney General may file a suit in Federal District Court if there is reasonable cause to believe a pattern or practice of housing discrimination is occurring.

For Further Information: The Fair Housing Act and HUD's regulations contain more detail and technical information. If you need a copy of the law or regulations, contact the HUD regional office nearest you or:

Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Room 5116
Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20410-2000
(202) 708-2878

This version of the Fair Housing Act, adapted for use within HomeRentals.net websites, is © 2000-2005 HomeRentals, Inc.