Security deposits

Jose

My name is Jose. My girlfriend and I moved into our apartment about 10 months ago. Aside from the old sink faucets, the place seemed to be in very good shape. Newly installed laminate flooring as well as fresh paint throughout. A few weeks after moving in, my girlfriend noticed bugs crawling in from the shower drain. They were termites. They were coming in through the window and the shower drain. I reported it to the manager and he promised to come and fix it the next day. He came and applied some caulking around the drain and window frame.

Chelsea

My roommates and I signed a year long lease that stated we were to be billed by our landlord for the water/sewer usage. It did not state when or if it would be monthly. The deposit section of the lease states the owner may withhold from the deposit only what is reasonably necessary to cover the following tenants defaults. But we do not feel that we are at a default if we never saw a bill for the water until 19 days after our lease was up.

SEEDS Community Resolution Center

With a diverse group of volunteers whom we train in communication and conflict resolution skills, SEEDS mediates disputes between neighbors, friends, families, landlords and tenants, those in business relationships, and court litigants. In addition to that, SEEDS provides conflict resolution counseling services. We also refer disputants to other services and agencies and serve as a general resource for people wanting to learn about mediation and other alternative dispute resolution related issues and activities.
 

Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)

HERA is a California statewide, not-for-profit legal service and advocacy organization dedicated to helping Californians — particularly those most vulnerable — build a safe, sound financial future, free of discrimination and economic abuses, in all aspects of household financial concerns.

We provide free legal services, consumer workshops, training for professionals and community organizing support, create innovative solutions and engage in policy work locally, statewide and nationally.

Fremont Fair Housing and Landlord / Tenant Services

A nonprofit agency providing landlords and tenants with confidential counseling for all rental housing questions: 
  • security deposits
  • repairs
  • termination of tenancy
  • evictions
  • privacy
  • right to entry
  • retaliation
  • rent increases

The program also provides confidential counseling and investigation of housing discrimination complaints, referrals for legal assistance, and community education on fair housing laws.

updated 08/19_FC

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc.

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP), Inc. provides free civil legal services to disadvantaged families, seniors, persons with disabilities, persons infected with HIV or AIDS, and domestic violence survivors in San Diego County. SDVLP offers the North County Unlawful Detainer Clinic, which provides legal information to litigants in unlawful detainer cases. Clinics operate weekly and are provided on a walk-in basis.

North County Unlawful Detainer Clinic:

Vista Courthouse
Main Building, South Entrance
325 South Melrose Drive
Vista, CA 92081

Legal Aid Society of San Diego

The Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. (LASSD) is a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services to lower income San Diego residents.  

Housing

  • Eviction
  • Problems or questions about public housing (section 8, tax credit or other)
  • Housing discrimination
  • Questions about tenant rights (security deposits, etc.)
  • Source of income discrimination

Eviction Clinic for San Diego County Courts

Public Law Center (PLC)

Through volunteers and staff, PLC provides free civil legal services, including counseling, individual representation, community education, and strategic litigation and advocacy to challenge societal injustices.

PLC works to preserve and create affordable housing in Orange County, prevent homelessness, and assist tenants who are being unfairly evicted or who are subjected to sub-standard living conditions. PLC can assist with:

Help build power for renters' rights: