California State Law regulates the collection and refund of security deposits (California Civil Code §1950.5). Rental agreements may refer to these deposits as "cleaning deposit," "last month's rent" or "security deposit". No matter what the landlord calls it, the law considers any deposit to be a security deposit and limits the amount the owner may charge and what it may be used for when the tenant moves [...]

California has enacted several anti-deficiency statutes to protect borrowers in real estate transactions. A “deficiency” is the liability of a borrower to the lender for the difference between the amount of the loan and the value of the real property. Existing California anti-deficiency laws protect a borrower on an original purchase-money loan (a loan acquired at the time the property was purchased and never refinanced) on an owner-occupied residential unit (up to four units) from being held personal liable to the lender for any deficiency [...]

Under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), it is unlawful to engage in specified discriminatory practices in both the employment setting and in housing accommodations on the basis of sex.

Under existing law, “sex” is specifically defined under the FEHA to include gender, pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.

Effective [...]

Section 1402 of the Health Care and Reconciliation Act of 2010 creates a new 3.8% unearned income Medicare tax that goes into effect January 1, 2013. This tax is imposed on individuals with an adjusted gross income above $200,000 and couples filing a joint return with an adjusted gross income exceeding $250,000. This new 3.8% tax will be imposed on income from interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, rental income (less expenses) and capital gains (less capital losses) which are not derived in the ordinary course [...]

Effective, January 1, 2013, The Due Process and California Foreclosure Reduction Act requires all banks and lending institutions to implement new procedures that protect California homeowners from inadvertent foreclosure while applying for a loan modification. This brief article explains to whom it applies, the new procedures the banks must implement, and the penalties that may be levied against the bank/loan servicer if they fail to comply.

Eligibility. [...]