San Francisco Landlord Attorney Helping Master Tenants With Subleasing
Master tenants are people who have leased an entire apartment, home or other rental property and then sublet portions of that property to other people. Master tenants have the same — and in some situations more — responsibilities that other landlords do. And, subleasing can bring about the same types of disagreements and problems as those found in more traditional landlord-tenant agreements.
My experience in landlord laws, eviction laws and the relationships between master tenants and subtenants can help you.
Are you subletting to tenants and need advice from a lawyer regarding your role and responsibilities? Call the Law Office of Jerome J. Ghigliotti, Esq. at (415) 773-1272 to schedule a half-hour office consultation at no cost or obligation. Or, e-mail me and I will be in touch with you soon.
Are You Subleasing Part of Your Rental Unit and Having Problems With a Subtenant?
As your attorney, I can guide you through the various problems that master tenants encounter with subleasing, such as:
- Eviction proceedings: Just as other landlords must do, master tenants must go through evictions proceedings to order a subtenant to vacate the premise. They cannot merely "kick the person out."
- San Francisco Rent Board complaints: Subtenants may seek help from the Rent Board if a master tenant divides the rent in a manner that is disproportionate to the space occupied by the tenants. The San Francisco Rent Ordinance states that rent must be proportional to the amount of space occupied by each tenant. If you are occupying a space, you must pay your proportionate share.
- Nonpayment of bills owed to landlords and utility companies: The master tenant is responsible for paying for utilities and other common bills. The master tenant must pay for these bills even if the subtenants do not pay their portion-even if provisions for this are made in the lease agreement.
If you have questions about your rights and duties as a master tenant who is subletting an apartment or property, contact me to schedule your free half-hour office consultation.
