China Overseas Chinese News Agency, June 22 (Xinhua Daily) reported that during the epidemic, the California government introduced a series of policies to protect tenants in order to prevent residents from becoming homeless due to inability to pay rent. These policies are regarded by some problem tenants as a "shangfang sword" that can do whatever they want, leaving many Chinese landlords with nothing to do.
Sandy, a Chinese landlord who lives in Alhambra, was recently burned by a problematic tenant. The tenant stayed in 2016. In the next few years, the self-proclaimed tenant has been paying rent on time. Sandy has not been checking the room for a long time because of his busy family. However, during the outbreak, the tenant stopped paying rent on the grounds of California policy, and recently received a noise complaint from his neighbor, Sandy went to check it in person. When she opened the door, she found that there were a few strangers living in the room. When she asked her neighbors, she knew that the tenant who claimed to live alone had not appeared in the apartment for many months. Neighbors thought Sandy had sublet the house to others.
Upon learning of this, Sandy immediately contacted the tenant in question to request an explanation. But the tenant kept refusing the call. After Sandy repeatedly failed, she had to issue an ultimatum to the tenant, stating that if she refused to communicate again, she would take the legal route. However, instead of showing the willingness to communicate rationally, the tenant yelled at Sandy on the phone, stating that he had California policy protection, and Sandy had no right to interfere with the tenant's personal decision.
Sandy mentioned that her son is still in college and the tuition is almost entirely dependent on the rent. She understands that during the epidemic, it was not easy for everyone, and she was willing to make some concessions with the tenants on the rent. But the tenant not only refused to communicate, but also sublet the house to a stranger without her consent, making it difficult for her to accept. But because she was not good at English and did not understand the legal regulations, she could do nothing for the tenant.
During the epidemic, landlords like Sandy were robbed by problem tenants. Many of these landlords cannot or dare not seek help from related agencies due to language barriers or cultural barriers, allowing many unscrupulous tenants to do whatever they want. In this regard, a real estate expert said that although California currently allows tenants facing economic pressure to temporarily suspend rent payments, it also requires tenants to provide landlords with proof of income reduction and maintain communication with the landlord.
In Sandy’s case, the tenant not only sublet the room without permission, but also refused to communicate with the landlord. In this case, Sandy can first consult with the legal adviser on the local rental policy and decide whether to resolve the issue through mediation or litigation.
Real estate experts said that conflicts between tenants and landlords during the outbreak were inevitable. But if rational negotiation can be based on mutual understanding, it is often the best way to solve the problem. The landlord should not panic if the tenant encounters unreasonable problems. Because legally, tenants must fulfill their obligations to communicate with the landlord while obtaining government protection of their residency rights. Landlords usually have to actively understand the rental policies in various places, and properly formulate and keep rental agreements, they should also have the courage to protect their legitimate rights through legal means when necessary. (Zheng Aotian)