California Tenants Rights to Have Guest Stay & Visit

Tenants have the right to treat a rental property as their home, including having guests over to visit. While a landlord cannot stop you from having guests, he can put a limit on how many guests you have at one time or prevent extended stays. California law protects tenants by allowing them to have guests and to live peacefully. The law also protects landlords by giving them legal recourse against a tenant who does not follow the rules.

Many landlords place a limit on the number of guest a tenant can have or how long those guests can remain at the rental property. For example, the landlord may state that you can have up to two guests at one time and that those guests cannot stay at the property continually for more than three days. The landlord must put any guest policy in the lease agreement. Once you sign the lease agreement, the landlord cannot make changes, such as reducing the number of guests you can have.

While at the property, your guests must follow any rules listed in your lease agreement. For example, if you live in an apartment complex with assigned parking spaces, your guests cannot park in another tenant's parking space. Your guests cannot disturb the other tenants. Your guests cannot make loud noises in common areas or late at night. If any of your guests violate the terms listed in your lease, the landlord can take action against you.

If your guests cause any damage to the inside of your rental property or the common areas of the complex, the landlord has the right to hold you responsible. You will have to pay to repair any damages. If a guest does cause damage, notify the landlord immediately, as leaving the damage unrepaired could worsen it. If you do not notify the landlord, he has the right to deduct the cost of repair from your security deposit when you move out.

If you violate your lease by having too many visitors or having visitors on an extended basis, the landlord has the right to terminate your lease and file an eviction against you. If your guests repeatedly disrupt other tenants at the property or cause major damage, the landlord can also evict you. Before the landlord can file an eviction, she must provide you with a three-day written notice, according to the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs. The landlord must then file the eviction in a local court.