The law also imposes certain terms into the lease, even though you don't see them there. One such law concerns your security deposit. The law requires that it be returned to you within 21 days after you leave, minus only certain legal deductions. The law prohibits the landlord from making it non-refundable. Even if they call it a "rental fee" or "cleaning fee", or "last month's rent", it's still a security deposit under the law.

Another law, called the "warranty of habitability" requires your landlord to provide the basics (heat, water, electricity, functioning doors and locks, etc.) as a condition of asking for rent. You have certain remedies provided by law, even if the rental agreement says you don't.

Every rental unit must have a "certificate of occupancy" (or its equivalent) issued by the city in order for the unit to be legal. That law is to assure that each rental unit complies with building and zoning laws. If the unit is not legal, and there are plenty of such illegal duplexes, converted garages, and assorted buildings, the landlord cannot demand or accept any rent for that structure.

In rent controlled cities like Los Angeles, the landlord is also required to register a residential rental unit and charge only a legal rent, before even asking for rent. For mobile home park tenants, the Mobile home Residency Law is a collection of extra rights and procedures that protect you.

There are special laws such as Health and Safety Code §1597.40, which protects licensed Day Care operations by a tenant against eviction and lease prohibitions against it. This is under a separate public policy encouraging Day Care so that parents may be employed and not stuck on Welfare roles.

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