In California there are two different ways to rent. One is a week to week agreement, which is called a Periodic Rental Agreement. The other is either a month to month or at least a one year agreement, which is called a Lease. Either agreement will allow you to rent a home in California, whether you decide to make it a verbal agreement or a written one. For the safety of both parties you would want a written agreement.
Decide where you want to live: city or in the suburbs. The suburbs can cost several hundred dollars less. Decide if you want to live alone or with a roommate. If you have a family then you will want to live somewhere that has enough space. In California there are many options of choosing where to live especially if you are alone. You can rent a garage, basement, attic, or a room in a family home which can be very economical. You could pay as low as $500 a month. If you live in an apartment or in a house you could pay at least $700 for a one bedroom apartment or efficiency. $1,000 a month will get you in a decent sized apartment, but for a house it will cost at least $1,800 a month. The California Housing Program can help you find a place if you do not make much money, but you will need to verify your income.
Look around the house or apartment before moving in. If you are moving in with another family then check the area you will be occupying for any damages. Do the same for an apartment or house (that you will not be sharing). Once you do this and you recognize some damage then you are to either fill out a form that the landlord gives you concerning this matter or write down everything that is wrong and both of you sign it. This is to prevent being accused of making the damage yourself as well as being able to get your security deposit back at the end of the agreement.
Sign the lease or periodic rental agreement. This is going to have a lot of information on it so you want to be sure that you are aware of what you are signing before you sign. The paperwork should include the address of the place you are renting, the amount you are renting it for, due date of rent, amount of security deposit, whether pets are allowed, number of people in rented area, whether an attorney's fees can be collected in case of a lawsuit for non-payment, who is responsible for paying utilities, etc. The landlord will ask to do a background check. They can check with the California Department of Justice in order to find out if you may be a registered sex offender. They will also check to see if you have any other criminal activity in your past.
Be aware of the fees you are paying. For instance, if you have to pay a deposit make sure you do not pay extra for a cleaning deposit or a key deposit or even a processing fee. In California no extra fees are allowed to be included once an overall deposit is requested from the renter. A security deposit could run around $1,000 unless you have a short term rental agreement then they will charge less. You can also discuss with the landlord any disputes you may have regarding the agreement especially the fees involved. Many times the landlord with change the cost in order to accomodate the renter, but it should be written down and signed.
Move in. There are many moving companies that are available throughout California. Depending on where you are moving from will depend on the cost of a moving company, but if you are coming from another state then you may want to think about using these services.
Avoid missing payment for rent. It can take four months in the state of California to evict a tenant. The renter is given the first notice of no payment and four months from there they can be evicted. There are a lot of court dates involved however, costing the landlord a lot of money and ruining the credit of the renter. If you receive a notice to leave the premises then do so without going to court. This will save your credit and the landlord a lot of money.
