Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP

10/21/2025

New forms and updates to existing forms for California real estate are coming this fall! Updates to these forms include disclosures related to electrical systems, new federal reporting requirements related to anti-money laundering, amended language regarding buyer's agent compensation, and much more. Attorney Kelly Moir covers these changes in her latest blog article:

As the seasons change, so does California real property law! As of September 2025, there are updates to existing landlord-tenant forms and residential purchase agreements, with two forms taking effect December 2025, and one new form to be included with purchase agreements. Thanks to the California A...

10/16/2025

The rules governing security deposits for residential rental properties in California has changed with the implementation of AB 2801. Now, landlords may only may deductions from the security deposit that are "reasonably necessary" and documented with evidence, and automatic fees are prohibited. Real estate attorney Ashlee Gonzales provides a comprehensive overview of the new law and a checklist of ways to be compliant with the new rules in her latest blog article:

As a housing provider or property manager in California, staying ahead of legislative changes is not just prudent—it’s essential for protecting your investments and avoiding costly disputes. With the full implementation of Assembly Bill 2801 (AB 2801) now in effect as of July 1, 2025, the rules ...

07/18/2025

As a result of changes to the Fair Employment and Housing Act in California brought on by SB 329, Section 8 voucher holders are explicitly protected against "source of income" discrimination. Ashlee Gonzales highlights best practices for property owners and managers to avoid discrimination claims by Section 8 applicants - and by "tester" organizations - in her latest blog article:

As we have discussed in several of our firm articles, tenant protection laws have changed drastically in California over the years. Along with the changes brought on by the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, California also altered fair housing laws that went into effect beginning January 1, 2020. Speci...

01/28/2025

In 2025, there are several new laws that are set to go into effect in California that affect landlords and tenants. Ashlee Gonzales writes about those updates in her latest blog article:

If you have been involved with residential rental properties over the last couple of years in California, you undoubtedly are aware of the constant legal changes facing the industry. While we have largely moved on from moratoriums concerning eviction, there appears to be no slowing down in the State...

01/08/2025

The vast majority of real estate transactions in California use the Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA) published by the California Association of REALTORS®. However, in parts of Northern California there is another option: the Peninsula Regional Data Service (PRDS) purchase agreement. Attorney Dan Peterson discusses the differences between the two forms and the corresponding advantages:

California has become known as the land of sunshine, adventure, and opportunity, and whether you are a California native looking to relocate or a newcomer to the Golden State, you will find that the California real estate market can pose significant challenges, especially in the hot market of the Sa...

11/21/2024

Yesterday, Ashlee Gonzales was a guest speaker at a real estate education event hosted by the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® . She spoke on a panel about vacant property and elder abuse scams along with Sal Covarrubias from First American Title and Jonathan Beardsley and Greg Ovanessian from the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office - DA Jeff Rosen

11/15/2024

Our real estate lawyers are frequently asked by clients: “Why are we involving a title company?”, or “Why do we need to pay a title company for this transaction?”. Associate attorney Dan Peterson answers those questions and more in his latest blog article discussing what a title company actually does and why they are so essential to the real estate transactions that occur every day throughout California. Read more:

Here at Brewer Offord & Pedersen, our attorneys and staff assist customers every day with their real estate needs, whether that be assisting with a real estate transaction or helping to resolve a real estate dispute. However, recently when helping clients with completing a real estate transaction, I...

11/12/2024

Happy Veterans Day! We're grateful for the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces, who honorably and courageously defend our American rights and freedoms.

11/04/2024

Our firm is excited to annouce that we have joined The Redding Northern Business Associates ! As our Northern California office in Redding continues to grow, we're delighted to connect with local businesses and make a positive impact in the community. The Redding NBA, or Redding Northern Business Associates, is the leading small business networking organization serving the Redding area and broader Shasta County area.

06/22/2024

When a tenant notices that something in a rental home needs to be repaired, whose responsibility is it to fix it? In her latest blog article, attorney Kelly Sorensen discusses what responsibilities both landlords and tenants have for maintaining the upkeep and habitability of the property — and how to handle situations where there are disagreements.

As many housing providers and tenants have experienced when leasing a residential property, sometimes issues pop up in the property that require repair. Some might be minor- such as fixing the pilot light on a stove burner- and others larger- such as remediating mold in a property. But whose job is....

05/28/2024

Two new laws that strengthen the rights of tenants under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, SB 567 and AB 12, go into effect this summer. These changes primarily impact no-fault evictions and security deposits for tenants. Ashlee Gonzales writes about these two important changes and breaks down the pros and cons of the new laws in her latest blog article.

Over the last 5 years or so, we’ve seen major changes in the California residential landlord tenant world, including one of the most impactful changes to California residential landlord tenant law in recent memory – the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (“TPA”). As discussed in previous publicat...