Since 2013, one awesome SCTA volunteer answered over 2000 tenant hotline calls.
Sadly, as of December 1, 2020:
Santa Cruz Tenants Association's 
Tenants Rights Hotline is 
No Longer In Service
The awesome   "Tenant Sanctuary"  is  currently the Santa Cruz-based tenants right hotline.
https://www.facebook.com/tenantsanctuary/

Message from Tenant Sanctuary:
 
"Tenant Sanctuary is temporarily closed due to a lack of funds.
We expect to reopen soon - please try again after December 15, 2020."
Other legal assistance resources  for Santa Cruz County include:

Tenants Together Rights Hotline
ONLINE HELP ONLY:
https://www.tenantstogether.org/tenant-rights-hotline​

California Rural Legal Assistance
831-724-2253

Senior Citizens Legal Services 831-426-8824
https://www.seniorlegal.org/

Lawyer Referral Service 831-425-4755

Watsonville Law Center
831-722-2845
http://www.watsonvillelawcenter.org/

Small Claims Court Advisor
https://santacruzcourt.org/divisions/small-claims 831-786-7370

Conflict Resolution Center 831-475-6117
https://www.crcsantacruz.org/

Self Help Center (Superior Court of Santa Cruz County)
831-786-7200
https://santacruzcourt.org/self-help
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Hola,
Gracias por su mensaje. Santuario Inquilinx está temporalmente cerrado debido a una falta de fondos. Esperamos a reabrir pronto - por favor, contáctenos después del 15 de Deciembre.
Otros recursos de asistencia para los inquilinxs en el condado de Santa Cruz incluyen:

Inquilinxs Juntos Linea de Derechos
(888) 495-8020

Asistencia Legal Rural de California
831-724-2253

Servicios Legal para los Ancianxs 831-426-8824
https://www.seniorlegal.org/

Servicio de Referencia de Abogados 831-425-4755

Centro Legal de Watsonville
http://www.watsonvillelawcenter.org/
831-722-2845

Consejero del Corte de Reclamos Menores 831-786-7370
https://santacruzcourt.org/divisions/small-claims

Centro de la Resolución de Conflictos 831-475-6117
https://www.crcsantacruz.org/espantildeol.html

Centro de Autoayuda (Corte Superior del Condado de Santa Cruz)
831-786-7200
https://santacruzcourt.org/self-help


¿Quisiera saber sus derechos de inquilino?    -    Want  to  know  your  rights? Call! 
Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Live Oak, SLV, Capitola,  Scotts Valley, North Coast
Free!     Please donate if you are able - we are renters, too.     *     Por  favor aporte si pueda. También somos inquilinos.
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Tenant Resources





​LEGAL AID CLINICS
​
​CRLA       Watsonville Office 
 (California Rural Legal Assistance)
Legal Aid for Santa Cruz County.  Local tenant lawyers provide limited free legal help to clients who qualify as low-income tenants including those with a visa/green card.

Senior Citizens Legal Services
501 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz 95062
Serves Santa Cruz County residents. Proof of citizenship not required for service. Serves  seniors. Contact them directly for exact age parameters as they vary from year to year.  

Landlord Tenant Laws -
What They Do and Don't Do

​Landlord tenant laws in California are considered self-help. For example, government agencies will not help tenants get their deposit from their landlords.  Police often tell tenants their concerns are "a civil matter" - which is sometimes the case, and sometimes not the case. 

Case in point: Recently a long-time, well-known Santa Cruz judge told a tenant in court that their landlord had 30 days to return their security deposit, under the law.

Wrong.

Section 1950.5 of California Civil Code says this: "(g) (1)  No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises, but not earlier than the time that either the landlord or the tenant provides a notice to terminate the tenancy under Section 1946 or 1946.1, Section 1161 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or not earlier than 60 calendar days prior to the expiration of a fixed-term lease, the landlord shall furnish the tenant, by personal delivery or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, a copy of an itemized statement indicating the basis for, and the amount of, any security received and the disposition of the security, and shall return any remaining portion of the security to the tenant. After either the landlord or the tenant provides notice to terminate the tenancy, the landlord and tenant may mutually agree to have the landlord deposit any remaining portion of the security deposit electronically to a bank account or other financial institution designated by the tenant. After either the landlord or the tenant provides notice to terminate the tenancy, the landlord and the tenant may also agree to have the landlord provide a copy of the itemized statement along with the copies required by paragraph (2) to an email account provided by the tenant."

Lesson #1 - In Santa Cruz you can't even trust all judges to know the simplest, most basic tenant laws, and those who don't - have    quoted invented laws.   

Lesson #2 - Tenants - Keep  your copy of the California Tenant Handbook close at hand if you have cause  to attend housing court in Santa Cruz County!

Tenants have to take it upon themselves to draft a deposit demand letter and sometimes even take their landlords to small claims court for the deposit recovery. Therefore, it is up to tenants to get educated on their rights and assert them when necessary.

Tenant advisers at Santa Cruz Tenants Association and Tenant Sanctuary  can help  you understand the laws and your options as a tenant.   Currently you may access either organization with your questions, and we will connect you with an appropriate counselor.

Tenant counselors  may advise you on how to write a letter to your landlord. We can show you sample letters and help you obtain small claims court forms. (Lawyers are not allowed to practice in small claims court.) We can help you. Also, the staff at the County Law Library in the basement of the County  Building at 701 Ocean St. as well as the staff in the Civil Division court office are usually kind, patient and helpful. 

We are not lawyers and we do not give legal advice. 
REGIONAL TENANT ORGANIZATIONS
      \/   \/   \/   \/
Students United with Renters
Alameda Renters Coalition
Silicon Valley Renters Rights Coalition
Mountain View Tenants Coalition
South Bay Tenants Union (San Jose)
 Tenants Together (SF) 
Causa Justa::Just Cause
San Francisco Tenants Union
Eviction Defense Collaborative (SF)
Housing Rights Committee (SF)
Tenant Law Group, San Francisco

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CM Berger, Tenant Counselor-in-Chief
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