AB 543

Under current law, if a tenant unjustifiably removes from the premises before

the termination of his or her tenancy and defaults in the payment of rent, the

landlord may recover rent owed for the remainder of the term of the tenancy, but

must attempt to mitigate the damages by trying to rerent the premises.

This bill provides that, if a residential tenant dies during the term of his or her

tenancy and was the only adult tenant occupying the premises at the time of his or

her death, the landlord may not make a claim against the deceased tenant's estate

for rent that is due on the residential property for a payment period that begins after

all the deceased tenant's property is removed from the premises and the keys are

returned. If the tenant was not the only adult tenant occupying the rental premises

at the time of his or her death, the landlord may not make a claim against the

deceased tenant's estate for any rent that is due.

The bill also provides that no landlord may require payments and no rental

agreement may contain provisions that are inconsistent with or in violation of or that

attempt to circumvent the prohibition against making such a claim against the

tenant's estate.