Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Oral Lease?
An oral lease is where the tenant and landlord both agree to lease or rent a unit but the terms of the lease are not in writing. Therefore, any mutual agreement about the price of the rent, when the rent is due, and other terms become an oral contract. If the landlord lets you move in and accepts your rent payments, you have an oral lease with the landlord.
An oral lease takes place most commonly when the tenancy is at-will and/or periodic (on a rolling basis with no fixed end date). Any lease greater than one year must be in writing. An oral lease is enforceable, just like a written lease.
什麼是口頭租賃協議？
口頭租賃協議是指承租人和房東同意租賃或出租一所房屋，但租賃條款沒有書面形式。因此，當租金到期時，任何雙方就租金的價格達成協議和其他條款成為口頭合同。如果房東允許您搬進來並接受您的房租，您就與房東達成了口頭租賃協議。
口頭租賃協議通常發生在隨意租賃和/或定期租賃（沒有固定終止日期續約方式）的情況下。任何超過一年的租賃必須以書面形式簽訂租賃協議。口頭租賃協議和書面租賃協議一樣，都是可以強制執行的。
Do I still have rights as a tenant if I don’t have a Written Lease?
While there are benefits to putting a tenancy in writing, the lack of a written lease does not deprive you of your tenant rights. An oral lease is valid in California. You are thereby subject to all the rights and obligations as a tenant under the law.
如果我沒有書面租賃協議，我是否仍然擁有租客的權利？
雖然以書面形式簽訂租賃協議有其好處，但沒有書面租賃協議並不會剝奪您的承租權。口頭租賃協議在加利福尼亞州有效。因此，作為承租人，您必須遵守法律賦予您的所有權利和義務。
What happens if I break the Oral Lease? Can my landlord still evict me?
It may be difficult to evict someone for a breach of an oral lease, but it is possible. The landlord has the right to evict a tenant for any violations of what was discussed as part of the oral lease, such as nonpayment of rent, utilities, damage to the property, or other causes.
如果我違背口頭租賃協議會怎樣？ 我的房東還能驅逐我嗎？
因違反口頭租賃協議而驅逐某人或許很少發生，但這是可能的情況。任何違反口頭租賃協議內容的承租人，房東有權予以驅逐，如不支付租金、水電費、財產損壞或其他原因。
What other issues should I be aware of in an Oral Lease?
Within 15 days of an oral lease, the landlord must provide tenants the contact information for any person authorized to accept rent or handle complaints, and the form in which rent is paid.
Your landlord is required by law to issue a written receipt for any payment of rent you made. To create your own payment trail, you can opt to pay by check or money order.
在口頭租賃協議中，我還應注意哪些其他問題？
在口頭租賃協議達成後15天內，房東必須向租戶提供有權接受租金或處理投訴相關人士的聯絡方式，以及支付租金的方式。
根據法律規定，房東必須為您支付的租金開具書面收據。為了保存自己的付款記錄，您可以選擇用支票或匯票付款。
What if my landlord (or a new landlord) asks me to sign a Written Lease after the tenancy has begun?
Make sure that the written lease contains the same terms as your oral lease. If the terms of the written lease are materially different, you have the right to refuse the agreement; you should also consult a lawyer before signing the agreement.
如果我的房東（或新房東）要求我在租賃期開始後簽署書面租賃協議，該怎麼辦？
確保書面租賃協議包含與口頭租賃協議相同的條款。如果書面租賃的條款有實質性的差異，您有權拒絕該協議；在簽署協議之前，您還應該諮詢律師。
The information contained herein is general and not applicable in all cases. For legal advice, please contact the Asian Law Caucus.
本文包含的一般信息並不適用於所有情況。 尋求法律建議，請聯繫亞洲法律聯會。