Bryan Zuetel, Esq. quoted regarding Justin Bieber's rental issues

Justin Bieber had some rental issues! Bryan weighs in on the landlords responsibility at Realtor.com:

A burst pipe is no joke—the extreme gush of water can flood basements, ruin drywall, and cause thousands of dollars in damage. Because of this, Bieber and Baldwin may be living the "suite" life for a while, says Bryan Zuetel, a broker at Esquire Real Estate and managing attorney of Zuetel Law Group in Irvine, CA.

"Mr. Bieber may be out of the property for a few months if plumbing, repiping, or significant air-conditioning repairs are required," he says.

However, Bieber shouldn't bank on his landlord footing the bill to put them up while the repairs are being done. The city of Los Angeles requires landlords to pay displaced tenants' hotel bills only if those tenants live in rent-controlled units.

"It does not appear to be applicable here because Justin Bieber was apparently leasing a single-family home, which is generally exempt from the Los Angeles rent control requirements," Zuetel says.

What Bieber's landlord is responsible for is providing "a safe and habitable rental property." More specifically, his landlord must provide a home that has effective waterproofing, unbroken windows and doors, and working plumbing. But if some thing breaks the landlord must repair it in a timely manner. If the damages aren't fixed, Bieber has the right to withhold rent until the repairs are complete or even terminate the lease agreement, according to Zuetel.

Here is a link to the full Realtor.com article.

Bryan Zuetel, Esq. quoted in National Realtor Magazine Article

Bryan weighs in on the issue of disclosures during a real estate sale. He is quoted in the article:

“If you suspect your client is either unaware of property issues or being less than forthcoming about them, and you want to ensure more transparency in the transaction, you could disclose your observations of the property’s condition to the buyer and encourage them to seek further professional advice,” says Bryan Zuetel, a real estate attorney and broker-owner of Esquire Real Estate Inc., in Irvine, Calif. “For instance, an agent might smell a moldy scent in the basement and see what looks like mold, but the agent is not qualified—nor required to—conclude that there is mold in the basement,” Zuetel says. “The agent could simply disclose a ‘moldy scent’ or a ‘moldy appearance’ in the basement, and advise all parties to engage the proper professionals for further evaluation. Whether a seller acknowledges the issue is not relevant to the agent’s duty to disclose.”

- Bryan Zuetel, Esq.

Here is a link to the recent National Association of Realtors® Official Magazine article.