Personnel reporting to the Naval Base Ventura County are
required, per OPNAV 1110.21, "to report to the appropriate Housing Referral
Office prior to negotiating for any agreement for off-base housing".
As
of March 2005, the average rental price in Ventura County was $1,298.
The
Housing Office in the Family Housing Welcome Center has area off-base
information and rental listings which will help in finding appropriate
housing. The Fleet and Family Support Center can also offer
assistance with community rentals. The PCS America website has
contracted to provide information on community rentals near the naval
installation. All are listed in the contacts.
DEPOSITS AND
FEES
Many realtors/landlords require an application fee to process your
application. This fee offsets their expense for verifying your credit
references, employment history, etc. If the application fee is $20.00
or less it does not have to be refunded if you do not take the
rental. If the application fee exceeds $20.00 and you do not rent the
unit, you may be entitled to a refund of any money in excess of
$20.00. Refunds may take up to twenty days.
SECURITY
DEPOSIT
The largest expense facing most tenants when moving to a new
apartment is the security deposit. A security deposit is any payment,
fee, deposit or charge to be used by the landlord only for (1) repairing damages
caused by the tenant (exclusive of normal wear and tear); (2) compensation for
unpaid rent; and (3) cleaning the premises at the end of tenancy, if not
satisfactorily cleaned by the tenant. Security deposits include
cleaning, key, pet, parking and rent for the last month. All deposits, except
holding deposits, are considered security deposits and are refundable.
A
landlord cannot demand a security deposit of more than an amount equal to two
months rent for an unfurnished apartment, or three months rent if the unit is
furnished. The rent for the first month is additional, but rent for
the last month is considered part of the total. In a month to month
rental agreement, a clause which states that part or all of the security deposit
will be forfeited if you move out before a specified period of time, (e.g. six
months) is in violation of Section 1950.5 of the California Civil
Code.
PET DEPOSITS
Many landlords prohibit pets; others will allow
them with an additional deposit, non-refundable fee, and an additional monthly
charge per pet. The amount may vary according to the type, size, and
number of pets.
PROPERTY LEASES
Section 305 of the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) of 2003 has, in effect, eliminated the
necessity to have "military clauses" included in property leases. A
lease of property occupied by a servicemember, such as an apartment or rental
house, may be terminated in two circumstances: (1) if the lease was signed by or
on behalf of a person who subsequently enters military service during the term
of the lease; or (2) if the lease is entered into by the servicemember and/or a
servicemember's dependents during military service and the servicemember
receives orders for a permanent change of duty station or to deploy for more
than 90 days. There is no provision to allow breaking of the lease in the event
of moving into govenment housing.
To terminate the lease, thirty (30)
days written notice of the termination must be given to the lessor with a copy
of the servicemember's military orders. The notice should be either
hand-delivered or sent by certified mail, and the servicemember should keep a
copy of the notice for his/her records. In addition, the servicemember will be
required to pay the rent for the thirty (30) days, regardless of whether he/she
has already left the premises.