§4.14 Other Defenses

Other tenant defenses that you may see include:

• Overpayment of rent, entitling the tenant to an offset [see Minelian v Manzella (1989) 215 CA3d 457, 463–465];
• Tenant’s timely cure of a breach or lack of opportunity to cure a breach pursuant to a 3-day notice [see CCP §§1161(2), (3), 1161.1(a); Feder v Wreden Packing & Provision Co. (1928) 89 CA 665, 672];
• Landlord’s refusal to accept a timely tender of rent [see Strom v Union Oil Co. (1948) 88 CA2d 78, 81; see also §4.05];
• Breach of only an implied covenant by the tenant [see CCP §1161(3); Keating v Preston (1940) 42 CA2d 110, 118–119];
• Landlord’s violation of the Subdivision Map Act [see GC §§66410 et seq; Adler v Elphick (1986) 184 CA3d 642, 645–646];
• Landlord’s failure to install and maintain locks [see CC §1941.3(c)];
• Landlord’s failure to give the tenant required notice of demolition [see CC §1940.6]; and
• Landlord’s demanding “key money” to initiate or renew a commercial lease [see CC §1950.8].