Civ. Code, § 1980

As used in this chapter:

(a) “Landlord” means any operator, keeper, lessor, or sublessor of any furnished or unfurnished premises for hire, or his or her agent or successor in interest.

(b) “Owner” means any person other than the landlord who has any right, title, or interest in personal property.

(c) “Premises” includes any common areas associated therewith.

(d) “Reasonable belief” means the actual knowledge or belief a prudent person would have without making an investigation (including any investigation of public records) except that, where the landlord has specific information indicating that such an investigation would more probably than not reveal pertinent information and the cost of such an investigation would be reasonable in relation to the probable value of the personal property involved, “reasonable belief” includes the actual knowledge or belief a prudent person would have if such an investigation were made.

(e) “Records” means any material, regardless of the physical form, on which information is recorded or preserved by any means, including in written or spoken words, graphically depicted, printed, or electromagnetically transmitted. “Records” does not include publicly available directories containing information an individual has voluntarily consented to have publicly disseminated or listed, such as name, address, or telephone number.

(f) “Tenant” includes any paying guest, lessee, or sublessee of any premises for hire.