The landlord has many responsibilities under the law.
Whether they are spelled out in the lease or not doesn't change that.
The lease can add responsibilities for the landlord.
Yes! Your landlord can require anything he wants in the lease.
yes
Actually, this can be a requirement from your landlord.
Most states require the landlord to place the deposit in an interest-bearing account, protected from his creditors.
You can usually tell by the upkeep of the apartment building. As far as your landlord's character try talking to some of the other tenants.
In many cases, yes, the landlord typically supplies the stove and refrigerator. However, in many places it's not illegal for the landlord to require the tenant to supply his own fixtures.
Absolutely. The landlord may require that you have a certain amount of "reserves" or savings available in addition to your current income.
Some areas like Gresham, Oregon, require a landlord to have a license, but this is truly the exception. Generally there is no license needed or available for a landlord.
Yes, It is legal in every state. It's in your lease contract that you would have signed when you rented the place. Pretty much all landlords around the country require insurance now or you are not considered eligible to rent the place.
Yes, under certain circumstances.
It can go either way, depending on what the landlord wants. If they want you to sign another lease, they can require you to do so if you wish to continue living there. In absence of another lease, you are considered to be on "month to month" under the same terms as the original lease.
Yes, California does require the attorneys to have professional liability insurance.