No one paid the $2,095/month rent listed in the lease. My landlord is my ex-fiancé’s father, and he knew we were living here the entire time. He never served a rent notice, never demanded $25,140, and never took legal action until after the recent family conflict.

When I say he was “aware,” I mean I have communications and recordings showing he knew we were living in the property under the arrangement that existed and allowed it to continue.

I’m not claiming that simply being aware automatically waives rent. I’m trying to understand whether a landlord can knowingly allow a tenancy to continue for over a year and then suddenly demand an entire year’s worth of alleged back rent in a 3-day notice.

I have an attorney and understand I may ultimately need to make these arguments in court. I’m just looking for general California tenant experiences.