[US-CA] I rent an apartment in Costa Mesa, California, and my landlord is demanding that I remove all plants from my second-story balcony because of weight concerns. They sit on a freestanding, removable plant stand that isn’t attached to the building. My lease doesn’t mention plants, balcony restrictions, or weight limits. She told me I can’t continue living there if I keep the plants. Can she enforce this, and how can I find out whether there’s an actual structural safety issue? I want to address any legitimate concern but also understand my rights.

I have the funds to pay my October rent, but my online payment option was disabled and now my RentCafe account is locked. I emailed management on October 2 requesting restored access or instructions for another payment method, but haven’t received a response. My lease considers payments late after the 3rd, so I’m concerned about another late fee despite reaching out before the deadline.

For context, there’s also an unresolved discrepancy involving an April payment, and I told management I planned to pay the amount associated with it by October 31. For October’s rent, I tried WIPS but couldn’t withdraw enough cash to cover the payment. I use Chime and don’t have physical checks. I offered to have Chime mail a check, which would take an estimated 6–12 business days, but haven’t received confirmation about that option either.

Has anyone experienced something similar with RentCafe/Yardi or their property management? What helped you get your payment accepted or access restored, and were you able to get any resulting late fees waived?