Legal Question in Employment Law in California

He can charge you whatever rent he wants. The only restriction on resident manager compensation is that there is a cap on how much credit the owner can take against his minimum wage obligations for the value of the apartment they provide you. It basically works out that they can only work you a little over 50 hours a month in exchange for free or discounted rent. After that they have to pay you cash. If they want, though, they don't have to give you any rent discount, and they can just pay you cash.