California landlord-tenant law
Security deposits, late fees and notice periods for California landlords, in plain English, with a link to the statute for each rule.
Security deposit limit
1 month's rent (furnished or unfurnished) since July 1, 2024. Small landlords (a natural person or family LLC owning no more than 2 rental properties with 4 or fewer units total) may charge up to 2 months, except to active service members.
Deposit return deadline
21 days after move-out, with an itemized statement of deductions. Bad-faith withholding can cost up to 2× the deposit.
Late fees
No statutory cap. Courts require the fee to be a reasonable estimate of the landlord's actual cost of late payment; it must be in the lease.
Notice for unpaid rent
3-day notice to pay or quit (weekends and court holidays don't count).
Ending a month-to-month lease
30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, 60 days if a year or more. Many units also require a 'just cause' reason under the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482).
Rent increases
30 days' notice; 90 days if the increase is more than 10%. Units covered by AB 1482 are capped at 5% + inflation (max 10%) per year.
Local rules: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and other cities have their own rent control and just-cause rules that are stricter than state law.
Sources
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5 (deposits)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1 (ending tenancies)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12 (rent caps)
Tools for California landlords
Rent increase calculator
New rent plus California notice rules.
Prorated rent
Partial-month rent for move-ins and move-outs.
Rental property calculator
Cash flow, cap rate and cash-on-cash return.
California housing market
Typical home $762K, median city rent $2,822/mo.
Los Angeles, CA
$950K home$2,929 rent3.7% yield
▲ 1.3% 1 yr
San Francisco, CA
$1.12M home$3,445 rent3.7% yield
▲ 3.1% 1 yr
Riverside, CA
$580K home$2,533 rent5.2% yield
▲ 0.6% 1 yr
San Diego, CA
$927K home$2,967 rent3.8% yield
▲ 0.8% 1 yr
Sacramento, CA
$573K home$2,269 rent4.8% yield
■ 0.0% 1 yr
San Jose, CA
$1.52M home$3,812 rent3.0% yield
▲ 0.2% 1 yr
Fresno, CA
$404K home$2,052 rent6.1% yield
▲ 1.1% 1 yr
Bakersfield, CA
$360K home$1,822 rent6.1% yield
■ 0.0% 1 yr
General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Check the statute or a local attorney before acting.