Laws by state / California

California landlord and tenant rules

The figures that decide most disputes between California landlords and tenants, each with a calculator and the statute behind it.

Verified against the statutes 2026-10-22By RentByState Research
RuleCaliforniaStatuteTool
Maximum security deposit1 month's rent (2 months if the landlord is a natural person or an LLC owned entirely by natural persons that owns no more than 2 residential properties totaling 4 or fewer units; service members may never be charged more than 1 month)Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(c), (h)Deposit rules
Deposit return deadline21 calendar days after the tenant vacates (itemized statement plus any refund)Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(c), (h)Deposit rules
Interest on the depositNot requiredCal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(c), (h)
Maximum late feeMust be reasonable; no fixed capCal. Civ. Code § 1671(c)-(d)Late fee calculator
Landlord notice, month-to-month30 days (just cause required)Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1; § 827(b); § 1946.2; Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)Notice calculator
Tenant notice, month-to-month30 daysCal. Civ. Code § 1946.1; § 827(b); § 1946.2; Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)Notice calculator
Rent increase notice30 daysCal. Civ. Code § 1946.1; § 827(b); § 1946.2; Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)Notice calculator
Pay-or-quit notice3 court daysCal. Civ. Code § 1946.1; § 827(b); § 1946.2; Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)Notice calculator
Rent increase capCalifornia (AB 1482); Los Angeles RSO; San Francisco Rent OrdinanceTenant Protection Act of 2019, Civ. Code § 1947.12; Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance, LAMC § 151.06 (amended 2026); San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 37 (Rent Ordinance)California (AB 1482) calculatorLos Angeles RSO calculatorSan Francisco Rent Ordinance calculator

Security deposits in California

California limits security deposits to 1 month's rent (2 months if the landlord is a natural person or an LLC owned entirely by natural persons that owns no more than 2 residential properties totaling 4 or fewer units; service members may never be charged more than 1 month). The deposit must be returned 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates (itemized statement plus any refund). No interest is owed on the deposit under state law. AB 12 (2023) lowered the cap from 2 months (unfurnished) / 3 months (furnished) to 1 month for tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2024. AB 2801 (2024) added photo-documentation duties for deductions (after-move-out photos from April 1, 2025; move-in photos for tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025) and bars deductions for routine cleaning absent damage. Statute text read on the public.law mirror (current through Jan 1, 2026) because leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and law.justia.com returned Cloudflare 403 to the fetcher; FindLaw copy (current Jan 1, 2026) cross-checked and matched. Full deposit rules and move-out checklist.

Late fees in California

California has no fixed cap, but a late fee must be a reasonable estimate of the landlord’s actual cost of late payment; courts strike down fees that work as penalties. There is no statutory grace period, so the lease controls when the fee starts. Calculate the maximum fee.

Notice periods in California

A California landlord must give 30 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the tenant must give the same. The state requires a lawful reason (just cause) to end most tenancies, so notice alone is not enough. A rent increase needs 30 days’ notice. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 3-court day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction. Calculate the effective date of a notice.

Rent increase limits in California

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in California?

1 month's rent (2 months if the landlord is a natural person or an LLC owned entirely by natural persons that owns no more than 2 residential properties totaling 4 or fewer units; service members may never be charged more than 1 month). AB 12 (2023) lowered the cap from 2 months (unfurnished) / 3 months (furnished) to 1 month for tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2024. AB 2801 (2024) added photo-documentation duties for deductions (after-move-out photos from April 1, 2025; move-in photos for tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025) and bars deductions for routine cleaning absent damage. Statute text read on the public.law mirror (current through Jan 1, 2026) because leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and law.justia.com returned Cloudflare 403 to the fetcher; FindLaw copy (current Jan 1, 2026) cross-checked and matched.

What is the maximum late fee for rent in California?

There is no statutory maximum in California. No statutory dollar or percentage cap and no statutory grace period. A late-fee clause in a residential lease is a liquidated-damages provision that is void unless it would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix actual damages, so the fee must be a reasonable pre-estimate of the landlord's actual costs (Civ. Code § 1671(d); Orozco v. Casimiro (2004)). The most common lease figure nationally is 5% of monthly rent, and courts in no-cap states generally accept fees in that range while rejecting ones that look like penalties.

How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in California?

30 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. Landlord: 30 days if the tenant has resided in the unit less than 1 year, 60 days if 1 year or more (30 days also allowed when selling to an owner-occupant under § 1946.1(d)). Tenant: 30 days (at least as long as the rental period). Where § 1946.2 just-cause applies, the landlord must also state a just cause. The landlord also needs a lawful reason.

How long is a pay-or-quit notice in California?

3 court days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.

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