Reviewed August 2026 · California
California Landlord Tenant Laws
One page per rule, in plain English, with the statute cited. Rent caps, deposits, notices, evictions, habitability, and fair housing — current through the 2026 changes.
Most-asked questions
Rent Cap (AB 1482)
For most California rentals, the Tenant Protection Act limits annual rent increases to 5% plus the regional Consumer Price Index, with a hard ceiling of 10% in any 12-month period.
Read the ruleSecurity Deposits
Since July 2024 the deposit is capped at one month of rent for nearly all landlords, and the deposit must be returned — with an itemized statement and supporting photographs — within 21 days of move-out.
Read the ruleJust Cause (SB 567)
Once a tenancy passes 12 months, a covered landlord needs a legally recognized reason to end it — and for no-fault reasons, must pay relocation assistance equal to one month of rent.
Read the ruleHabitability & Repairs
California implies a warranty of habitability into every residential lease. It cannot be waived, and as of January 1, 2026 it includes a working stove and refrigerator.
Read the ruleNotices to Quit
Every California eviction starts with a written notice, and using the wrong one — or overstating the amount owed — is the single most common reason a case is dismissed.
Read the ruleFair Housing (FEHA)
California prohibits housing discrimination on a much longer list of protected characteristics than federal law, and applies it to advertising, screening, terms, services, and terminations alike.
Read the ruleWhat changed for 2026
See every change- AB 628
January 1, 2026
Stove and refrigerator become habitability requirements
A working stove and refrigerator are now part of the habitability standard for residential leases entered into, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. Communal living arrangements and single-occupancy units with a shared kitchen are excepted.
Full rule - AB 414
January 1, 2026
Security deposits must be returned the way they were paid
A landlord who received the deposit or rent by electronic transfer must return the deposit by electronic transfer, unless the landlord and tenant agree in writing to a different method. Part of a broader tightening of the deposit-return rules.
Full rule - AB 246
January 1, 2026
Eviction protection when Social Security payments are delayed
Protects tenants from eviction where the failure to pay rent was caused by a delay in Social Security benefits, rather than by an ability-to-pay problem within the tenant's control.
Full rule - Fee transparency
January 1, 2026
Mandatory rental fees must be disclosed upfront
Charges a tenant cannot decline — trash, water and sewer pass-throughs, required administrative or amenity fees — must be disclosed in the advertised price and in the lease rather than surfacing at signing.
Full rule - Internet opt-out
January 1, 2026
Tenants may opt out of bundled internet, phone, and satellite
For leases entered into, renewed, or continuing on or after January 1, 2026, a landlord must let the tenant opt out of paying for third-party internet, phone, or satellite service as a condition of the tenancy.
Full rule
Every topic
19 rules, each with the statute, the deadlines, and the way it actually goes wrong.
Rent & Money
What can be charged, how much it can go up, and when.
Ending a Tenancy
Notices, just cause, the eviction process, and move-out.
The Property
Habitability, repairs, entry, safety devices, and pests.
Fair Housing & Screening
Protected classes, applications, vouchers, and assistance animals.
Lease & Disclosures
What the lease must say, and what it may never say.
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How to use this site
Every page here answers one question and cites the section of the California code it comes from. Where a rule changed recently, the bill number is named so you can read the change yourself.
Two things this site cannot do for you. It cannot tell you what your city requires — local rent stabilization, relocation, and just-cause ordinances routinely go further than state law, and where they conflict, the more tenant-protective rule wins. And it cannot replace an attorney on a live dispute.
For official sources, start with the resources page — the Attorney General's tenant hub, the state's full tenant guide, and the code sections themselves.
This is general information, not legal advice. California law changes every year and local ordinances often go further than state law. Check your city and county rules, and talk to a California attorney before acting on anything here.
Published by Rentor
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