Reviewed August 2026 · California
What changed in California rental law
The bills that actually moved a deadline, a dollar figure, or a duty — newest first, with a link to the full rule and to the bill text.
Effective 2026
- AB 628Effective 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.
- AB 414Effective 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.
- AB 246Effective 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.
- Fee transparencyEffective 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.
- Internet opt-outEffective 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.
- AB 391Effective January 1, 2026
Mobilehome tenancy notices modernized
Updates notice requirements for mobilehome tenancies, including allowing certain notices to be delivered electronically where the resident has agreed.
Effective 2025
- AB 2347Effective January 1, 2025
Tenants get 10 court days to answer an eviction
Doubled the time a tenant has to respond to an unlawful detainer complaint from five to ten court days, and extended the response time for a motion for summary judgment. The practical effect is a materially longer uncontested eviction timeline.
- AB 2801Effective April 1, 2025 / July 1, 2025
Before-and-after photos required for deposit deductions
Landlords must photograph the unit after move-out and again after any repair or cleaning that is deducted, and — for tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025 — before the tenancy begins. All of it goes to the tenant with the itemized statement.
Effective 2024
- SB 567Effective April 1, 2024
Just cause tightened for owner move-in and substantial remodel
Requires the intended occupant to be named in the notice, to move in within 90 days, and to stay 12 continuous months; narrows "substantial remodel"; and creates a private right of action with up to treble damages for willful violations.
- AB 12Effective July 1, 2024
Security deposits capped at one month of rent
Cut the maximum security deposit to one month of rent, furnished or unfurnished, with a narrow two-month exception for natural-person landlords owning no more than two properties totaling four units.
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
Every one of these changed a deadline someone was tracking by hand.
Rentor manages California rental property with the compliance calendar built in — rent increases against the right CPI, deposit accounting with the photo trail, and notices that survive being read closely.
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