Move-Out and Abandoned Property in California

A tenant has the right to request an inspection during the final two weeks of the tenancy. The landlord must notify the tenant of that right a reasonable time beforehand, and if requested, must give at least 48 hours written notice of the inspection unless the tenant waives it.

After the inspection the landlord provides an itemized statement of what could be deducted, giving the tenant the chance to fix those items themselves before move-out. Skipping this step when it was requested weakens the deductions that follow.

The 21-day clock and the AB 2801 photo requirements are covered in detail on the security deposits page. The short version: itemize everything, attach receipts above $125, include the before-and-after photographs, and send it within 21 calendar days.

A landlord cannot simply decide a unit has been abandoned because the tenant has not been seen. Real property abandonment requires that rent be unpaid for at least 14 days and that the landlord reasonably believes the tenant has left. Even then, the landlord must serve a Notice of Belief of Abandonment and wait out its period — 15 days if personally served, 18 days if mailed — before the tenancy terminates.

Personal property left in a unit after the tenancy ends cannot be thrown out. The landlord must send a written notice describing the property, stating where it can be claimed, and setting a deadline of at least 15 days (18 if mailed).

If the property goes unclaimed, what happens next depends on its value. Property the landlord reasonably believes is worth less than $700 may be kept, sold, or discarded. Property worth more must be sold at public auction after published notice, with the proceeds applied to storage and sale costs and the remainder paid to the county.