New CA Lease Laws Are in Effect — Are Your Templates Up to Date?

It’s April 25th. Have you updated your residential lease language yet? (Oh, and don’t forget your commercial tenants lease updates either 👀.)

A few key California real estate laws quietly went live on April 1, and if you’re in property management or advising landlords, now’s a good time to check that your internal practices and lease templates are up to date.

Here’s a quick rundown:
1. AB 2801 – Planning to deduct from a tenant’s security deposit? You now need to provide time-stamped photos of the unit from move-in and move-out. No photo documentation, no deductions.
2. AB 2347 – Tenants now get 10 court days (not 5) to respond to eviction lawsuits. Make sure your notice timelines reflect the new rules.

And don’t forget what already took effect back in January:

• AB 12 – Caps most security deposits at one month’s rent. I had to revise two lease agreements just last month that still listed two months—so yes, this one’s catching people by surprise.

• AB 2493 – Cracks down on screening fees. If the unit isn’t actually available, you can’t charge. And yes, this applies even if you’re running those thorough credit checks you should be doing.

If you're managing RSOs, JCOs, transitional housing, or any other city-regulated tenancy, don’t stop at the state laws. Cities like Pasadena are adding local layers—including new policies tied to emergencies like the Eaton Fire. The compliance map isn’t getting any simpler.

And while this post focuses on residential updates, commercial landlords should take a beat to revisit SB 1103, which took effect earlier this year. It added new protections for “qualified commercial tenants”—so if you haven’t looked at your notice periods and lease termination language, now’s the time.
We’re past the rollout phase. Enforcement is here.

Keeping clients one step ahead, not one update behind.