New Laws California Renters and Landlords Need to Know in 2025

Eviction notices

Starting this month, if a tenant receives an eviction notice, they now have 10 days to respond, as opposed to five days, thanks to AB 2347.

In an effort to protect landlords from lengthy and costly court proceedings, the new law also requires the tenant’s lawyer to file certain motions by the day before the court hearing.

Security deposits

Sometimes, when a tenant moves out of their apartment, their landlord will hold onto a security deposit to pay for professional cleaning services and even to cover normal wear-and-tear. AB 2801, which goes into effect in April, prohibits landlords from keeping security deposits to pay for professional cleaning or other maintenance services, unless it’s necessary to repair significant damage to the unit.

Betty Gabaldon, an organizer with tenants’ rights group East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, welcomes the change. When she recently left an apartment after five years, she said her landlord refused to return her security deposit and told her she would also have to pay for professional carpet cleaning and new paint for the walls.

Gabaldon protested and eventually got her deposit back. AB 2801 would tighten the rules around when landlords can keep security deposits and could prevent renters like Gabaldon from having to protest these kinds of charges after moving out. However, she warns, tenants still need to be aware of their rights and ready to hold their landlords accountable. She noted some renters might hesitate out of fear of retaliation or dealing with the sometimes laborious process of contesting a charge.

“I was lucky that I sent the letter, and I was able to exercise my rights, but not a lot of people are lucky,” Gabaldon said. “These laws are there, but people need to start exercising them for [the laws] to work.”

When the California Apartment Association first learned about this bill, Carlton said her organization was concerned that landlords would have little recourse if a tenant did destroy an apartment. The law specifies that property owners must take photographs and send an itemized statement along with a written explanation of the cost of repairs and cleaning.

“Take pictures of the unit, then take pictures when the tenant takes possession, and then take pictures of the unit when the tenant exits and when you’ve done [repair and cleaning] work,” she said — adding that such photos would be necessary if a landlord has to go to small claims court. “If [landlords] have to go to small claims court, they’re going to have to show them to the judge.”

Junk fees and application fees

Two new California laws follow promises from federal and state governments to crack down on junk fees — costs “that are mandatory but not transparently disclosed to consumers,” according to the White House. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission sued Invitation Homes, the country’s largest corporate landlord of single-family homes, for illegally charging tenants such fees.

SB 611 goes after “convenience” fees, pet fees, guest-related fees and others that landlords might charge, which are sometimes hidden from tenants until they look closely at their monthly bill. Starting in April, landlords now have to be transparent about the maximum amount of money a tenant could be charged for certain services.

AB 2493 regulates application or screening fees that landlords charge prospective tenants to cover the cost of background checks and other data collection.

The new law, already in effect, makes it clear that landlords can only charge screening fees to applicants who are being seriously considered, and they must refund the screening fee to anyone who didn’t get accepted. In an effort to prevent discrimination against applicants, landlords also have to accept the first qualified applicant who applies.

Carlton said she understands why tenants want to fight for their rights and why landlords want to fight against more regulation but that this tension might not exist if there was enough housing to match demand. Until that need is met, she said both tenants and landlords will make sure they are being treated fairly.

“I don’t think we’d see as many of these bills if we had enough housing for everybody,” she said. “I think that’s our biggest challenge.”

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