California Rental Application
Fill out a California rental application below and download a print-ready PDF — identity, rental history, employment, references and screening consent. Free, no signup.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified July 2026 · Not legal advice.
California application-fee rule · as of July 2026
Capped: $30 per applicant, CPI-adjustable annually since 1998
Civ. Code §1950.6 — The landlord may raise the $30 cap each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (starting January 1, 1998), and the fee can never exceed the actual out-of-pocket screening cost. The statute publishes the mechanism, not the yearly figure.
Source: California Legislative Information ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
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Know your California rules
Application-fee rules come from state law, not the form. California's rule under Civ. Code §1950.6 — Capped: $30 per applicant, CPI-adjustable annually since 1998. Cities can add their own caps. Check the current California screening rules before charging or paying a fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in California?
California caps application fees at $30 per applicant, CPI-adjustable annually since 1998 under Civ. Code §1950.6. The landlord may raise the $30 cap each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (starting January 1, 1998), and the fee can never exceed the actual out-of-pocket screening cost. The statute publishes the mechanism, not the yearly figure. Source: California Legislative Information.
Is the application a lease?
No. The application only collects information for screening. If approved, landlord and tenant then sign a lease — see our California lease agreement template, which reflects California's deposit and notice rules.
How does California compare? See application-fee limits in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How California compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of July 2026). Source for California: California Legislative Information ↗.
- California is one of 8 of 51 jurisdictions that cap the application fee by statute (33 set no statutory limit on application fees; 6 limit the fee to the landlord's actual screening cost; 4 ban application fees outright).
The rest of what California requires
The figures below are California's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full California page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 1 month's rent Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 (AB 12, eff. 7/1/2024) ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 21 days after move-out Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 (AB 12, eff. 7/1/2024) ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 (AB 12, eff. 7/1/2024) ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 3 days to pay or quit Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1161; Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1 ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 3 days Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1161; Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $12,500 (individuals) / $6,250 (entities) Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§116.220, 116.221 ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small Claims Court (small claims division of the Superior Court) · filing fee $30 (claims up to $1,500) / $50 ($1,500.01-$5,000) / $75 (over $5,000); $100 flat for frequent filers with more than 12 claims in the prior 12 months (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §116.230) Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§116.220, 116.221 ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required California DMV (Form REG 135) ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required Cal. Prob. Code §4121 (form §4401) ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Required by statute Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.02(s) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- County Recorder · no witnesses Cal. Civ. Code § 1091 ↗
Rental application in other states
More California legal forms
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