Rental Applications

Your rental application needs to comply with all federal, state, and local laws. Good rental application procedures include:

  • requiring each adult applicant to fill out a written application
  • insisting that the application be complete
  • getting a separate credit check authorization, and 
  • avoiding discriminatory or inappropriate questions that might get you into legal hot water.

California law places a limit on how much a landlord can charge for rental application and screening fees.

Should landlords accept a deposit to hold a rental for a potential tenant?

Your success as a landlord in California depends on knowing and complying with dozens of state, federal, and local antidiscrimination laws.

Empower Yourself: DIY Products by Nolo

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The legal forms and state rules every landlord and property manager needs
Effectively manage your rental property in California using this pair of books.
Easily create a fixed-term lease or a month-to-month rental agreement for residential tenants.
Easily create a residential lease or month-to-month rental agreement for single or multiple tenants in California with this ready-to-use legal form.

Nolo offers hundreds of consumer-friendly, do-it-yourself legal products for all types of legal situations. Browse our full product list.

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