California Landlord Kit

California landlord? Get everything you need to run your business in one easy-to-use kit

California landlord-tenant law is among the most complex in the country. If you’re a landlord in California and you are renting your property to single or multiple tenants, on a monthly or yearly basis, you need this California-specific kit to get every tenancy off to a good start. Designed to comply with state law (and careful to point out where local law or rent control may apply, too), this kit contains four separate rental documents:

• California Residential Rental Agreement, Single Tenant
• California Residential Rental Agreement, Multiple Tenants
• California Residential Lease, Single Tenant
• California Residential Lease, Multiple Tenants

In addition, this kit contains a Landlord-Tenant Checklist, which lets you document the condition of the rental at move-in, at the pre-move out inspection, and at the end of the tenancy. Careful use of the Checklist will avoid many hassles over the use and retention of security deposits.

Each lease and rental agreement comes with a full set of clause-by-clause instructions, explaining the meaning of each clause and how to fill in the required information. Use the word processing program on your computer (or print the form and fill in the blanks) to create a legal, binding lease that embodies the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants in California, all in plain English.

If you're a landlord in a state other than California, click here to browse our entire selection of state-specific Landlord Kits.

Nolo has dozens of products created just for California residents. Check out Nolo's list of California products.