California landlord? Sign a residential lease with a single tenant

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 a single tenant for a set amount of time (six months or a year, for example), you need this California-specific lease 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 lease from Nolo lets you:

• specify the length of the lease, who can live on the property, the amount of rent, and how it’s to be paid
• set the security deposit and explain how it will be used and returned
• explain your rights to enter the rental and the tenant’s and landlord’s upkeep responsibilities
• include important restrictions on guest stays, use of the property, and the consequences of late rent and bounced checks
• make required disclosures regarding environmental hazards and other significant issues
  

The lease 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.

For the complete kit, including 4 lease forms specifically tailored to California, see Nolo's California Landlord Kit.

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