Your rental application needs to comply with all federal, state, and local laws. Good rental application procedures include:
California Law on Tenant Application Screening Fees and Credit Reports
California law places a limit on how much a landlord can charge for rental application and screening fees.
How to Handle Tenant Holding Deposits
Should landlords accept these kinds of holding deposits?
Landlord Responsibilities Under Fair Housing Laws in California
Your success as a landlord in California depends on knowing and complying with dozens of state (plus federal and local) laws that affect your property management business, including security deposit limits (one month’s rent for unfurnished rentals three months’ if furnished) to when you must hire