Rental Application and Screening Fees in California

California Civil Code § 1950.6 lets a landlord charge a rental applicant a screening fee only to cover actual screening costs, and never more than $30 per applicant, adjustable annually for increases in the Consumer Price Index since January 1, 1998. Since January 1, 2025 (AB 2493), a landlord may charge the fee only if it either screens applicants first-come, first-qualified, or refunds every applicant not selected within a set time. The applicant must get an itemized receipt and, without asking, a copy of any credit report within 7 days.

At a glance

What the law says

How much can be charged

The fee may not exceed the landlord's actual out-of-pocket screening costs plus the reasonable value of time spent, and "in no case… greater than thirty dollars ($30) per applicant" (§ 1950.6(b)). The $30 "may be adjusted annually by the landlord or their agent commensurate with an increase in the Consumer Price Index, beginning on January 1, 1998."

There is no official state-published dollar figure for 2026. The statute does not name an agency or a specific CPI series. Any adjusted number you see quoted is a private calculation, so a landlord who adjusts the fee should be able to show how the figure was reached and that it does not exceed actual costs.

Because "applicant" includes guarantors and cosigners (§ 1950.6(j)), each one is a separate applicant for fee purposes.

The screening fee is not security, so it does not count toward the security deposit cap (§ 1950.6(k)).

When no fee may be charged

A landlord may not charge a screening fee when it knows or should know that no unit is available or will soon be available (§ 1950.6(c)(1)).

An owner who has applied for a demolition permit must give written notice to a prospective tenant before accepting a screening fee (Civil Code § 1940.6).

The AB 2493 choice: first-qualified or refund

Since January 1, 2025, § 1950.6(c)(2) allows a fee only if, when the fee is collected, the landlord offers one of two approaches.

Option A: first-come, first-qualified.

• Applications are considered in the order completed applications are received.
• Written screening criteria are given to the applicant with the application.
• The first applicant who meets the criteria is approved.
• Fees are charged only once an application is actually considered.
• If fees are inadvertently collected from concurrent applicants whose applications are not considered, they must be refunded within 7 days, or applied to another unit if the applicant chooses.
• No refund is owed to an applicant who was considered and denied for not meeting the criteria.

Option B: refund everyone not selected.

• Every applicant who is not selected, for any reason, gets a full refund.
• The refund is due within 7 days of selecting a tenant or 30 days after the application, whichever comes first.

Receipts, unused fees and credit reports

• The landlord must give an itemized receipt listing the costs; it may be emailed if the applicant agrees (§ 1950.6(d)).
• If the landlord does not run a credit check or check references, the unused portion of the fee must be refunded (§ 1950.6(e)).
• The landlord must give the applicant a copy of the consumer credit report within 7 days of receiving it, without the applicant having to ask (§ 1950.6(f)).

Reusable tenant screening reports

Under Civil Code § 1950.1 (AB 2559, effective January 1, 2023), a landlord may choose whether to accept a reusable tenant screening report that the applicant already has. A landlord who accepts one may not charge a screening fee or a fee to access the report. The report must have been prepared within the previous 30 days.

Screening and fair housing

Screening fee rules sit alongside California's fair housing law, and the criteria you use must comply with both. Under Government Code § 12955(a), a housing owner may not discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, veteran or military status, or genetic information. Apply the same written criteria to every applicant.

Two screening rules matter in practice:

• Rent subsidies. Where a government rent subsidy exists, such as a Section 8 or HUD-VASH voucher, any income standard must be based on the tenant's portion of the rent (§ 12955(o)).
• Credit history alternatives. A landlord who uses credit history must offer an applicant with a subsidy the option to provide verifiable alternative evidence of ability to pay, such as benefit letters, pay records or bank statements, allow reasonable time to provide it, and reasonably consider it (§ 12955(o)).

Income standards must also count the combined income of people who will live together on the same basis as married persons (§ 12955(n)). See fair housing and source of income.

What owners should do

1. Pick Option A or Option B before taking any fee, and say which one in writing with the application.
2. If you use Option A, hand out written screening criteria with every application and process complete applications in the order received.
3. Set the fee from actual costs. Do not exceed the $30 figure as CPI-adjusted, and keep your calculation.
4. Charge each adult applicant, guarantor and cosigner separately only for their own screening.
5. Do not take fees for a unit that is not, or will not soon be, available.
6. Give an itemized receipt, send the credit report copy within 7 days, and refund any unused portion.
7. Calendar refunds: 7 days under Option A for applications not considered; 7 days after selection or 30 days after application, whichever is first, under Option B.
8. Apply the same criteria to everyone, using the tenant's portion of rent for subsidized applicants and accepting alternative evidence instead of credit history where § 12955(o) requires it.
9. From April 1, 2027, send the written pet policy with every application (see below).

What tenants should know

• You can ask for the screening criteria and the landlord's refund approach before paying.
• You should receive an itemized receipt, and a copy of your credit report within 7 days of the landlord getting it.
• If no credit or reference check is done, the unused fee must come back to you.
• Under the refund approach, if you are not selected you get a full refund within 7 days of the landlord choosing a tenant or 30 days after you applied, whichever comes first.
• If a landlord accepts your reusable screening report (prepared within the past 30 days), it cannot charge you a screening or access fee.
• If you have a housing voucher, income standards must use your share of the rent, and you can offer alternative proof of ability to pay instead of credit history.

Step-by-step guides

For the practical side of this rule, see these guides in the California Rental Handbook:

• Denying a Rental Application: Adverse Action Notices in California
• Tenant Screening in California, Step by Step
• Criminal History in California Tenant Screening
• Holding Deposits on California Rentals: What the Law Does and Doesn't Say
• Income Requirements and Housing Vouchers in California Rentals

Local rules

Some California cities add local screening rules on top of state law. Coronado has no local tenant-protection ordinance as of October 2026 (based on a review of its code's contents), so § 1950.6 sets the fee rules there; see the Coronado Rental Guide. Other San Diego County cities may differ; check your city's municipal code.

Recent and upcoming changes

• January 1, 2025 (AB 2493): the first-qualified or refund requirement.
• January 1, 2026 (AB 1170): § 1950.6 amended again; the AB 2493 rules are unchanged in substance.
• April 1, 2027 (SB 1296): every landlord must have a written pet policy, give a copy with every rental application, and include a space on the application to acknowledge receipt. A landlord who charges a screening fee without first disclosing the pet policy must refund the fee within 7 business days of a written request, if the non-disclosure caused the applicant to become ineligible or withdraw.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum rental application fee in California?

The statute sets $30 per applicant, which the landlord may adjust each year for CPI increases since January 1, 1998, and the fee can never exceed actual screening costs plus the reasonable value of time. No state agency publishes an official adjusted figure for 2026.

Is an application fee refundable in California?

It depends on the approach the landlord chose. Under the refund option, every applicant not selected gets a full refund. Under first-come, first-qualified, fees from applications that were never considered are refunded within 7 days, but an applicant who was considered and denied gets no refund. Any unused portion is refunded if no credit or reference check is done.

Can a landlord charge a cosigner a screening fee?

Yes. Guarantors and cosigners are applicants under § 1950.6, so each may be charged for their own screening within the same limits.

Do I get a copy of my credit report?

Yes. The landlord must give you a copy within 7 days of receiving it, and you do not have to ask.

Does a landlord have to accept a reusable screening report?

No. Accepting one is optional. A landlord who does accept it may not charge a screening fee or an access fee, and the report must be no more than 30 days old.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; confirm the current text and your situation with a California attorney.

McKee Properties manages rentals from its Coronado office; contact us with questions about your property.

Sources

• Civil Code § 1950.6 (opens in a new tab)
• AB 2493 (2024) (opens in a new tab)
• Civil Code § 1950.1 (opens in a new tab)
• Government Code § 12955 (opens in a new tab)
• Civil Code § 1940.6 (opens in a new tab)
• SB 1296 (2026) (opens in a new tab)

Verified October 19, 2026.