How-to guides from McKee Properties
Every lease clause and every step of a California tenancy
Practical, step-by-step guides for owners and renters: what each lease clause should cover, how screening, move-in, repairs, renewals and move-out work, and the California rules behind each step. Every legal point was checked against the current code text on October 19, 2026.
For the full text of each rule, see the California landlord law library. For dates and limits, use the rental tools. City rules can add to state law; for Coronado, see the Coronado Rental Guide.
The lease, clause by clause
Term and renewal
Fixed-Term Lease or Month-to-Month? Choosing a Lease Term in California
How a fixed-term lease and a month-to-month agreement differ in California: how each one ends, notice periods, rent changes, and why just cause still applies.
Lease Renewals and Automatic Renewal Clauses in California
What happens when a California lease ends, how to offer a renewal, the boldface rule for auto-renewal clauses (Civ. 1945.5), and renewal rent under the cap.
Holdover Tenants: When a Tenant Stays After the Lease Ends
What happens when a California tenant stays after the lease ends: the Civil Code 1945 renewal presumption, just cause, notices and CCP 1174 holdover damages.
Breaking a Lease in California: Early Termination Clauses and Mitigation
How breaking a California lease works: what a landlord can recover under Civil Code 1951.2, lease break fees, legal exits for service members and victims.
The Military Clause in a California Lease
What a military clause in a California lease can add to SCRA and MVC 409 rights, what it should cover, the mistakes to avoid and the fair housing rules.
Money and day-to-day terms
Writing the Rent Clause: Due Date, Payment Methods, Receipts and Fees
What a California lease rent clause should say: amount, due date, who receives rent (Civ. 1962), payment methods, receipts, bounced checks and late fees.
The Utilities Clause: Who Pays for What in a California Rental
How to write a California lease utilities clause: who pays each service, shared meters (Civ. 1940.9), master meters, bulk internet opt-out, and no shutoffs.
The Repairs and Maintenance Clause: Owner and Tenant Duties
What a California lease repairs clause should say: landlord duties (Civ. 1941.1), tenant duties (1941.2), yard care, the 2026 stove and fridge rule, requests.
Requiring Renters Insurance in a California Lease
How a California lease can require renters insurance: what the clause should say, proof of coverage, where insurance cannot be required, and open questions.
Attorney Fees Clauses in California Leases
How an attorney fees clause works in a California lease: Civil Code 1717 makes it two-way, who prevails, settlements, statutory fee rules and small claims.
Who lives there and how
Occupancy Limits and Guest Clauses in California Leases
How to write occupancy and guest clauses in a California lease: naming occupants, reasonable limits, familial status, adding a roommate and just cause.
Roommates and Joint and Several Liability in a California Lease
How joint and several liability works when roommates share a California lease, what happens when one leaves, the deposit, and adding a new roommate.
Subletting and Assignment Clauses in California Leases
How to write a California lease clause on subletting and assignment: consent steps, short stays, HOA limits, the rent cap and when a sublet is just cause.
The Pet Addendum: What a California Pet Clause Should Cover
What a California pet addendum should cover: the pet, house rules, a deposit inside the one-month cap, assistance animal rules and the 2027 pet policy law.
Smoking and Vaping Clauses in California Rentals
How to write a California lease smoking clause under Civil Code 1947.5: naming no-smoking areas, vaping, cannabis, adding a ban mid-tenancy and enforcement.
Tenant Alterations, EV Chargers, Satellite Dishes and Clotheslines
How California leases handle tenant alterations: the consent clause, EV chargers (Civ. 1947.6), clotheslines, satellite dishes and move-out restoration.
The HOA Rules Addendum: Binding Tenants to CC&Rs and House Rules
How to write an HOA rules addendum for a California lease: CC&Rs, fines, amenities, move-in rules, pets, and the limits in Civil Code 4740 and 4741.
Signing it right
Signing a California Lease: Copies, E-Signatures and Who Signs
How to sign a California lease correctly: when e-signatures count, the 15-day copy rule in Civil Code 1962, owner and manager details, and who should sign.
When a California Lease Must Be Translated (Civil Code § 1632)
Civil Code 1632 can require a translated lease when a business negotiates it mainly in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean. What to translate.
Lease Clauses That Are Void in California
California lease clauses that are void or unenforceable: Civil Code 1953 waivers, repair waivers, nonrefundable deposits, one-way fee clauses and more.
The tenancy, start to finish
Finding and approving a tenant
Writing Rental Criteria That Follow California Fair Housing Law
How to write rental criteria in California: what income, credit and rental history standards can say, what fair housing law rules out, and how to apply them.
Tenant Screening in California, Step by Step
A step-by-step tenant screening process for California rentals: criteria, the screening fee choice, receipts, credit report copies, refunds and the decision.
Criminal History in California Tenant Screening
How California's FEHA rules limit criminal history in tenant screening: what owners can never consider, the directly related test and mitigating facts.
Income Requirements and Housing Vouchers in California Rentals
How to apply rental income requirements to Section 8 and other voucher holders in California: tenant share of rent, credit alternatives and household income.
Denying a Rental Application: Adverse Action Notices in California
What to send when a California rental application is denied over a screening report: FCRA and CCRAA notice contents, ICRAA duties and the 7-day report copy.
Holding Deposits on California Rentals: What the Law Does and Doesn't Say
What California law says and leaves open on rental holding deposits: no statute names them, DRE guidance, the deposit cap, and what to put in writing.
Moving in
Lease Signing Day: A Checklist for California Owners and Renters
A California lease signing checklist for owners and renters: required disclosures, the AB 1482 notice, the deposit cap, payment methods and move-in photos.
The Move-In Inspection, Step by Step (California Photo Rules)
How to run a California move-in inspection: the 2025 photo rule in Civil Code 1950.5(g), a room-by-room walk-through, alarm and lock checks, and copies.
Locks, Keys and Rekeying Between California Tenants
California rental locks: the Civil Code 1941.3 deadbolt and window rules, rekeying between tenants, 24-hour lock changes for abuse victims, and lockouts.
During the tenancy
Handling Maintenance Requests in a California Rental
A step-by-step system for California rental repair requests: written intake, triage, entry notice, the repair and deduct clock and the retaliation rule.
Emergency Repairs in California Rentals: What Counts and Who Acts
What to do when a California rental needs urgent repairs: emergency entry under Civil Code 1954, habitability items, SB 610 disaster duties and insurance.
Mold in California Rentals: Duties for Owners and Tenants
Mold in a California rental: when visible mold makes a unit substandard under H&S 17920.3(a)(13), the required CDPH booklet, tenant duties and steps to take.
Bed Bugs and Pest Control in California Rentals
Bed bug and pest rules for California rentals: the Civil Code 1954.603 notice, inspection entry, the two-day findings notice, pesticide notices, retaliation.
Reasonable Accommodation and Modification Requests in California Rentals
How California rental owners and tenants handle disability accommodation and modification requests under FEHA rules: the interactive process and what to ask.
When something goes wrong
When Rent Is Late: A Step-by-Step Plan for California Owners
What to do when rent is late in California: the lease late fee, early contact, a written payment plan, the 3-day notice to pay or quit, and what is illegal.
Handling Lease Violations in California: From Warning to Notice to Cure
How to handle a California lease violation: document it, warn in writing, serve a notice to cure first when just cause applies, and avoid retaliation claims.
Ending a tenancy
Owner Move-In Terminations in California (SB 567 Rules)
How a California owner move-in termination works under Civil Code 1946.2: who qualifies, the lease clause, the notice, relocation pay and the 90-day rule.
Substantial Remodel Terminations in California
When a remodel is just cause to end a California tenancy: the 30-day vacancy test, permits, what the notice must say, relocation pay, and cosmetic work.
Selling a California Rental With Tenants in Place
Selling a California rental with tenants in place: the lease generally continues, showing notice, deposit transfer, buyer duties, and no just cause for sale.
The Move-Out Process in California, Step by Step
A step-by-step California move-out plan: the notice, the pre-move-out inspection under Civil Code 1950.5(f), photos, keys and the 21-day deposit return.
Normal Wear and Tear vs. Damage in California Deposit Deductions
How to tell normal wear and tear from damage in a California deposit: the four allowed deduction categories, DRE examples, photos, receipts over $125.
Tenant Turnover Checklist for California Rentals
California tenant turnover checklist: deposit accounting, locks, smoke and CO alarms, stove and fridge rules, photos, fair housing ads and 2027 listing rules.
What Records to Keep for a California Rental
Which records to keep for a California rental: lease, disclosures, notices and proof of service, deposit photos and receipts, screening files and tax records.
These guides are general information, not legal advice. Laws change; confirm the current text and your situation with a California attorney.
