A California lease can be signed electronically: under Civil Code § 1633.7, an electronic signature satisfies a law that requires a signature, but only when both sides have agreed to do business electronically (§ 1633.5(b)). After the tenant signs, the owner or agent must give the tenant a copy within 15 days (Civil Code § 1962(a)(4)). The lease itself must name who manages the property, who accepts legal notices for the owner, and how and where rent is paid (§ 1962(a)).

The short version

  • E-signatures are valid if each party agreed to transact electronically. That agreement cannot be buried in a paper standard-form lease, and paying rent electronically does not prove it on its own.
  • Some items fall outside the electronic transactions law, including screening fees under § 1950.6 and the § 1983 notice about belongings left behind. An electronic record cannot replace a notice required under CCP § 1162 (§ 1633.3(c)).
  • Give the tenant a copy of the signed lease within 15 days, and another once each calendar year on request, also within 15 days.
  • The lease must include the § 1962 owner, manager and rent-payment details, kept current.
  • Having each adult tenant sign is the usual practice, not a requirement in the statutes cited here, and it makes the joint and several liability presumption clearer.
  • Anyone managing someone else's rental for compensation needs a real estate broker license, or works under a broker (Business and Professions Code § 10131(b)).

What the lease must say about owner, manager and rent

ItemWhat to includeWhy
Manager and owner contactName, telephone number and usual street address for personal service of each person authorized to manage, and of the owner or agent authorized to receive service of process and notices§ 1962(a)(1). For this item only, posting it on the property is an alternative (§ 1962.5)
Who receives rentName, telephone number and address of the person or entity paid; if rent may be paid in person, the usual days and hours§ 1962(a)(2)
Bank or electronic optionInstead, an account at a financial institution within five miles of the rental, or the details for electronic funds transfer§ 1962(a)(2)(B)
Forms of paymentThe forms of payment accepted, including at least one that is neither cash nor electronic funds transfer§ 1962(a)(3); § 1947.3. See rent payment methods

An agent who signs the lease for the owner without including this information is deemed the owner's agent for service, notices and receiving rent (§ 1962(d)). If the owner's address does not allow personal delivery, rent or a notice the tenant mails there is deemed received on the date posted, with proof of mailing (§ 1962(f)).

Who signs

  • Each adult tenant. Under Civil Code § 1659, co-tenants who all sign and all benefit are presumed jointly and severally liable, and § 1660 presumes the same when several people sign a promise written in the singular. Stating "jointly and severally liable" in the lease removes doubt. See roommates and joint liability.
  • The owner or an authorized agent. If a manager signs, the manager must be licensed to do that work for compensation. See property manager licensing.
  • Adding adults later. If adult tenants are added before an existing tenant reaches 24 months, just-cause protection applies once all tenants have 12 months or at least one has 24 (Civil Code § 1946.2(a)).

Signing electronically, step by step

  1. Get agreement to go electronic. If you use a paper form lease, put the consent in a separate, optional agreement whose main purpose is authorizing electronic dealings, and do not make the paper lease conditional on it (§ 1633.5(b)).
  2. Use a process that shows who signed. An electronic signature is attributed to a person if it was that person's act, which can be shown in any manner, including a security procedure (§ 1633.9(a)). An electronic signature must be made with the intent to sign (§ 1633.2(h)).
  3. Deliver a copy the tenant can keep. A record the sender prevents the recipient from printing or storing is not enforceable against the recipient (§ 1633.8).
  4. Watch for separately signed or initialed text. The electronic transactions law does not apply to laws requiring specific text to be separately signed or initialed (§ 1633.3(b)(4)). Whether a particular lease statement, such as the refrigerator opt-out checkbox, falls under that exclusion is not settled, so ask counsel or collect those on paper.
  5. Keep a paper path open. A party that agreed to one electronic transaction may refuse to do others electronically, and that right cannot be waived (§ 1633.5(c)).
  6. Plan for later notices. A three-day notice or other notice required under CCP § 1162 must still be served the way that section requires.

Signing day checklist

  • Include the required disclosures. For homes built before 1978, the lead-based paint package and signed acknowledgment must be completed before the tenant is obligated under the lease. See required lease disclosures.
  • If the lease was negotiated mainly in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean, deliver the translation before signing. See lease translation.
  • If a service member is charged more than the standard security, give the written statement of amount and reason on or before signing (§ 1950.5(c)(4)).
  • Unless exempt, offer positive rent reporting at signing for leases on or after April 1, 2025 (Civil Code § 1954.07).
  • Collect only charges within the deposit cap, with receipts.

After signing

  • Copy: within 15 days of the tenant's signature, and again on request once each calendar year within 15 days (§ 1962(a)(4)). If you have no copy, give a written statement with the § 1962 information instead.
  • Oral agreements: give the tenant a written statement of the § 1962 information within 15 days (§ 1962(b)).
  • Keep it current: a successor owner or manager must comply within 15 days of taking over, and may not evict for nonpayment of rent that accrued while it was out of compliance (§ 1962(c)).
  • Lead records: the lessor and any agent keep the completed lead disclosure for no less than 3 years from the start of the lease (40 CFR § 745.113(c)(1)).

For owners

  • Keep the fully signed lease, any electronic signing record and the delivery confirmation together.
  • Update the § 1962 details in writing whenever the manager, payee or address changes.

For renters

  • Read the whole lease before signing, electronically or on paper, and download your copy.
  • If you did not get a copy within 15 days, ask in writing. You can request another once each calendar year.
  • If the owner never gave contact details, Civil Code § 1962.7 lets you serve process in a tenancy dispute by registered or certified mail to the address where rent is paid.

New owners can fold these steps into their routine with the first-year landlord checklist.

Local rules

Some cities add rules on top of state law, such as local just-cause, relocation or rental registration requirements, so check your city's code. Coronado has no local rent-control or just-cause ordinance as of October 2026, based on a review of its code's contents.

Frequently asked questions

Are electronic lease signatures valid in California?

Yes, when each party has agreed to conduct the transaction electronically. Civil Code § 1633.7 says a signature may not be denied effect solely because it is electronic, and that an electronic signature satisfies a law requiring a signature. The agreement to go electronic cannot be contained in a paper standard-form contract (§ 1633.5(b)).

How soon must a landlord give a tenant a copy of the signed lease?

Within 15 days of the tenant signing it, under Civil Code § 1962(a)(4). After that, the tenant may request another copy once each calendar year, and the owner or agent must provide it within 15 days.

Does every adult have to sign a California lease?

The statutes cited on this page do not require every adult occupant to sign. It is common practice, because co-tenants who sign are presumed jointly and severally liable under Civil Code §§ 1659 and 1660, and a lease can say so expressly.

Can a landlord serve a three-day notice by email?

No. Civil Code § 1633.3(c) says an electronic record may not be substituted for any notice required to be sent under CCP § 1162, which covers three-day and other unlawful detainer notices.

What if the lease does not say who the owner or manager is?

An agent who signed for the owner without the § 1962 details is deemed the owner's agent for service, notices and rent (§ 1962(d)). The tenant may also serve process by registered or certified mail to the address where rent is paid (§ 1962.7).

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

Verified October 19, 2026.

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