Tenant Turnover in San Diego: Move-Out to Move-In

Reviewed by Brendan McKee, Managing Broker, DRE #01882732, on October 21, 2026.

Tenant turnover in San Diego runs from the moment either side gives notice to the day the next tenant gets keys: offer the pre-move-out inspection, photograph the unit, return the deposit with an itemized statement within 21 days, complete make-ready repairs, set the new rent within the rules, and sign a new lease with the right notices. The deposit and inspection rules are statewide. What changes in the City of San Diego is the lease paperwork, and right now a countywide emergency rule limits how much the asking rent can rise at turnover.

Key takeaways

• Once either party gives notice, tell the tenant in writing about the right to a pre-move-out inspection (Civ. Code § 1950.5(f)).
• Photograph the unit after the tenant leaves and before repairs, then again after repairs (AB 2801), and send the photos with the itemized statement.
• Return the deposit balance and itemized statement within 21 calendar days of move-out, electronically if the tenant paid electronically (AB 414).
• As of October 2026, Penal Code § 396 generally limits new asking rents in San Diego County to 10% above the pre-emergency amount, stated through November 14, 2026 unless extended.
• In the City of San Diego, the new lease needs the Tenant Protections Ordinance notice or, for an exempt home, the exact exemption notice.

Turnover timeline

When turnover starts

Turnover usually starts with the tenant's notice. If you want to end the tenancy, local rules decide whether you can. In the City of San Diego, just cause is required from the start of a tenancy (SDMC § 98.0704), and a no-fault termination owes relocation of two months' rent, or three months if the tenant is 62 or older or disabled. Chula Vista also requires just cause from day one (CVMC 9.65). Imperial Beach (IBMC 9.90), the unincorporated County and the other cities follow the state's 12-month rule (Civ. Code § 1946.2). A month-to-month tenancy needs 30 days' notice if the tenant has lived there less than a year, or 60 days otherwise (Civ. Code § 1946.1). See ending a tenancy in San Diego before you serve anything.

The pre-move-out inspection

Within a reasonable time after either party gives notice to end the tenancy, the landlord must tell the tenant in writing about the option to request an initial inspection and the right to be present (Civ. Code § 1950.5(f)). The notice must include the statutory statement about reclaiming abandoned property. If the tenant asks for one:

1. Schedule it no earlier than two weeks before the tenancy ends, with at least 48 hours' written notice (both sides can waive that in a signed writing).
2. Do the inspection whether or not the tenant is present, unless the tenant withdrew the request.
3. Give the tenant an itemized list of proposed repairs or cleaning, with the text of § 1950.5(b)(1) to (4), or leave it inside the unit.
4. Let the tenant fix the items until the tenancy ends.

After an inspection, you generally can't deduct for repairs or cleaning that were visible but not on the list. The rule doesn't apply when the tenancy ends after a three-day notice under CCP § 1161(2) to (4).

Move-out day and the deposit

Photograph the unit within a reasonable time after you get possession back and before repairs or cleaning, and again after the work is done (§ 1950.5(g), from April 1, 2025). Within 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates, send an itemized statement and the balance (§ 1950.5(h)).

Deductions are limited to unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, cleaning back to the move-in level, and restoring listed personal property if the lease allows it. You can't charge for conditions that existed before the tenancy or for the cumulative effects of ordinary wear and tear, and professional carpet cleaning is chargeable only when reasonably necessary. California's statute doesn't define wear and tear; the Department of Real Estate's tenant guide offers examples, such as worn carpet from normal use, which it labels practical guides rather than law. See normal wear and tear vs. damage.

Include invoices or receipts (or, for your own work, a description with time and hourly rate) and the photos, which can go by mail, email, flash drive or a link. Documentation is not required when repair and cleaning deductions total $125 or less, though the tenant may still request it within 14 days. If work can't be finished in 21 days, deduct a good-faith estimate and send the final documents within 14 days of completion. Since January 1, 2026, if the tenant paid the deposit or rent electronically, the balance must go back electronically unless you agreed in writing on another method (AB 414). Bad-faith retention can cost up to twice the deposit in damages.

Make-ready: repairs before the next tenant

Make-ready is the work between move-out and the next listing. Start with legal minimums, since they apply the moment a new tenancy begins:

• Smoke alarms operable at the start of the new tenancy (H&S § 13113.7) and carbon monoxide devices where required (H&S § 17926).
• A working stove and, unless the tenant opts in writing to supply one, a refrigerator for leases entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026 (Civ. Code § 1941.1, AB 628).
• An operable deadbolt on each main swinging entry door and working window locks (Civ. Code § 1941.3). No statute requires rekeying between tenants, but it is common practice.
• Water heaters braced, anchored or strapped (H&S § 19211).

Then handle cosmetic work, keeping receipts and separating repairs from improvements for tax purposes. Vacancy time is a real cost, which is why the cost of renting out a San Diego home should include turnover. The tenant turnover checklist lists each task.

Pricing, marketing and the new lease

On a fully new tenancy, California lets you set the starting rent; the state cap applies to later increases (Civ. Code § 1947.12(b)). As of October 2026, though, San Diego County is under a state of emergency after Tropical Storm Rachel (proclaimed October 15, 2026). Penal Code § 396 generally bars advertising, offering or charging rent more than 10% above the pre-emergency amount, including at turnover, through November 14, 2026 unless extended, so check whether it has been extended before you list. Until December 31, 2026, that rule covers leases with an initial term of one year or less; from January 1, 2027, it covers rental housing regardless of lease term (SB 1365). For context, Zillow's rent index for the City of San Diego was $3,004 in September 2026, up 2.2% from a year earlier; it tracks typical asking rents across all unit types, not your home.

In the City of San Diego, also check the right of first refusal: if you ended the last tenancy for owner move-in, a government order or a substantial remodel and re-rent within five years, the displaced tenant must be offered the unit first if they asked in time (SDMC § 98.0706(d)).

The listing must follow fair housing law, including source of income protection (Gov. Code § 12955), and must show any mandatory fees in the advertised price (Civ. Code § 1770(a)(29)). From January 1, 2027, ads using digitally altered or AI images must say so (AB 2025). Then screen with written criteria, as covered in how tenant screening works for San Diego rentals.

The new tenancy restarts the paperwork. In the City of San Diego, include the Tenant Protections Ordinance notice in at least 12-point type with the Housing Commission's Tenant Protection Guide (SDMC § 98.0705), or, for an exempt individually owned home or condo, the City's exact exemption notice in the lease (§ 98.0703(l)), plus the separate state exemption statement. If you might move back in later, include a clause allowing owner move-in; without one, an owner move-in works only if the tenant agrees in writing (§ 98.0704(b)(1)(A)). Keep the security deposit generally within one month's rent, furnished or not (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)), and photograph the unit at or just before move-in.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm the details for your situation with a California attorney or tax professional.

For how a manager handles each stage, see what a San Diego property manager does and the overview of San Diego property management.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a San Diego landlord have to return a security deposit?

As of October 2026, California law gives the landlord 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates to send an itemized statement and return the balance (Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)). The rule is the same in the City of San Diego and the rest of the county. The statement must include receipts or invoices and the move-out photos unless deductions total $125 or less, and the balance goes back electronically if the tenant paid electronically.

Can I raise the rent between tenants in San Diego?

Generally yes, because the state cap limits increases during a tenancy, not the starting rent of a new one (Civ. Code § 1947.12(b)). As of October 2026, however, the Tropical Storm Rachel emergency triggers Penal Code § 396 in San Diego County, which generally limits advertised and offered rent to 10% above the pre-emergency amount, including at turnover, through November 14, 2026; check whether it has been extended.

Can I charge a tenant for carpet cleaning or painting?

Only for costs reasonably necessary to restore the unit to its move-in condition, excluding ordinary wear and tear (Civ. Code § 1950.5(e)). Professional carpet cleaning can be charged only when reasonably necessary, and you can't routinely charge every departing tenant to prepare for the next one. Worn carpet or paint from normal use is wear and tear; large stains or many holes may justify a deduction.

Do I have to offer a pre-move-out inspection?

Yes. California requires the landlord to tell the tenant in writing about the right to request an initial inspection within a reasonable time after either party gives notice to end the tenancy (Civ. Code § 1950.5(f)). The tenant may decline. If the inspection happens, you generally can't deduct later for visible items you left off the itemized list, unless the damage happened afterward or was hidden by the tenant's belongings.

Do I need to change the locks between tenants in San Diego?

No California statute requires rekeying between tenancies, though many owners do it. State law does require an operable deadbolt on each main swinging entry door and working locks on windows designed to open (Civ. Code § 1941.3), and a landlord must change locks within 24 hours when a tenant provides qualifying documentation of abuse or violence (§ 1941.5).

Next step: price the unit before you list it

A turnover is the one time you can reset the rent, so start with current numbers. McKee Properties has managed San Diego rentals since 1982 and offers a free, no-obligation rental analysis. See what a free San Diego rental analysis covers.