Rental Application Fee Laws in California

In California, the application screening fee may not exceed $30 per applicant adjusted each year for inflation, unused amounts must be returned, and a landlord who accepts a reusable screening report may not charge a screening fee.

Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Fee limit: $30 per applicant, adjusted yearly for CPI; The fee must cover actual out-of-pocket screening costs and time, and the landlord must give an itemized receipt.
Dollar cap: $30 base, CPI-adjusted; The landlord may raise the $30 base each year in line with the Consumer Price Index.
Refund required: Yes, any unused portion; If no reference check or credit report is obtained, the unused amount must be returned. Under the refund-all option, applicants not selected get the full fee back.
Portable screening report rule: Yes, optional for landlord; no fee if accepted; Reports must be prepared within the previous 30 days and be available to the landlord at no cost (Civ. Code 1950.1).

Sources

Last checked October 2026

The rules in California

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in California?

Fee limit in California: $30 per applicant, adjusted yearly for CPI. The fee must cover actual out-of-pocket screening costs and time, and the landlord must give an itemized receipt.

Is there a fixed dollar cap on rental application fees in California?

Dollar cap in California: $30 base, CPI-adjusted. The landlord may raise the $30 base each year in line with the Consumer Price Index.

Does a landlord in California have to refund an unused application fee?

Yes, any unused portion. Refund required in California: yes, any unused portion. If no reference check or credit report is obtained, the unused amount must be returned. Under the refund-all option, applicants not selected get the full fee back.

Does California law address reusable (portable) tenant screening reports?

Yes, optional for landlord; no fee if accepted. Portable screening report rule in California: yes, optional for landlord; no fee if accepted. Reports must be prepared within the previous 30 days and be available to the landlord at no cost (Civ. Code 1950.1).

Where do the California rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from Cal. Civ. Code 1950.6 and Cal. Civ. Code 1950.1. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A landlord may collect a screening fee only if it uses a first-come, first-served screening process or refunds the entire fee to every applicant not selected within 7 days of selecting a tenant or 30 days after the application, whichever is first.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.

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