Can a California landlord require tenants to pay rent online?
No. California Civil Code 1947.3 says a landlord must allow at least one form of rent payment that is neither cash nor an electronic funds transfer, which in practice usually means a check. The landlord may not charge a fee for paying by check, and can require cash only for up to three months after a tenant's payment bounces, with a written notice. You can still encourage bank transfers; you just cannot make them the only option.
What section 1947.3 requires
- At least one way to pay that is neither cash nor electronic funds transfer must be allowed (subdivision (a)(1)).
- Electronic funds transfer is defined broadly: any transfer not started by a check, draft or similar paper item, including bank transfers, direct deposits and automated clearinghouse transfers (subdivision (d)).
- No fee may be charged for paying rent or a security deposit by check (subdivision (b)).
- Landlord and tenant may agree that rent can be paid in cash or by electronic transfer, but only if another form is also allowed (subdivision (e)).
- A lease clause waiving the section is void (subdivision (f)).
Source: California Civil Code 1947.3. Our post on refusing cash covers the federal rule and other states; this one is about California's limits on the other direction.
Decision guide: what you can and cannot do
| If you want to | In California | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Make bank transfer the only way to pay | Not allowed | A non-cash, non-electronic option must also be allowed |
| Make bank transfer the preferred way and also accept checks | Allowed | A check is the non-electronic option |
| Charge $5 for paying by check | Not allowed | Subdivision (b) bars any fee for payment by check |
| Refuse cash entirely | Allowed, if another option exists | Cash is not the required option |
| Require cash after a bounced check | Allowed for up to three months, with written notice | Subdivision (a)(2) |
| Refuse rent from a relative or friend of the tenant | Usually not | Third-party payment must be allowed if the payer signs the acknowledgment the statute describes |
After a bounced payment: cash only, for a while
If a tenant's check is dishonored or they stop payment on it, subdivision (a)(2) lets you demand cash as the only form of payment for a period of no more than three months. You must first give the tenant a written notice that the payment was dishonored, with a copy of the item attached.
Example a made-up San Jose tenant's $2,400 October rent check is returned on October 6. On October 8 the owner gives a written notice saying the check was dishonored, with a copy of the returned check, and requires cash for rent. The owner may require cash for no more than three months, so the October replacement payment, November and December can be required in cash. From January the owner must again accept a non-cash, non-electronic form such as a check.
California's returned-check fee rules and the bounce itself are covered in what you can charge for a bounced rent payment. A cash period also means receipts and a safe way to deposit the money, so plan for both.
Rent from someone else
Subdivision (a)(3) requires a landlord to let a tenant pay through a third party. You do not have to accept it until the third party signs an acknowledgment that paying does not make them a tenant; without one, the duty to accept does not apply. One signed acknowledgment can cover several payments. Our post on accepting rent from a third party covers the risks, such as overpayment scams.
A setup that fits the rule and keeps most rent electronic
- Write two methods into the lease: bank transfer (or Zelle, where your bank supports it) and personal check mailed to a stated address.
- Make bank transfer the easy one: give each tenant their memo and exact amount on day one.
- Never charge a fee for the check option, and say so in the lease.
- Deposit checks the day they arrive so they show up in your bank feed with the rest.
- If a payment bounces, send the written notice before you switch that tenant to cash, and set a reminder for when the three months end.
How DoorKeeping fits a California building
Tenants pay your own bank directly, by bank transfer or Zelle, and DoorKeeping charges them nothing. Checks you deposit appear in the same bank feed, so every payment is matched to a unit whichever way it came. DoorKeeping never holds the money, and owners pay $2 per unit per month. For how a rule applies to your building, check the statute and your attorney; DoorKeeping gives no legal advice.
Sources
- California Civil Code section 1947.3, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Can a California landlord refuse checks?
- Only if another form of payment that is neither cash nor electronic is allowed. In practice a check is usually that option, so most landlords keep accepting them.
- Can a California landlord charge a fee for paying rent by check?
- No. Civil Code 1947.3(b) says a landlord shall not charge a fee for payment by check for rent or a security deposit.
- How long can a California landlord demand cash after a bounced check?
- For a period of no more than three months, and only after giving the tenant written notice that the payment was dishonored, with a copy attached.