What disclosures does a California apartment lease need?
A California apartment lease packet usually needs the owner and manager contact details, a bed bug notice, a flood hazard notice, the Megan's Law notice for buildings over four units, and the Tenant Protection Act notice for covered buildings, plus the federal lead notice for pre-1978 buildings. Several more apply only when a fact is true, such as a demolition permit, a smoking ban, shared utility meters or known mold.
Disclosures most California apartment leases need
| Disclosure | What it says | Type size and timing | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner, manager and rent payment details | Name, phone and street address for service for the manager and the owner or their agent; who receives rent and how; the forms of payment accepted | In the lease; give the tenant a copy within 15 days of signing | Civil Code 1962 |
| Bed bugs | Set text on bed bug signs, life cycle and bites, plus your procedure for reporting a suspected infestation | At least 10-point type, before creating a new tenancy | Civil Code 1954.603 |
| Flood hazard | Whether the property is in a flood hazard area if you actually know (a notice from an agency, a lender requiring flood insurance, or you carry it); where to find the state's MyHazards tool; that your insurance does not cover the tenant's belongings | At least 8-point type, in every lease signed on or after July 1, 2018 | Government Code 8589.45 |
| Megan's Law | Set text pointing to the Department of Justice website about registered sex offenders | At least 8-point type, in leases for buildings of more than four units | Civil Code 2079.10a |
| Rent cap and just cause (Tenant Protection Act) | Set text that California limits rent increases and requires a stated cause to end some tenancies | At least 12-point type, in the lease, an addendum or a signed notice; owners subject to the law | Civil Code 1946.2(f) |
| Lead-based paint | The federal disclosure form and pamphlet | Before signing, for housing built before 1978 | See the lead disclosure guide |
The Tenant Protection Act has exemptions, and missing its notice makes a termination notice void under 1946.2(g). Check whether your building is covered with your attorney.
Disclosures that apply only when a fact is true
| If this is true | Then disclose | Law |
|---|---|---|
| You have applied for a permit to demolish the unit | Written notice with the earliest approximate demolition date and when you expect to end the tenancy, before taking an application fee, any other fee or signing a lease | Civil Code 1940.6 |
| The property bans smoking anywhere | A lease clause naming the areas where smoking is prohibited (leases from 2012 on, for new occupants) | Civil Code 1947.5 |
| A tenant's gas or electric meter also serves areas outside their unit | That fact, before the tenancy starts, plus a written agreement on who pays | Civil Code 1940.9 |
| You have a contract for periodic pest control service | A copy of the pest control company's notice to each new tenant | Civil Code 1940.8 |
| You or your staff apply pesticide without a licensed operator | A written notice with set wording, to the unit and to nearby units for broadcast sprays or foggers | Civil Code 1940.8.5 |
| You know of a former military ordnance site within one mile | Written notice before signing | Civil Code 1940.7 |
| You know or reasonably believe mold above state limits affects the unit | Written disclosure before signing, unless it was remediated under state guidelines | Health and Safety Code 26147 |
One thing you are not required to raise: a death in the unit more than three years before the tenant applies, under Civil Code 1710.2. That section does not protect an untrue answer if a tenant asks you directly.
If you negotiated in another language
If you negotiate a lease longer than one month primarily in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean, Civil Code 1632 requires you to give a translation of the whole lease, every term, in that language before signing. The flood notice and the Tenant Protection Act notice are expressly subject to that rule.
What missing one can cost
- Demolition notice: actual damages, moving costs for a new tenant, and a civil penalty of up to $2,500, plus attorney fees (1940.6(c)).
- Shared meters: a court can make you the utility customer for the tenant's meter and order you to repay what the tenant paid for service outside their unit, back to when the disclosure was due (1940.9(b)).
- Owner and manager details: a new owner who does not provide them within 15 days of taking over cannot evict for rent that came due during the gap (1962(c)).
Example a made-up 12 unit building in Sacramento with a lender-required flood policy, a no-smoking rule in the halls and on balconies, and periodic pest service. Its lease packet holds the lease with owner and rent details, the bed bug notice, the flood notice saying the property is in a flood hazard area, the Megan's Law notice, the Tenant Protection Act notice, a smoking clause naming the halls and balconies, the pest company's notice and, since it was built in 1962, the lead form and pamphlet. That is 8 items, and every new tenant gets all 8.
Sending the packet with DoorKeeping
In DoorKeeping, you keep your notices as documents on each property and send them with the lease for e-signature, so every tenant has the same packet and you have the signed copy with a date. Renewal offers go out the same way. DoorKeeping is $2 per unit per month with $0 in other fees, and it gives no legal advice; have a California attorney review your packet once.
Sources
- California Civil Code 1962, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 1954.603, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Government Code 8589.45, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 2079.10a, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 1946.2, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 1940.6, 1940.7, 1940.8, 1940.8.5 and 1940.9, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 1947.5, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Health and Safety Code 26147, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 1632, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code 1710.2, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Is a bed bug addendum required in California?
- Yes. Civil Code 1954.603 requires a written bed bug notice, in at least 10-point type, before any new tenancy, with set information and your reporting procedure.
- Do California leases need a flood disclosure?
- Yes, every residential lease signed on or after July 1, 2018 needs the Government Code 8589.45 notice, which also points tenants to the state's MyHazards tool.
- Does a California lease need the Megan's Law notice?
- Leases for buildings of more than four units must carry the Civil Code 2079.10a notice in at least 8-point type.