With April 1 just around the corner, the California Apartment Association is reminding its members that two new requirements will soon take effect—one related to positive rent reporting and another concerning security deposit documentation. 

New rent reporting law (AB 2747) 

Starting April 1, 2025, AB 2747 requires many landlords to give tenants the option to have their on-time rent payments reported to at least one credit bureau. The law applies to all properties with 16 or more units (except for those subject to a similar law for certain assisted housing developments—see the paper linked below). It also applies to properties with 15 or fewer units if there is corporate ownership and the owner owns more than one residential rental property.  

For tenancies beginning on or after April 1, 2025, the offer must be made at the time the rental or lease agreement is entered into. For existing tenants (i.e., those with rental or lease agreements entered into before April 1, 2025), the offer must be provided by April 1, 2025.  

For more information, please see CAA’s detailed paper about the rent reporting requirements, which includes a list of companies offering rent reporting services and information about reporting requirements for assisted housing developments: Rent Reporting Obligations.   

New security deposit law (AB 2801) 

AB 2801 makes several changes to security deposit rules, the most significant being the requirement to take photographs at various times and to provide them with the security deposit disposition. The first phase of the law takes effect April 1, 2025, requiring landlords to take: 

  • Pre-repair/cleaning move-out photos: For all tenancies (regardless of start date), the landlord must take photos within a reasonable time after the unit is returned to the landlord but before any repairs or cleaning work is done; and  
  • Post-repair/cleaning photos: For all tenancies (regardless of start date), the landlord must take photos within a reasonable time after repairs or cleanings are completed. 

Additionally, starting April 1, 2025, if deductions are made for repairs or cleaning, landlords must include these photographs in the itemized disposition—along with the required bills, invoices, or receipts. 

To assist housing providers in understanding the new requirements, CAA held a webinar covering the details of AB 2801 and best practices for compliance. The webinar is now available on demand: Security Deposits: The Ins and Outs Webinar. 

CAA’s Itemized Disposition of Security Deposit (Form CA-290) has been redesigned to facilitate compliance with new photo requirements and other changes to the security deposit law.  

CAA’s Waiver of Right To Receive Documentation With Itemized Disposition of Security Deposit (Form CA-292) clarifies that a tenant’s waiver of documentation also applies to required photos.  

For more information, please see Industry Insight: Security Deposit Collection and Return,  which has been updated to cover all of AB 2801’s new requirements, including the photograph requirement.  

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