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Free California Lease
Renewal Agreement Template

Last reviewed July 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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California Lease Renewal Agreement

This Lease Renewal Agreement is built with California as the governing state. These are the California landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

California rules at a glance

California rules for a Lease Renewal Agreement
Rent-increase notice30 days for increases ≤10% · 90 days for increases >10%Civ. Code §827
Statewide rent cap5% + regional CPI, capped at 10% per year, on covered unitsCiv. Code §1947.12 (AB 1482)
Local rent controlCosta-Hawkins limits how far cities can go, but places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Monica run their own stricter ordinances — check the local rent board.
Month-to-month termination30 days (tenant <1 yr) · 60 days (tenant ≥1 yr); tenant gives 30 daysCiv. Code §1946.1

Rent, late fees & rent caps

For units covered by the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), rent increases are limited to 5% plus the regional CPI, capped at 10% in any 12-month period, with only one increase per year (§1947.12). Single-family homes and condos owned by an individual, and buildings under 15 years old, are generally exempt from the cap — but the notice rules below still apply.

  • Increase notice — 30 days’ written notice for an increase of 10% or less over the prior year; 90 days if the increase is more than 10% (§827).
  • Late fees — No statutory number — California treats late fees as liquidated damages that must reasonably approximate the landlord’s actual loss, or they’re void as a penalty (§1671(d)).
  • Returned-check fee — $25 for the first bounced check and $35 for each one after (§1719).
  • No junk fees — Since July 2025, a landlord can’t charge a fee for paying rent by check or for serving a legal notice (SB 611).
  • Local rent control — Costa-Hawkins limits how far cities can go, but places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Monica run their own stricter ordinances — check the local rent board.

California Lease Renewal Agreement FAQs

How much notice does a landlord need to end a month-to-month tenancy in California?

30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, and 60 days if a year or more; a tenant gives 30 days either way. After 12 months, the landlord also needs a valid “just cause” under the Tenant Protection Act, not just the notice (§§1946.1, 1946.2).

More California landlord documents

Lease Renewal Agreement in other states

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