A room rental agreement in California is sometimes called a roommate agreement; you can often find these terms used interchangeably. All this contract means is that the landlord and tenant have entered into a legally binding contract. The agreement outlines each person’s responsibilities and any other terms related to this lease.

California governs its landlord-tenant laws independently. As such, some required terms and disclosures might need to appear on a room rental agreement in California. Apart from the general clauses, these contracts may require the following state-specific conditions.

Limitations on security deposits

The state doesn’t mandate charging tenants a security deposit despite it being common practice. However, the state limits how much you can charge as a security deposit. For an unfurnished property, the limit is a maximum of two months rent, whereas a furnished property can charge up to three months rent.

Specific payment options

In California, landlords can offer several rent payment options to tenants. However, they’re not allowed to accept cash. The only exception is if a check bounced back within the last three months.

Limitation on rent increases

Rent increases in the state are capped at 5%.

Required disclosures

The state of California also requires that certain disclosures appear in the agreement. These include

• toxic substance disclosures such as mold and asbestos,

• flooding area disclosures,

• and registered sex offender disclosures.