What must a California residential lease include?
A California residential lease should include the names of the landlord and every tenant, the property address, the rent amount and due day, the lease term and start and end dates, the security deposit amount (up to 1 month of rent under AB 12, with a 2-month small-owner carve-out at Cal. Civ. Code 1950.5(c)(5)(A)), state-mandated disclosures (federal lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 units, plus any California-specific disclosures), and signature lines. California landlord-tenant law applies several mandatory terms even if the lease is silent. A California-specific lease template applies the correct clauses automatically. LeaseKit builds these from the relevant statutes.
Source: California landlord-tenant code
This is an informational answer based on California landlord-tenant code as of early 2026. It is not legal advice. Housing law changes year to year and local ordinances (especially in rent-controlled or rent-stabilized cities) can override or add to state law. For contested cases, consult a California-licensed attorney.