Free landlord forms & resources

Hand-picked free, official California resources — forms, checklists, and guides — to round out your compliance workflow. We link the primary source so you always work from the authoritative version.

General information, not legal advice. This page summarizes California law for educational purposes and may not reflect the latest amendments, court rulings, or your city’s local rent-control ordinances, which can be stricter. Always verify against the official statute (linked at the bottom of this page) and consult a licensed California attorney before acting on a specific situation.

Official California guides

State-published, free, and updated regularly — the authoritative starting points.

DRE California Tenants — A Guide to Residential Tenants’ and Landlords’ Rights (2025)

The state’s plain-English handbook covering the whole tenancy lifecycle.

CA DRE

HCD — Landlord & Tenant resources

Housing is Key, rent-cap guidance, and habitability resources.

CA HCD

California Courts — Landlord/Tenant self-help

Official court forms and eviction-process steps.

CA Courts

Move-in / move-out & inspections

Condition documentation is your first line of defense in a deposit dispute (and AB 2801 now requires photos).

CAA move-in / move-out checklist

Free downloadable checklist (email signup required).

CA Apartment Assn

Security-deposit itemization (§1950.5)

The 21-day itemized-statement rule and what must be included.

Civ. Code §1950.5

Tenant screening (tenant-pays options)

We don’t screen tenants — but these let an applicant run and pay for their own report, so you stay out of FCRA/data-handling risk.

TransUnion SmartMove

Applicant pays; credit + criminal + eviction report shared with you.

TransUnion

Experian Connect

Applicant-initiated credit report they share directly.

Experian

Insurance & turnover

Coverage and turnover basics that round out a complete compliance posture.

III — Landlord insurance basics

What a dwelling/landlord policy covers vs. a homeowner policy.

Insurance Information Institute

Require tenant renters insurance

Why to require it and how it shifts liability off you.

Insurance Info Institute

Commercial leases (Insights · Beta)

For commercial properties. Commercial obligations are set by each lease and vary widely — these are informational, not legal advice.

CASp disclosure requirement (Civ. Code §1938)

Every commercial lease must state the property’s CASp inspection status.

Civ. Code §1938

SB 1103 — qualified commercial tenants (2025)

New notice, translation, and operating-cost-substantiation rules for small commercial tenants.

SB 1103

ADA Title III — public accommodations

Federal accessibility duties independent of the lease.

ADA.gov

CASp program (Division of the State Architect)

Find a Certified Access Specialist and understand the benefits of inspecting early.

CA DGS

See compliance signals for resources for free

Veluna Rent surfaces California requirements that may apply based on the property details you provide, helps track related deadlines, and gives you a Protection Score in about two minutes. Built for California landlords.

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