California Room Rental Agreement Template

An agreement for renting one bedroom in a shared home, with private and shared areas, house rules, a fair utility split and clear notice terms. This edition fills in the California rules we could confirm and marks the rest as blanks to check.

California rules for this form

Deposit limit. Most landlords may collect no more than one month of rent as a deposit, while a small landlord (a person or family LLC owning no more than two properties with four units in total) may collect up to two months. (Civil Code section 1950.5 (as amended by AB 12, 2023))

Deadline to return the deposit. The landlord must return the deposit, minus any lawful deductions, within 21 days after the tenant moves out. (Civil Code section 1950.5)

Notice before entry. Landlords must give reasonable written notice before entering, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable (6 days if the notice is mailed), except in emergencies. (Civil Code section 1954)

Late fees. There is no fixed statutory cap on late fees, but a fee has to be a reasonable estimate of the landlord's actual cost of late payment. (California Civil Code (liquidated damages rule) and case law)

Month-to-month notice. A tenant on a month-to-month agreement gives at least 30 days of written notice; a landlord gives 30 or 60 days depending on how long the tenant has lived there. (Civil Code sections 1946 and 1946.1)

Required disclosures. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 4852d))

Required disclosures. Leases must include the statutory notice about the Megan's Law sex offender database. (Civil Code section 2079.10a)

Required disclosures. Landlords must give new tenants written information about bed bugs. (Civil Code section 1954.603)

Required disclosures. Landlords must disclose if the property is in a special flood hazard area they know about. (Government Code section 8589.45)

Required disclosures. Landlords generally must disclose known mold that exceeds permissible exposure limits. (California Health and Safety Code (mold disclosure))

Cities and counties in California can add their own rules on top of these. Check local ordinances before you sign.

What is in the template

1. Parties
2. The room and shared areas
3. Term
4. Rent
5. Utilities and household costs
6. Security deposit
7. House rules
8. Privacy and entry
9. Care and repairs
10. Ending this Agreement for a breach
11. Moving out
12. General terms
13. Signatures

Before you use it

• A room rental agreement covers one private room plus shared use of common areas like the kitchen and bathroom.
• House rules on guests, quiet hours, cleaning and shared costs prevent most housemate disputes.
• Some states treat a renter who lives with the owner differently, especially for eviction, so check before you rely on it.
• Fair housing law still applies to most room rentals, though some owner-occupied homes have narrow exemptions.

For the full explanation of this form, read our guide to the room rental agreement.