Plain-language references on condition reports, security deposits and California rental law, plus practical guides for renting a place you cannot visit. Written for whoever holds the keys, or is about to.
What to put on the record at move-in and at move-out, what California law expects since AB 2801, where normal wear ends and damage begins, how a manager runs it across a portfolio, and how it compares with the French état des lieux.
The baseline the deposit depends on: what to document room by room, what AB 2801 and Civil Code § 1950.5 expect on day one, who should produce the record, and when to make it.
Read the guide →CaliforniaHow the deposit gets settled: the walkthrough a tenant can request before moving out, the photographs required before any repair, the 21 day statement, and what happens when there is no move-in record.
Read the guide →CaliforniaThe complete factual guide to AB 2801 and Civil Code § 1950.5: the 21 day deposit deadline, the photos required at move-in, move-out and after repairs, what a landlord can and cannot deduct, and every figure in one recap table.
Read the guide →CaliforniaWhere California draws the line between everyday wear, which stays with the landlord, and damage beyond normal use, which can be deducted. With the useful-life table for paint and carpet, and a downloadable PDF version.
Read the guide →CaliforniaThe walkthrough the statute calls an initial inspection: who must offer it, the two-week window, the 48-hour notice, the written list of proposed deductions, and how it connects to the AB 2801 photographs.
Read the guide →Checklist · PDFTen categories in the order to walk the unit, the photo method AB 2801 expects, what to write next to the photographs, and who signs. The full list on the page, plus a printable PDF.
Read the guide →Checklist · PDFEvery photograph, deadline and document a California turnover requires, from the day before move-in to the 21-day statement, with the evidence table per deduction. Printable PDF.
Read the guide →Property managersOne record per turnover across the portfolio: what AB 2801 changes for managers, why one structure matters, who should produce the record, and how to file, share and keep it for four years.
Read the guide →En françaisPas d'état des lieux contradictoire en Californie, mais des photos obligatoires depuis AB 2801. Les différences avec la pratique française, le dépôt de garantie, la vétusté, et ce que risque un propriétaire sans documentation.
Read the guide →For renters relocating to Los Angeles from another city or country: how to check a listing, a lease and a landlord before any money moves.
A six-step playbook for verifying an LA listing, the lease and the landlord before you commit. Red flags, payment rules, and when to send an independent third party to see the place for you.
Read the guide →Los AngelesEight red flags, a four-minute verification routine, and the payment rules you do not break. Calibrated for the LA market and its scam patterns.
Read the guide →Los AngelesIndependent report services, curated scouts, viewing marketplaces, freelancers, brokers: what each option delivers, the eight questions to ask before paying, and a comparison table.
Read the guide →Los AngelesA relocation guide for international renters arriving in LA: lease basics, deposits, neighborhoods, US credit history workarounds, and how to check the condition of a place you cannot visit.
Read the guide →Independent condition reports across Los Angeles: property visit reports for remote renters, move-in and move-out condition reports for tenancies. We document the property, the report is delivered within 24 hours.