California Landlord Disclosure Requirements: The Complete 2026 Checklist

California requires more lease disclosures than almost any other state — and missing even one can make a lease clause unenforceable or expose you to a lawsuit. Here's what every California landlord needs to include, organized by when it applies.

Disclosures Required for Every Lease

These apply regardless of property type, age, or location:

• AB 1482 rent cap status — your lease must state whether the property is subject to the Tenant Protection Act's rent caps and just-cause eviction rules, or explain the specific exemption if it isn't.
• Smoking policy — whether smoking is prohibited entirely or limited to specific areas.
• Megan's Law notice — a statutory statement directing tenants to the state's sex offender registry database.
• Bed bug disclosure — general educational information about bed bug identification and reporting, required in every new tenancy.
• Mandatory fees in advertised rent (SB 478) — since July 1, 2024, California's Honest Pricing Law prohibits advertising a price that leaves out mandatory fees. It is widely treated as applying to rental listings, so advertised rent should include any required monthly charges (for example, mandatory trash or amenity fees). Optional services and late fees don't need to be included.
• Death on the property — any death that occurred at the property within the last three years, if the landlord has actual knowledge of it (deaths from AIDS-related illness are specifically exempt from this requirement).

Conditional Disclosures — Triggered by Property Specifics

These only apply if the condition exists:

• Lead-based paint — required for any unit built before 1978.
• Mold — required if the landlord has actual knowledge of mold exceeding permissible exposure limits.
• Flood hazard zones — required since July 2018 if the landlord has actual knowledge the property sits in a special flood hazard area, disclosed in at least 8-point type.
• Shared utility meters — if a unit doesn't have a separate gas or electric meter and also serves other units, this must be disclosed with a written cost-sharing agreement.
• Former ordnance locations — required if the landlord knows the property is within one mile of a former military ordnance location.
• Planned demolition — if a demolition permit has been applied for, prospective tenants must be notified in writing before signing a lease or paying any fees.
• Pest control contracts — if the property is under an active pest control service contract, the company's name and address must be provided.

Recently Added Requirements Worth Double-Checking

One disclosure rule added recently that many older lease templates still don't reflect:

• AB 2747 (effective April 2025) — larger properties (16+ units) and certain corporate-owned smaller properties must offer tenants the option to have on-time rent payments reported to a credit bureau.

Why This Matters

A lease missing a required disclosure doesn't just risk a fine — certain omissions can make the affected clause unenforceable, or give tenants grounds to challenge the lease entirely. And because these requirements update almost every legislative session, a lease template that was compliant two years ago may already be out of date.

How LeaseConnectPro Helps

Keeping track of a dozen-plus disclosure requirements — and knowing which ones actually apply to a given property — is one of the easiest things to get wrong manually. LeaseConnectPro's disclosure tracker checks every California-required disclosure against your property's specifics and gives you a compliance score, so you know exactly what's covered and what's still missing before a tenant ever signs.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed California attorney for guidance specific to your property.