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 fee disclosure (new for 2026) — as of January 2026, all mandatory fees (trash, water, sewer, and other pass-through charges) must be disclosed upfront in both advertising and the lease itself. Base rent alone is no longer sufficient.
• 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

Two disclosure rules have been added in the past two years 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.
• AB 747 (effective January 2026) — mandatory fees must now be disclosed upfront in advertising, not just buried in the lease.

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.