anyone know the policy on pet deposites on rentals in CA, if there is any?

Question

landlords are asking for first and last months rent for a deopsite as well as a pet deposite that is anywhere from $300 pre pet to 1,500. i know that they can do the first and last, but from what i have been reading that is all they can charge and not the pet dep, is this right???

Answer 1

You might want to look at a book called Tenants Rights, for Calif. to see what the latest is on pet dep.
when I left this whole pet dep. thing was just starting. There was a flat fee, which was refundable, and some were trying to charge xxx per month, which wasnt refundable. because dep,s are so high....you can have the
owner put this in a bank acct. and you can draw the interest at the end.
you also know where your dep. monies are at when it comes time to get them back...........and 3-5000, is worth learning how to get it back........
same book will tell you from start to end.......

Answer 2

Anything above and beyond the first month's rent and an application screening fee is considered security deposit under CA law regardless of what the landlord chooses to call it.

Further, security deposits are limited by law. For an unfurnished property it's 2x the monthly rent unless you have a waterbed where it's 2.5x the monthly rent. For a furnished property it's 3x the monthly rent unless you have a waterbed where it's 3.5x the monthly rent.