Requirements to Rent an Apartment in California

The requirements to rent an apartment in California come down to a short list, and state law caps or protects several items on it:

• Proof of identity. A government ID, passport, or similar document. Your citizenship and immigration status are protected and cannot be held against you.
• Proof of income, usually about 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent. Landlords set that figure themselves, and it works differently if you use a housing voucher.
• Consent to a credit and background check. You sign an authorization, and the landlord runs the report.
• Rental history and references from past landlords or employers.
• An application screening fee, capped by state law at roughly $65 per applicant in 2025 and never more than the landlord’s actual cost.
• A security deposit of no more than one month’s rent, plus your first month’s rent up front.

California limits this process more than most states do, and most of those limits work in your favor. This guide covers what a landlord can require, what they are not allowed to ask, and the numbers that changed in the past two years. For how California stacks up against other states, start with our guide to landlord-tenant laws by state.

How Much Income Do You Need to Rent an Apartment in California?

There is no legal minimum. Most California landlords look for gross monthly income of about 2.5 to 3 times the rent, shown with recent pay stubs, an offer letter, tax returns, bank statements, or benefit award letters. Landlords set that ratio themselves, so it varies landlord to landlord and shifts with the market.

Two state rules change the math when a government subsidy covers part of your rent. A landlord’s income requirement can apply only to your share of the rent, not the full rent, once a Housing Choice (Section 8) voucher or similar subsidy is in the picture (Gov. Code § 12955(o)). And if you use a subsidy and the landlord asks for proof of income, they have to let you show alternative evidence of your ability to pay, such as pay stubs or benefit statements, instead of judging you on credit history alone (SB 267, in effect since January 1, 2024). If your income runs thin or your credit file is short, a co-signer or guarantor is common and perfectly legal.

What Is the Maximum Application Fee a Landlord Can Charge in California?

Roughly $65 per applicant in 2025, and never more than what the landlord actually spends to screen you. Civil Code § 1950.6 set the cap at $30 per applicant back in 1998 and adjusts it for inflation every year, which lands it around $65 today. No state agency publishes the exact figure, so treat any precise number a landlord quotes as their own calculation, bounded by that cap and by their real costs. The fee is charged for each applicant, so a couple applying together can each be billed. You are also entitled to an itemized receipt showing what the money paid for.

You hold more protection here than the dollar figure suggests:

• If the landlord never actually screens you, say the unit is already rented, the unused part of the fee has to come back to you.
• Since January 1, 2025, AB 2493 requires landlords to either consider completed applications in the order received against their written criteria, or refund the entire fee to every applicant they do not select.
• When a landlord advertises that they accept a reusable tenant screening report, they cannot charge you an application fee at all (Civil Code § 1950.1).

What Documents Do You Need to Rent an Apartment in California?

Have these ready before you tour, because the first qualified application often wins the unit:

• Photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport
• Proof of income: your two most recent pay stubs, an offer letter, recent tax returns, or a few months of bank statements
• Your Social Security number or ITIN, which the landlord uses to run a credit check
• Rental history, meaning past addresses and the contact information for former landlords
• One or two references, personal or professional
• A guarantor’s details, if you plan to use one

You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to rent in California. An ITIN or a passport can stand in for a Social Security number, and your immigration status cannot be part of the decision.

What Can a Landlord Ask, and Not Ask, on a California Rental Application?

A landlord can ask about anything tied to your ability to pay the rent and take care of the home: income, employment, rental history, credit, and references. They cannot ask about, or make a decision based on, any trait California protects.

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act reaches further than federal law. A landlord cannot base a decision on your race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status (having children), disability, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, primary language, age, military or veteran status, or source of income (California Civil Rights Department). The same screening criteria have to apply to every applicant, which is why consistency matters as much as the criteria themselves.

Criminal history carries its own limits. A blanket “no felonies” or “no records” policy is illegal in California. A landlord cannot weigh an arrest that never led to a conviction, a sealed or expunged record, or a juvenile matter, and any denial based on a conviction has to connect to a real risk, judged by what happened and how long ago (Civil Rights Department, Fair Housing and Criminal History). Several California cities and counties layer stronger fair-chance housing rules on top of that.

How Much Can a Landlord Charge for a Security Deposit in California?

One month’s rent, collected on top of your first month’s rent, for any deposit taken on or after July 1, 2024. AB 12 rewrote Civil Code § 1950.5 and erased the old two- and three-month limits, so a listing still quoting them is two years out of date. One narrow exception survives: a small landlord who is an individual, or an LLC made up only of individuals, and who owns no more than two rental properties with four units total, may ask for up to two months, though never from an active-duty service member.

The label on the money does not change the ceiling. Pet deposits, cleaning deposits, key fees, and last month’s rent paid up front all count toward the same one-month cap, and no part of it can be called nonrefundable. Our California security deposit law guide walks through the 21-day return deadline and how to get every dollar back, and what a landlord cannot do in California covers the rest of the state’s rulebook.

Can a Landlord Deny You for Using a Housing Voucher?

No. Source of income is a protected class in California, and a Section 8 Housing Choice voucher counts as a protected source (California Civil Rights Department). A landlord cannot advertise “no Section 8,” refuse to accept your voucher, or hold it against you. They also cannot run an income multiple against the full rent when a subsidy pays part of it, and they must give you a chance to prove your ability to pay without leaning on your credit history alone. None of this forces a landlord to rent to you, but it does bar them from turning you away over how the rent gets paid.

Can a Landlord Deny Your Application, and Do They Have to Tell You Why?

A landlord can deny you for a lawful, nondiscriminatory reason, such as insufficient income, a poor rental history, or a directly related conviction. Whether they owe you an explanation depends on why they said no.

If the denial rests even partly on a credit report or a tenant screening report, federal law requires an adverse action notice. That notice has to give you the name, address, and phone number of the screening company, and tell you that you can request a free copy of the report within 60 days and dispute anything wrong in it (FTC, Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights). Read that report. Screening files confuse people with similar names and carry stale records more often than renters expect, and a correction can flip a denial into an approval. When the denial is not based on a report, California does not require a written reason, but a protected trait still cannot be the real one.

How to Put Together a Strong California Rental Application

A few habits make the difference when a good unit draws a dozen applicants:

• Assemble your documents into a single file before you tour: ID, two recent pay stubs, and a former landlord’s contact.
• Ask what the screening criteria and fee are before you pay. You are allowed to ask about the minimum income and credit standard up front.
• Pull your own credit and screening report first, so you can fix errors before a landlord ever sees them.
• If your credit file is thin, offer a guarantor or extra proof of income at the start.
• Keep a copy of every application you submit and every fee receipt you get.

More on your rights and next steps is in our renter’s guide.

FAQ

What is the maximum application fee a landlord can charge in California?

Roughly $65 per applicant in 2025, and never more than the landlord’s actual out-of-pocket screening cost. The cap started at $30 in 1998 and rises with inflation each year. You are entitled to an itemized receipt, and if the landlord does not screen you, the unused portion of the fee has to be refunded.

How much income do you need to rent an apartment in California?

There is no legal minimum. Most landlords look for gross income of about 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent, proven with pay stubs, bank statements, or tax returns. When a housing voucher covers part of your rent, the income test can apply only to your share, not the full rent.

Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in California?

No. Source of income, including a Housing Choice voucher, is a protected class statewide. A landlord cannot advertise “no Section 8” or reject you for paying part of the rent with a voucher. They can still screen you on lawful criteria applied evenly to everyone.

Can a landlord ask about your immigration status in California?

No. Citizenship and immigration status are protected characteristics, so a landlord cannot ask about them or factor them into a decision. An ITIN or passport can take the place of a Social Security number on the application.

What credit score do you need to rent an apartment in California?

No law sets a minimum score. Each landlord picks their own standard, and many weigh income, rental history, and the full report more heavily than a single number. If you use a government rent subsidy, the landlord must let you show your ability to pay without relying on credit history alone.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and every situation is different. For guidance on a specific situation, talk to a California-licensed attorney.