Civil Code § 1671(d), not a universal fixed percentage cap.
The statutory exception turns on whether actual damages would be impracticable or extremely difficult to determine.
Plus reasonable value of time used to obtain applicant information, subject to the indexed statutory ceiling.
The statute permits annual CPI adjustment beginning in 1998; do not treat $30 as the current fixed maximum.
Subject to the statutory exceptions in Civil Code § 1950.5(c).
Generally measured after the tenant vacates the premises.
California charge guides
These pages are indexed because the legal layer has been checked against primary or official California sources. Each guide shows its source list and review date.
Security Deposit
California security deposit limits, lawful deductions, photographs, receipts and the 21-day return rule, based on Civil Code § 1950.5.
Open guide →21-Day Deposit Deadline
Calculate and understand California’s 21-calendar-day security deposit return and itemization deadline after move-out.
Open guide →Move-Out Charges
Review California move-out charges for damage, cleaning, carpet, painting and other deductions under Civil Code § 1950.5.
Open guide →Carpet Replacement
Understand California carpet replacement and carpet-cleaning deductions, normal wear and useful-life guidance.
Open guide →Painting Charges
California move-out painting deductions, normal wall wear and the DRE’s practical paint-life guidance.
Open guide →Cleaning Fees
California move-out cleaning deductions, professional cleaning rules, receipts and photo requirements.
Open guide →Move-Out Inspection
California initial move-out inspection timing, notice, itemization and photo rules under Civil Code § 1950.5.
Open guide →Utility Billing
California apartment utility billing: submetered water disclosures, allowed bill components, and what to review with RUBS or master-meter charges.
Open guide →Application Screening Fees
California application screening fee rules for actual costs, the CPI-adjusted statutory ceiling, application order or refund options, receipts, unused fees and credit-report delivery under Civil Code § 1950.6.
Open guide →Late Fees & Liquidated Damages
California residential rent late-fee guide to Civil Code § 1671(d), liquidated damages, difficulty fixing actual loss, reasonable relationship to anticipated losses and evidence to request.
Open guide →How we handle California legal information
We separate statutory rules from practical agency guidance. For late fees, § 1671(d) supplies the residential liquidated-damages framework while the 2026 Department of Real Estate tenant guide points readers to California cases applying it. For application screening, § 1950.6 controls the fee and process while § 1950.1 separately addresses optional reusable screening reports. For move-out charges, DRE guidance discusses useful-life approaches for carpet and painting but does not turn those examples into universal hard-and-fast formulas.
Core official sources
Primary California statute applying subdivision (d) to liquidated-damages provisions recovered from a party to a residential real-property lease. In that residential setting, the clause is void except for an agreed amount presumed to be damages when actual damage would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix.
California Department of Real EstateCalifornia Tenants — A Guide to Residential Tenants’ and Landlords’ Rights and Responsibilities (2026) ↗Official 2026 California renter guide discussing late fees and citing Harbor Island Holdings v. Kim, Orozco v. Casimiro and Del Monte Properties & Investments, Inc. v. Dolan for the residential liquidated-damages and reasonable-relationship analysis.
California Legislative InformationCalifornia Civil Code § 1950.6 — Residential rental application screening fee ↗Primary 2026 law governing screening-fee amount, application-processing options, refunds, itemized receipts, unused amounts and delivery of the consumer credit report.
California Legislative InformationCalifornia Civil Code § 1950.1 — Reusable tenant screening reports ↗Primary California rule defining reusable tenant screening reports and prohibiting access/application-screening fees when a landlord elects to accept a qualifying reusable report.
California Department of Real Estate2026 Real Estate Law — California code excerpts ↗Official 2026 DRE publication reproducing the current residential application-screening-fee statute and related California real-estate law excerpts.
California Legislative InformationCalifornia Civil Code § 1950.5 ↗Primary law for residential security deposits, deductions, inspections, photographs and return/accounting requirements.
California Department of Real EstateCalifornia Tenants Guide — Moving Out ↗Official practical guidance on deductions, normal wear, carpet, painting, cleaning and inspections.
California Courts — Self-Help GuideGuide to security deposits in California ↗Official court self-help overview of deductions, the 21-day rule, documents and dispute options.
California Department of Justice — Attorney GeneralKnow Your Rights: Security Deposits ↗Consumer guidance from the California Attorney General on lawful uses of deposits and move-out rights.