CA AB2493

Landlords may charge application screening fees only if they offer either: (1) a first-come, first-served screening process where only applicants meeting criteria are charged, or (2) a process that refunds fees to rejected applicants within 7-30 days.

Landlords cannot charge application screening fees when they know or should know no rental unit is available at that time or will be available within a reasonable period of time.

Landlords must provide a copy of the consumer credit report to applicants within 7 days of receiving the report, without requiring the applicant to request it.

Application screening fees remain capped at $30 per applicant, adjusted annually for inflation, and must cover only actual out-of-pocket costs plus reasonable time spent.

Landlords may accept reusable tenant screening reports in lieu of collecting application screening fees.