Since April 2025, a California landlord who wants to deduct anything from a security deposit has to be able to produce photographs of the unit. Most landlords I speak to haven't heard of it. Answer four questions and see what your tenancy needs.
It's where the property is that matters, not where you live.
Answer the first question to see what applies.
The hard half is standing in an empty unit with a phone, remembering every room, and still having the photos in four years when someone asks. SmartLeaseFlow walks you through it room by room, keeps the camera timestamps, and builds the itemized statement with each deduction attached to its own before-and-after shots.