Do you have the photos California now requires?
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.
Read elsewhere that you must share move-in photos, or keep them four years?
Neither is in the statute. Both claims appear in most guides to this law. We set out each one next to the text of §1950.5 so you can check rather than take our word for it — along with an obligation that started in January 2026 and barely gets mentioned.
What most AB 2801 guides get wrongKnowing what's required is the easy half.
The hard half is standing in an empty unit with a phone, remembering every room, and still being able to find the photos years later if someone disputes the deduction. 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.