California Залоговый Депозит Взыскание Suite
Generate a требование AND a ready-to-file Small Claims исковое заявление. Upload your договор аренды — AI drafts everything.
21 days — Арендодатель deadline to return депозит
2x штраф — недобросовестность withholding (CC 1950.5)
$12,500 — Суд Мелких Тяжб limit
How This Works
Два документа, максимальное влияние
A требование alone is a suggestion. A требование with a draft Small Claims исковое заявление attached says "I'm filing this next week." 85% of залоговый депозит disputes settle after the арендодатель sees both documents. This generator creates both from a single form — and AI personalizes them using your actual договор аренды and communications.
How to use: Go to the Generator tab. Upload your договор аренды + photos, fill in the details (or let AI extract them), then download both your требование and Small Claims исковое заявление. Mail the требование first — give 14 days to respond — then file the судебный иск.
California Залоговый Депозит Law — Key Rules
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21-day deadline (CC 1950.5(g)): Арендодатель must return the депозит or provide an itemized statement of deductions within 21 calendar days after the арендатор surrenders possession. Нет extensions, no excuses.
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Itemized statement required (CC 1950.5(g)(2)): If any amount is withheld, the арендодатель must provide a written, itemized statement showing each deduction with supporting documentation (receipts, estimates).
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недобросовестность штраф — up to 2x депозит (CC 1950.5(l)): If the арендодатель retains the депозит in недобросовестность, the арендатор can recover up to twice the депозит amount PLUS actual убытки. недобросовестность includes no statement, bogus deductions, or ignoring the 21-day deadline.
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Депозит limits (CC 1950.5(a) / AB 12): For leases signed after July 1, 2024: max 1 month's rent. Older leases: max 2 months (unfurnished) or 3 months (furnished). If your арендодатель collected more, you may have an additional требование.
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Нет deductions for wear & tear (CC 1950.5(e)): Normal wear and tear is NOT deductible. This includes minor wall scuffs, worn carpet from foot traffic, faded paint, small nail holes, and minor appliance wear. Only damage beyond normal use is deductible.
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Суд Мелких Тяжб (CCP 116.221): You can sue for up to $12,500. Filing fees are $30-$75. Lawyers are generally not allowed — it's designed for self-representation. Typical timeline: 30-70 days from filing to hearing.
Time limit: You have 4 года to file a залоговый депозит судебный иск under CCP 337(a) (breach of written agreement) or 2 года under CCP 339 (breach of oral agreement). Don't wait — доказательства gets harder to present over time.
Контрольный Список Доказательств
Gather these before using the generator. The stronger your доказательства, the stronger your documents.
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Договор Аренды/rental agreement — Shows депозит amount, terms, арендодатель obligations. Upload to AI for automatic extraction.
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Move-in & move-out photos — Date-stamped photos of the unit's condition at both times. Critical for disputing damage claims.
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Move-in/move-out инспекция checklist — If your арендодатель provided one (required under CC 1950.5(f) if requested), this is your best доказательства.
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Text messages & emails with арендодатель — Any communications about the депозит, deductions, move-out condition, or ремонт requests.
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Itemized statement from арендодатель — If received, note the date (was it в течение 21 дней?) and whether deductions are legitimate.
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Proof of депозит payment — Bank records, canceled check, or receipt showing the депозит amount you paid.
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Forwarding address proof — Did you provide a forwarding address? The арендодатель must send the statement there.
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Фиксированная оплата $575 — includes требование on адвокат letterhead, draft судебный иск, and FedEx certified delivery. 85% of cases settle without суд.
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Allowable vs. Prohibited Deductions
California law is specific about what арендодательs can and cannot deduct from your залоговый депозит. Use this table to identify improper deductions.
| Deduction Type | Allowed? | Правовая Основа |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent | Да | CC 1950.5(b)(1) |
| Damage beyond normal wear and tear | Да | CC 1950.5(b)(2) |
| Cleaning to restore move-in condition | Да (if needed) | CC 1950.5(b)(3) |
| Restoring/replacing personal property per договор аренды | Да | CC 1950.5(b)(4) |
| Minor wall scuffs and nail holes | Нет — wear & tear | CC 1950.5(e) |
| Worn carpet from normal foot traffic | Нет — wear & tear | CC 1950.5(e) |
| Faded or sun-bleached paint | Нет — wear & tear | CC 1950.5(e) |
| Full repainting (if арендатор lived there 2+ years) | Нет — useful life expired | Case law |
| Full carpet replacement (if carpet 8+ years old) | Нет — useful life expired | Case law / IRS depreciation |
| Professional cleaning (if unit left reasonably clean) | Нет — if comparable to move-in | CC 1950.5(b)(3) |
| Appliance wear from normal use | Нет — wear & tear | CC 1950.5(e) |
| Pre-existing damage (documented at move-in) | Нет — not арендатор's fault | CC 1950.5(f) |
| Upgrades or improvements beyond original condition | Нет — арендодатель cannot upgrade at арендатор's expense | CC 1950.5(b) |
Useful Life Doctrine
Even for legitimate damage, арендодательs can only charge for the remaining useful life of the item. If carpet has a 10-year useful life and you damaged it in year 8, the арендодатель can only charge for 2/10 of replacement cost — not the full amount. The same applies to paint (2-3 year useful life), appliances, and fixtures.
Tip: If the арендодатель's itemized statement includes deductions for any of the "Not Allowed" items above, note the specific amounts. The generator will cite the exact code sections in your требование and исковое заявление.
Часто Задаваемые Вопросы
How long does my арендодатель have to return my залоговый депозит?
Under California гражданский кодекс 1950.5(g), your арендодатель has 21 calendar days after you surrender possession to either return the full депозит or provide an itemized statement of deductions with supporting documentation. "Surrender possession" means you've returned the keys and fully moved out. The 21 days is a hard deadline — there are no extensions for holidays, weekends, or any other reason.
What is the "недобросовестность" штраф and how do I get it?
Under CC 1950.5(l), if the арендодатель retains the депозит in "недобросовестность," вы можете взыскать up to twice the депозит amount in statutory убытки, plus your actual убытки. недобросовестность includes: failing to return the депозит or provide a statement в течение 21 дней, making deductions for normal wear and tear, claiming false убытки, or retaining the депозит without any itemization. You request the недобросовестность штраф in your Small Claims исковое заявление.
Can I file in Суд Мелких Тяжб even if the депозит is small?
Да. There's no minimum amount for Суд Мелких Тяжб. Even if your депозит was $500, вы можете подать. Remember that with the 2x недобросовестность штраф, a $500 депозит требование becomes a $1,500 требование. Filing fees are $30 for claims under $1,500, $50 for claims $1,500-$5,000, and $75 for claims $5,001-$12,500.
What if my арендодатель only returned part of my депозит?
You can sue for the improperly withheld portion. If the арендодатель returned some of the депозит but made improper deductions (e.g., normal wear and tear, pre-existing damage, or excessive charges), your требование is for the difference between what was withheld and what should have been withheld. You may still be entitled to the 2x недобросовестность штраф if any deductions were made in недобросовестность.
Do I need a адвокат for Суд Мелких Тяжб?
Нет, and in fact адвокатs generally cannot appear in Суд Мелких Тяжб (CCP 116.530). The суд is specifically designed for self-represented parties. The judge will ask you questions and review your доказательства. Our generator creates a properly formatted исковое заявление that gives you a professional appearance without адвокат fees.
What if my арендодатель is a property management company?
You can sue both the property management company AND the property owner. Under CC 1950.5, the obligation to return the депозит rests with both the арендодатель and their agent. Name both as ответчикs in your Small Claims исковое заявление. The generator lets you specify whether your арендодатель is an individual or a company.
Should I send the требование before filing the судебный иск?
Да. While not legally required, a требование serves two important purposes: (1) it gives the арендодатель a final chance to return the депозит without суд involvement, and (2) it demonstrates to the judge that you made a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute. Many арендодательs will pay after receiving a требование — especially when it includes a draft исковое заявление showing you're ready to file.
How do I serve the требование?
Отправить it via USPS заказное письмо with уведомление о вручении Requested. This gives you proof of delivery. You can also send a copy via email or regular mail. Keep the tracking number and green уведомление о вручении card — you'll need these as доказательства if you file the судебный иск. The generator includes specific mailing instructions.
What if my договор аренды has an арбитраж clause?
Most California residential leases do not have enforceable арбитраж clauses for залоговый депозит disputes. Even if your договор аренды includes one, Суд Мелких Тяжб is generally still available. Under CCP 116.220, the right to file in Суд Мелких Тяжб cannot be waived by contract for amounts within the суд's jurisdiction. File the требование and Small Claims исковое заявление as normal.
What's the maximum залоговый депозит my арендодатель could have charged?
For leases signed after July 1, 2024 (AB 12): maximum 1 month's rent, regardless of furnished/unfurnished. For older leases: maximum 2 months' rent (unfurnished) or 3 months' rent (furnished). If your арендодатель charged more than the legal maximum, you may have an additional требование for the excess amount.
Не делайте сами — доверьте адвокату
Фиксированная оплата $575 includes требование on адвокат letterhead, draft судебный иск, and certified delivery. Most арендодательs pay в течение 14 дней.
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