Change of address / forwarding notice to landlord (CA)
Legal advice recommended before use.
Under California Civil Code § 1950.5(g)(1), your landlord must send your security deposit refund and itemized statement to your last known address within 21 calendar days of move-out. If you don't tell them where you're going, "last known address" may just be the unit you vacated — a common reason deposit checks get lost or delayed. A short written notice with your new address closes that gap and creates a dated record that you gave it.
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Send this by a method you can prove (certified mail, or email with delivery confirmation) and keep a copy — it's your record of when you gave the landlord your forwarding address, which matters if the deposit is late. Also file a free change-of-address with USPS (usps.com) so any mail sent to the old unit gets forwarded automatically. This is a template, not legal advice. This document was drafted without live legal-citation verification (research budget was exhausted) and has not yet been reviewed by an attorney — do not rely on it as final.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I legally have to give my landlord a forwarding address in California?
No California statute requires a tenant to provide one, but Civil Code § 1950.5(g)(1) obligates the landlord to send your deposit refund and itemized statement to your "last known address" within 21 days of move-out. Giving them your new address in writing is the simplest way to make sure that's an address where you'll actually get it.
What happens if I don't give a forwarding address and my deposit gets sent to the old unit?
The landlord has generally satisfied their obligation under Civil Code § 1950.5(g)(1) if they mail it to the last address they had for you, even if that's the unit you just vacated. If mail isn't forwarding there, you risk delay or loss of the check — which is why sending this notice and a USPS forwarding order both matter.
Should I send this before or after I move out?
Either works, but sending it on or right before your move-out date is best — it lines up with the 21-day deposit-return clock under Civil Code § 1950.5(g)(1) and gives the landlord no excuse to claim they didn't have a current address for you.
Does this notice affect my security deposit rights?
It doesn't change your rights, but it removes a common excuse for delay. You still have the same 21-day timeline and itemized-statement requirement under Civil Code § 1950.5, and the same remedies under § 1950.5(l) (up to twice the deposit as a bad-faith penalty) if your landlord doesn't comply.
What if my landlord also owes me mail or packages left at the old unit?
Mention it in this notice and file a free official forwarding order with USPS at usps.com — that redirects first-class mail automatically for the period you select, independent of whether the landlord cooperates.
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