Your application-fee rights in California

Your rental application fee rights in Los Angeles

Applying for an apartment in Los Angeles usually means paying an "application screening fee" so the landlord can pull your credit and background report. California law strictly limits what that fee can be, what it must be used for, and what you are owed in return. Two rules matter most: California Civil Code §1950.6, which caps the fee and has governed it for decades, and Assembly Bill 2493, which took effect January 1, 2025 and added real refund and copy-of-report protections. This page explains both, plus the newer reusable screening report option, so you can stop overpaying and get back money you may be owed.

These rules are set at the California state level and apply everywhere in Los Angeles: inside the City of Los Angeles, in unincorporated LA County, and in every other city in the county. Unlike rent caps or just-cause rules, application-fee law does not change block to block, which makes it one of the easier tenant rights to enforce.

The fee cap: what a landlord can legally charge (CC §1950.6)

Under California Civil Code §1950.6, a landlord may charge an application screening fee only to cover the landlord's actual out-of-pocket cost of obtaining your credit and background report, plus the reasonable value of the landlord's time to process your application. It is not a "holding" fee, a deposit, or a way to profit.

The statute sets a hard ceiling that is adjusted every year for inflation using the Consumer Price Index. The base was $30 in 1998; after decades of CPI increases the cap is approximately $65.86 for the current period. Because this number changes annually, confirm the figure in effect on your application date before disputing an overcharge. A landlord who charges more than the cap, or charges a fee without any intent to actually screen you, is violating the law.

Key §1950.6 rules to know:

• The fee cannot exceed the inflation-adjusted cap (about $65.86 currently — verify the year's figure).
• The landlord must give you a receipt itemizing the out-of-pocket cost.
• If the landlord's actual cost was less than what you paid, the difference must be refunded to you.
• If the landlord never runs a screening at all (for example, the unit was already rented), the entire fee must be returned.

What AB 2493 added in 2025: refunds and a copy of your report

Assembly Bill 2493 amended §1950.6 effective January 1, 2025 and closed the biggest loophole: landlords collecting fees from a stack of applicants for a single unit and keeping the money even after the apartment was gone. Under the amended law, a landlord who charges an application screening fee must do one of two things:

• Option A — First-come, first-served: Accept and screen applications in the order received, and only charge the fee to an applicant the landlord is actually able to consider (i.e., the unit is still available and the applicant is next in line). If the unit is taken before the landlord gets to you, they should not charge you — or must refund you.
• Option B — Refund if not selected/screened: If the landlord collects your fee but the unit is rented to someone else, or the landlord does not end up screening you, the fee must be refunded, typically within a short window after the decision.

AB 2493 also strengthened your right to see what was pulled about you. When a landlord runs a screening report, they must, on your request (and in many cases automatically), provide you a copy of the report or the information relied on. This "auto-copy" right lets you catch errors — a wrong address, a mixed file, an outdated collection — before they sink your next application. If you find a mistake, you can dispute it directly with the reporting agency under federal and California credit-reporting law.

Reusable screening reports: pay once, apply many times (AB 2559)

A separate and newer option can save you the fee entirely. Under AB 2559 (Civil Code §1950.1), a landlord may choose to accept a reusable tenant screening report — a report you obtain once, from an approved provider, and reuse across multiple applications for up to 30 days. If a landlord accepts your reusable report, they cannot also charge you an application screening fee for that report.

Two things to remember: the program is voluntary for landlords — they are allowed, but not required, to accept a reusable report — and the report must generally be current (within 30 days) and portable directly to the landlord. It is worth asking every landlord up front whether they accept reusable reports; if enough do, you can screen once and apply to a dozen units without paying a dozen fees. Learn how CertRent's verified renter profile fits alongside this at /la/resources/reusable-screening-reports.

Copy-paste request script

Use this before you pay, or after you were passed over, to assert your §1950.6 / AB 2493 rights. Send it by email or text so you have a written record.

"Hello, I'm applying for [unit address]. Before I pay the application screening fee, please confirm: (1) the fee amount and that it does not exceed the California Civil Code §1950.6 cap; (2) that you will provide an itemized receipt of your actual out-of-pocket screening cost; (3) that under AB 2493 you will refund my fee if the unit is rented to someone else or if you do not screen my application; and (4) that you will provide me a copy of any screening report you obtain about me. Also, do you accept a reusable tenant screening report under AB 2559 in lieu of the fee? Thank you."

If you already paid and the unit was rented to someone else without you being screened, send this follow-up: "The unit at [address] was rented to another applicant and I was not screened. Under Civil Code §1950.6 as amended by AB 2493, please refund my $[amount] application screening fee to [payment method] within the required period. Please also send the itemized receipt required by law. Thank you."

If a landlord won't refund or overcharged you

Escalation options in Los Angeles:

• Document everything: Keep your receipt, the listing, texts/emails, and proof the unit was rented to someone else.
• File a complaint with the LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs at dcba.lacounty.gov, which handles tenant and consumer disputes countywide.
• City of Los Angeles tenants can also contact the Los Angeles Housing Department at housing.lacity.gov for guidance and referrals.
• Small claims court: §1950.6 violations are well suited to small claims. California small claims (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims) let you sue for the overcharge or unrefunded fee without a lawyer.

Before you apply anywhere, tighten up your file with our tenant screening guide, and build a shareable verified profile with CertRent's free renter profile so landlords have fewer reasons to run duplicate paid screenings on you.

Frequently asked questions

How much can a landlord charge me to apply for an apartment in LA?

Only enough to cover their actual screening cost and processing time, and never more than the state cap under Civil Code §1950.6 — currently about $65.86, adjusted for inflation each year. Confirm the exact figure for the year you apply.

Can I get my application fee back if I don't get the apartment?

Often yes. Since AB 2493 took effect January 1, 2025, if the landlord rents the unit to someone else or never actually screens you, they must refund your fee. If their real screening cost was less than what you paid, the difference must also be refunded.

Am I entitled to see the screening report the landlord pulled?

Yes. Under §1950.6 as amended, when a landlord obtains a screening report they must provide you a copy or the information relied upon on request. Review it for errors and dispute mistakes with the reporting agency.

Do these rules apply everywhere in Los Angeles County?

Yes. Civil Code §1950.6, AB 2493, and AB 2559 are California state laws that apply in the City of Los Angeles, unincorporated LA County, and every other city in the county.

What is a reusable screening report and will it save me money?

It's a report you buy once from an approved provider and reuse for up to 30 days across multiple applications. If a landlord accepts it under AB 2559, they cannot also charge you an application screening fee. Landlords may accept it but are not required to, so ask each one.

The landlord charged five people a fee for one unit — is that legal?

It can violate the law if the unit was already spoken for or applicants were never screened. Charging fees the landlord has no intent to use for actual screening, or failing to refund passed-over applicants, breaches §1950.6/AB 2493. Document it and consider DCBA or small claims.

This page is educational and not legal advice. Fee cap figures and refund timelines are updated periodically — verify current amounts with the official sources linked above before acting.