Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5 · AB 2801
California expects photographs, receipts, and an itemized statement — organized, and delivered inside a fixed window. MoveOutGuard assembles all of it into one reviewable document. You approve every line before anything leaves your hands.
Quoted from Civil Code § 1950.5, including the photograph subdivisions added by AB 2801. Each item links to the primary source so you can read it yourself.
For tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2025, photographs of the unit are taken immediately before, or at the start of, the tenancy.
“For tenancies that begin on or after July 1, 2025, the landlord shall take photographs of the unit immediately before, or at the inception of, the tenancy.” § 1950.5(g)(1)
Beginning April 1, 2025, photographs are taken within a reasonable time after possession returns to the landlord — and before any repairs or cleaning begin.
“Beginning April 1, 2025, the landlord shall take photographs of the unit within a reasonable time after the possession of the unit is returned to the landlord, but prior to any repairs or cleanings.” § 1950.5(g)(2)
Photographs are also taken within a reasonable time after the repairs or cleaning are completed.
The landlord “shall also take photographs of the unit within a reasonable time after such repairs or cleanings are completed.” § 1950.5(g)(2)
The itemized statement and any remaining deposit are provided no later than 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates.
“No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises” the landlord provides the itemized statement and returns the remaining security. § 1950.5(g)
Copies of bills, invoices, or receipts supporting the deductions accompany the itemized statement.
The statement is accompanied by copies of bills, invoices, or receipts for the charges. § 1950.5(g)(2)–(3)
The photographs are provided to the tenant along with the itemized statement. They may be delivered by mail, email, flash drive, or a link where the tenant can view them online.
Photographs taken under subdivision (g) are provided along with the written explanation of costs; delivery may be “by mail, email, computer flash drive, or by providing a link where the tenant may view the photographs online.” § 1950.5(h)(2)(D)
The statute also states a landlord need not comply with the supporting-document paragraphs when deductions for repairs and cleaning together do not exceed $125. MoveOutGuard helps you organize documentation; it does not determine whether any requirement was met.
The California Deposit Exposure Check estimates your 21-day window and shows which documentation you already have. It runs entirely in your browser.
No account
Nothing to sign up for, nothing to verify.
No card
The check is free and stays free.
No tenant details
It never asks for the tenant’s name, the property address, or your photographs.
Nothing stored
Your answers stay in the browser. They are not sent anywhere.
A template gives you sentences. The hard part is connecting a specific photograph and a specific receipt to a specific line item — and knowing which lines will not survive a challenge.
Move-in, move-out, and post-repair photographs, plus the bills and invoices behind each charge. Uploaded once, held in a private vault, labeled and numbered as exhibits.
Each line item points at the specific photograph and receipt that supports it. A charge with nothing behind it is flagged rather than quietly included.
Drafts are drafts. Nothing enters the statement until you approve it, and you can edit or reject any line. The Soft Spot Scan and Tenant Challenge Preview show you the weak points first.
A professional PDF: the statement, the deduction schedule, and the numbered evidence exhibits appended behind it — assembled as one document.
Where your own packet is thin — a charge with no receipt, a photo set with a gap, an amount that will invite a question.
Sample · synthetic packet
Soft Spot Scan
Shows which deductions lack proof, conflict with your records, or still need your decision — before you generate the letter.
This line has not been approved, edited, or rejected. Pending items never appear in the final letter.
"Drywall patch" was drafted with lower confidence. Treat it as a suggestion only until you verify the evidence.
"Drywall patch" has no photo evidence attached. Condition-related charges are easier to defend when a photo is linked.
"Drywall patch" has no invoice or receipt linked. Cost-backed lines usually need a matching cost source.
"Drywall patch" is short or generic. Itemized statements are clearer when they name the room, work, and reason.
On a real packet, each finding links to the exact fix step. You decide what to keep.
The objections a tenant is most likely to raise against these specific lines, so nothing in the response is a surprise.
Before you export
A challenge prompt is not a legal prediction. It is a practical cue to clarify, link, or review the record.
“What exactly is this charge for, and where is the supporting proof?”
Review because the line is still awaiting your decision, no linked condition photo is visible, the deduction amount differs from the linked receipt total, and the explanation is short or generic.
Next: Link or add the matching receipt, then confirm the amount.
A cost record is linked, but no condition photo is currently linked.
A tenant may still disagree with the charge or facts.
The current records line up, but you remain responsible for reviewing the description and amount.
Next: Keep the line if the facts are accurate, or open it to make any final edits.
This line currently links to 2 supporting records.
This is a preparation aid, not a prediction of a dispute or legal advice. You make the final decision.
Edits, regenerations, and re-downloads are included for the packet you bought. A different move-out is a separate purchase — you are never billed on a cycle.
One property and one tenant move-out event. Less than one disputed cleaning invoice — for organized evidence, the Soft Spot Scan, and a professional itemized statement on this move-out.
$29
One time
Unlocks this specific property and tenant move-out. Edit, regenerate, and download this packet again without another charge.
Built California-first. Packets are also supported in 10 states: CA, TX, FL, NY, IL, PA, OH, GA, NC, MI.
No subscription. No recurring charge.
AI drafts. You review and decide. Not legal advice.
The check is free, takes a couple of minutes, and never asks for anything identifying. If the packet is worth building after that, it is $29.
MoveOutGuard organizes documentation based on what you enter. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and does not determine whether any requirement was met. Renting outside California? See the rules for your state.