Landlord Itemized Deduction & $125 Receipt Rule Validator
Verify whether your landlord's move-out deduction statement complies with statutory documentation, invoice, and hourly labor disclosure laws.
1. Enter Your Case Details Runs in your browser
2. Your result Live Output
- Direct Violation of § 1950.5(g)(2): Total deductions exceed $125, but NO vendor invoices or material receipts were attached — In California, whenever total deductions exceed $125, the landlord MUST attach copies of bills, invoices, or receipts.
- Violation of § 1950.5(g)(2)(A): Landlord performed repairs themselves/in-house without stating hours worked & hourly rate — For landlord/employee labor, the statement must reasonably describe the work performed, the exact hours spent, and the reasonable hourly rate.
- Invalid Lump-Sum Withholding: Lump-sum vague deduction (e.g., '$800 Miscellaneous Repairs & Cleaning') without itemization — Statutes require an itemized statement specifying each individual repair or cleaning item and its separate cost.
- Unlawful Speculative Deduction: Estimated future repairs deducted without a good-faith third-party contractor estimate — If repairs cannot be finished within 21 days, the landlord may only deduct based on a good-faith written estimate and must send real receipts within 14 days of completion.
- Barred by Pre-Inspection Rule: Deductions made for items never mentioned during the Pre-Move-Out Inspection — Unless hidden by tenant belongings or occurring after the inspection, landlords generally cannot ambush tenants with new visible defects.
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3. How the rule works
Who this is for
California tenants who received an itemized statement but are not sure it was complete, and landlords who want to check their paperwork before sending it.
It is built around California's rules because they are unusually specific. In other states the itemization rules are usually shorter; the checklist still helps you spot vague or unsupported charges.
What to have ready
- The full itemized statement and every attachment that came with it.
- The date the statement was mailed or handed to you.
- The total of repair and cleaning charges, kept separate from unpaid rent.
- Any receipt waiver you signed and the date you signed it.
The rule
California Civil Code § 1950.5(h)(2) requires the landlord to send copies of the documents behind each repair and cleaning charge. If a contractor did the work, that means the bill, invoice or receipt, with the contractor's name, address and phone number. If the landlord or an employee did it, the statement must describe the work, the time spent and the reasonable hourly rate. If the work could not be finished within the 21 days, the landlord may deduct a good-faith estimate and must send the actual invoices within 14 days after receiving them.
There are two exceptions in § 1950.5(h)(4): no receipts are needed if repair and cleaning deductions together are $125 or less, or if the tenant waived the right to receipts in writing at or after the time notice of termination was given. A 2024 amendment (AB 2801) added photo requirements: for deductions on or after April 1, 2025, landlords must photograph the unit after the tenant leaves and after repairs, and for tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025, at move-in as well.
Read the official text:
Worked example: checking a $640 statement
A California landlord sends a statement on day 19 listing three items, with one receipt attached.
Carpet cleaning (contractor) $220 receipt attached -> complete
Drywall patch (landlord) $300 'labor' only, no hours -> incomplete: needs
work, time and rate
Misc. cleaning $120 no detail -> too vague
Total repair + cleaning $640 > $125, so documents are required
Supported: $220. Missing support: $420.Common mistakes
- Treating a missing receipt as forfeiting the whole deposit. In California a court looks at whether the landlord complied and acted in good faith; an incomplete statement is strong evidence, not an automatic win.
- Overlooking the $125 threshold, which counts repairs and cleaning together, not each item separately.
- Signing a receipts waiver in the lease itself. The waiver only counts if signed at or after the termination notice.
- Ignoring estimated charges. If the landlord used an estimate, diary the date the real invoice is due.
Limits of this tool
- This checklist follows California law; documentation rules vary by state, and many states require only an itemized list.
- It flags missing paperwork; it does not decide whether the underlying charge was for damage or normal wear.
- Photo requirements apply only to deductions and tenancies after the dates set in the statute.
Sources were last checked in October 2026. Statutes are amended often; if the official text differs from this page, the official text controls.
4. Clear Next Steps & Statutory Action Plan
- Add up the repair and cleaning deductions to see whether the $125 receipt threshold applies.
- Check each line for a receipt (contractor work) or a description, hours and hourly rate (landlord's own work).
- Ask in writing for any missing documents and dispute charges that remain unsupported.
5. Frequently Asked Statutory Questions (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(g)(2)–(4); Wash. RCW 59.18.280)
When can a California landlord skip receipts?
When repair and cleaning deductions total $125 or less, or when the tenant signed a waiver at or after the time notice to end the tenancy was given. Unpaid rent deductions do not need receipts.
What should an in-house labor charge show?
A reasonable description of the work, the time spent and a reasonable hourly rate. 'Handyman labor: $300' alone does not meet that standard.
What if the repairs are not done within 21 days?
The landlord can deduct a good-faith estimate, and must then send copies of the actual invoices within 14 days of receiving them.