Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.1
California Civil Code
Operative Text
(a) A reusable tenant screening report shall include all of the following information regarding an applicant: (1) Name. (2) Contact information. (3) Verification of employment. (4) Last known address. (5) Results of an eviction history check in a manner and for a period of time consistent with applicable law related to the consideration of eviction history in housing. (b) A reusable tenant screening report shall prominently state the date through which the information contained in the report is current. (c) A landlord may elect to accept reusable tenant screening reports and may require an applicant to state that there has not been a material change to the information in the reusable tenant screening report. (d) Notwithstanding Section 1950.6, if an applicant provides a reusable tenant screening report to a landlord that accepts reusable tenant screening reports, the landlord shall not charge the applicant either of the following: (1) A fee for the landlord to access the report. (2) An application screening fee. (e) As used in this section: (1) “Applicant” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1950.6. (2) “Application screening fee” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1950.6. (3) “Consumer report” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1681a of Title 15 of the United States Code. (4) “Consumer reporting agency” means a person which, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties and that uses any means or facility of interstate commerce for the purpose of preparing or furnishing consumer reports. (5) “Landlord” means an owner of residential rental property or the owner’s agent. (6) “Reusable tenant screening report” means a consumer report that meets all of the following criteria: (A) Was prepared within the previous 30 days by a consumer reporting agency at the request and expense of an applicant. (B) Is made directly available to a landlord for use in the rental application process or is provided through a third-party website that regularly engages in the business of providing a reusable tenant screening report and complies with all state and federal laws pertaining to use and disclosure of information contained in a consumer report by a consumer reporting agency. (C) Is available to the landlord at no cost to access or use. (f) This section does not affect any other applicable law related to the consideration of criminal history information in housing, including, but not limited to, Article 24 (commencing with Section 12264) of Subchapter 7 of Chapter 5 of Division 4.1 of Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations and local ordinances governing the information that landlords may review and consider when determining to whom they will rent. (g) If an ordinance, resolution, regulation, administrative action, initiative, or other policy adopted by a city, county, or city and county conflicts with this section, the policy that provides greater protections to applicants shall apply. (h) This section does not require a landlord to accept reusable tenant screening reports.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.1 establishes a framework for 'reusable tenant screening reports,' which are consumer reports prepared within the last 30 days at an applicant's own expense that can be shared with multiple landlords at no cost to access. The provision specifies what information such a report must contain — including name, contact details, employment verification, last known address, and eviction history — and requires the report to clearly display the date through which its information is current. Landlords are not required to accept these reports, but if they do, they cannot charge the applicant an access fee or an application screening fee.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.1, accepting reusable tenant screening reports is optional, and operators who choose not to accept them may continue their existing screening practices. Operators who do elect to accept such reports generally forgo charging any access or application screening fee when an applicant submits a qualifying report. Compliant operators also typically allow applicants to attest that no material changes have occurred to the report's information since it was prepared.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.1 gives applicants the option to present a reusable tenant screening report — one they paid for themselves within the past 30 days — to any landlord who has chosen to accept them, without being charged an additional screening or access fee. If a landlord who accepts such reports attempts to charge a fee anyway, that conduct would be inconsistent with the provision's requirements, and tenants may consider raising this with a local rent board, a tenant-rights organization, or a housing agency. Because local ordinances offering greater protections to applicants take precedence under this section, it may be worth checking whether additional local rules apply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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