The California Legislature, comprised of eighty (80) Assembly Members and forty (40) Senators, introduced 4,821 bills during the two-year, 2023-2024 legislative session and sent 2,252 to Governor Newsom’s desk. For the recently ended 2024 legislative session, of the 1,206 bills he received, Governor Newsom signed 1,017 and vetoed 189, for a veto rate of 15.7%, in line with past years.
The governor signed over sixty (60) housing related bills into law, and more specifically twenty-three (23) bills are real estate related, most of which will become effective January 1, 2025 (unless otherwise specified).
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C.A.R. Legal Tools : https://www.car.org/riskmanagement/tools
C.A.R.’s List of New Laws 2025: https://www.car.org/riskmanagement/qa/New-Laws/2025-New-Laws
C.A.R. Quick Guide: 2025 New Laws (Part 1) & 2025 New Laws (Part 2)
Terner Center for Housing Innovation: California Housing Laws That Go into Effect in 2025
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AB-2533: Accessory dwelling units: junior accessory dwelling units: unpermitted developments. ADUs: Extends the ADU amnesty law to unpermitted ADUs and junior ADUs built before 2020.
AB-2579: Inspections: exterior elevated elements. Balcony inspections: Deadline for inspections extended until 2026 but not for condominium projects.
AB-2114: Building standards: exterior elevated elements: inspection. Balcony inspections in common interest developments. This is an urgency statute. Effective July 15, 2024.
AB-2992: Real Estate Law: buyer-broker representation agreements. Buyer representation agreements.
SB-900: Common interest developments: repair and maintenance. Common Interest Developments: Responsibility for repairs necessary to maintain utilities.
AB-2622: Contractors: exemptions: work and advertisements. Contractor exemptions: $500 limit for unlicensed contractor work raised to $1000.
SB-1366: Real property disclosure requirements: domestic water storage tank assistance. Disclosures: Seller’s receipt of domestic water storage tank assistance.
SB-382: Single-family residential property: disclosures. Disclosures: Local requirements relating to replacement of gas-powered appliances; Electrical system inspection. Provisions are applicable on or after January 1, 2026.
AB-1815: Discrimination: race: hairstyles. Fair Housing: Adds to the definition of race traits associated with race such as certain hairstyles to the Unruh Act.
SB-1137: Discrimination claims: combination of characteristics. Fair Housing: Discrimination may include a combination of protected characteristics. The provisions of this law are declarative of existing California state law/statute.
AB-295: Residential real property: foreclosure. Foreclosure: Places 90-day delay on “surplus fund chasers” solicitations and extends liability protection to trustees responding to request for payoff amounts. Rrgency statute, effective July 19, 2024.
SB-1051: Victims of abuse or violence: lock changes. Landlord-Tenant: Expands the law re the landlord’s duty to change the locks upon request of a victim of abuse.
AB-2493: Tenancy: application screening fee. Landlord/Tenant: Application screening fee/application process.
AB-2747: Tenancy: credit reporting. Landlord/Tenant: Tenant may request positive credit reporting.
AB-2801: Tenancy: security deposits. Landlord/Tenant: Security deposit; Move-in and move-out photos.
SB-611: Residential rental properties: fees and security. Landlord/Tenant: No charges for notices of termination; Restrictions on charging service members a higher deposit.
AB-2347: Summary proceedings for obtaining possession of real property: procedural requirements. Landlord/Tenant: Unlawful detainer answer time periods extended.
SB-1103: Tenancy of commercial real properties: agreements: building operating costs. Landlord/Tenant: Certain tenant rights extended to small commercial tenants.
AB-2424: Mortgages: foreclosure. Listing Agreements and Foreclosure: Delivery of listing agreement extends foreclosure sale by 45 days.
AB-3108: Business: mortgage fraud. Loan Fraud: predatory lending.
AB-2304: Unlawful detainer: case records. Mobile home park tenancy: Unlawful detainer masking rules extended to mobile home park tenancies.
AB-2016: Decedents’ estates. Probate: Raises the limit of the small-estate exception, which allows for the distribution of estate assets outside of probate, to $750,000.
SB-552: Public safety: pools and spas. Swimming pool and spa safety requirements for single family properties.
