California Repair Request Letter to Landlord
A free California repair request letter to landlord that follows California law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What California law says
| Repair and deduct | If the landlord fails to fix conditions that make the unit untenantable within a reasonable time after notice (presumed 30 days), the tenant may repair and deduct the cost, up to one month's rent, or move out. The remedy may be used no more than twice in any 12-month period. Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 1942 |
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| Withholding rent | By statute, a landlord may not demand or collect rent, raise rent, or serve a 3-day pay-or-quit notice when all of these are true: the unit is substantially substandard, a housing inspector has given the landlord written notice to repair, and the conditions remain unabated 35 days later without good cause. The tenant can recover actual damages plus $100 to $5,000 in special damages and attorney's fees. Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.4 |
| Landlord retaliation | A landlord may not evict, raise rent, or reduce services within 180 days after the tenant, in good faith, gives a repair notice under § 1942, reports a suspected bed bug infestation, complains about habitability, complains to a housing agency, or takes part in a related inspection, lawsuit, or arbitration. This applies only if the tenant is not behind on rent, and a tenant may invoke it once per 12 months. Retaliation for organizing or joining a tenants' association, or for exercising other legal rights, is also unlawful. Threatening to report a tenant to immigration authorities counts as retaliation. Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.5 |
| Heat | Yes. A unit is untenantable if it substantially lacks heating facilities that met code when installed and are kept in good working order, and lack of adequate heating is a substandard condition. State housing regulations (Title 25) require dwelling units to be able to maintain a minimum indoor temperature. |
| Mold | Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Minor mold on surfaces that can collect moisture during normal use is excluded. The Toxic Mold Protection Act also requires landlords to give written mold disclosures and a state mold booklet to tenants, but those duties do not start until the Department of Public Health adopts mold exposure standards, guidelines and the booklet. |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], tenant at [rental address]
I am asking you to repair the following problems at my rental: [describe each problem, where it is, and when it started].
I first reported this on [date first reported] by [phone, text, email, portal or letter].
Please make these repairs by [date]. You may enter to make repairs after giving the notice required by law; times that work for me: [access times].
California law protects tenants from retaliation for asking for repairs (Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.5).
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
Repair Request Letter to Landlord templates for other states · All California landlord-tenant rules · Free legal help in California
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.