State law limits the amount that a landlord can charge as a security deposit to an amount no greater than the equivalent of two months rent for an unfurnished unit and three months rent for a furnished one. A landlord may not charge above these amounts even if the tenant has a pet. Unless the rental agreement expressly states that notice is to be served on a certain day, a 30-day notice to terminate a tenancy may be served on any day of the month, even if rent is due on the first of the month. The tenancy terminates 30 days after the notice is served. Likewise, unless the rental agreement specifies something different, a 30-day notice to change the terms of a tenancy may be served at any time and will become effective 30 days later.
State law governs credit reports and application fees.
The law permits an owner who has a rental unit available to rent to charge an applicant for the unit an application screening fee to cover the cost of obtaining information about the applicant, including personal reference checks and consumer credit reports. The landlord must give the applicant an itemized receipt and, if requested by the applicant, a copy of any consumer credit reports concerning that applicant. The landlord can charge the fee to all applicants and if several persons are seeking to rent the unit together, the landlord may charge a separate fee for each one. If, for any reason, the landlord does not perform a reference check or obtain a credit report, the applicant is entitled to a refund of some or all of the fee. Generally, a landlord is not required to give a rejected applicant an explanation for their not being selected .