San Jose, California
San Jose, California landlord software
Managing properties under San Jose's Apartment Rent Ordinance (ARO) requires precision.
RentMouse keeps leases, rent, maintenance, documents and tenant communication for your San Jose rentals in one workspace, with lease guidance linked to California jurisdiction records. Review the applicable sources before relying on a draft.
Start free · California rules and sources
The 1979 line decides whether the rent registry applies
San José's Apartment Rent Ordinance covers properties of three or more units built and first rented before 7 September 1979. Owners of covered apartments update the Rent Registry every year and pay an annual fee, and apartments not registered by the deadline are ineligible for annual rent increases until registration is complete. The build-and-first-rented date is therefore worth confirming from the property record rather than memory, because it decides whether any of this applies to the building at all.
Local sources
Checked 2026-09-08. Confirm the current requirements for your address with the responsible authority.
California rules that apply in San Jose
- Security deposit limit
- 1 month's rent; 2 months for some small landlords (not for service members)
- Deposit return / claim rule
- 21 days
- Deposit interest
- Not required statewide; required by some local laws (e.g., SF, Berkeley)
- Notice before entry
- 24 hours written (48 hours for move-out inspection; 6 days if mailed)
- Ending a month-to-month
- Landlord: 60 days if tenancy 1 year or more, else 30; tenant: 30 days
- Notice before a rent increase
- 30 days; 90 days if increase exceeds 10% in 12 months (Civ. Code § 827)
- Late fees
- No cap; must be a reasonable estimate of the landlord's actual damages
- Rent control
- AB 1482: 5% + regional CPI, max 10%/yr; local ordinances may be stricter
General information from California Civil Code §§ 1940–1954.1 (security deposits: § 1950.5), last reviewed 2026-08-21; not legal advice. Municipal bylaws can add requirements. Sources are listed on the California guide.
What RentMouse does for San Jose landlords
- Properties & units — Each building and suite in one portfolio view, with occupancy, unit details and photos.
- Tenants & leases — Tenant records and lease terms attached to the right unit, with renewals surfaced before they arrive.
- Rent tracking — Monthly invoices, recorded payments, balances, overdue flags and reminders. Tenants keep paying you the way they already do.
- Maintenance — Requests with photos, priorities, vendors, dates and costs linked to the unit.
- Documents & e-signing — Jurisdiction-aware lease drafts from guided templates, sent for electronic signature and filed with the tenancy.
- Tenant portal — Optional, free for tenants: their tenancy details, invoices, shared documents and maintenance requests.
- Landlord website — A branded page at rentmouse.com/your-business that advertises vacant units, collects rental inquiries and doubles as the tenant sign-in.
Other California cities
Fresno · Long Beach · Los Angeles · Oakland · Sacramento · San Diego · San Francisco