Proprietio
Start free trial

California late fee law

Read from the statute itself on 2026-11-09. Statewide rule; a city or county can add its own.

Statutory cap
No statutory cap
Grace period
None in the statute

No statewide numeric cap or grace period. A late fee is a liquidated-damages clause (Civ. Code § 1671(d)): it must be a reasonable estimate of the landlord's actual cost of late payment or it is void as a penalty. Some local rent ordinances add rules.

Calculate it for your rent

No statutory maximum
California's statute sets no dollar or percentage ceiling. The fee must be written in the lease, and courts strike fees that look like a penalty rather than a fair estimate of the landlord's cost — so we show no « maximum » here.
Grace period
None in the statute
Statutory cap
No statutory cap
California: No statewide numeric cap or grace period. A late fee is a liquidated-damages clause (Civ. Code § 1671(d)): it must be a reasonable estimate of the landlord's actual cost of late payment or it is void as a penalty. Some local rent ordinances add rules.

California: common questions

What is the maximum late fee in California?

California's statute sets no cap. No statewide numeric cap or grace period. A late fee is a liquidated-damages clause (Civ. Code § 1671(d)): it must be a reasonable estimate of the landlord's actual cost of late payment or it is void as a penalty. Some local rent ordinances add rules.

Is there a grace period for late rent in California?

The statute does not set one.

Not legal advice. Confirm with a local landlord-tenant attorney before relying on a figure.

For associations, blogs and resource pages

Add this calculator to your website

Free, no signup, no tracking form inside. Paste this code where you want it; it opens on California, and your readers can switch to any other.

Late fee law by state

Start free trial — no card to start