How long does a California landlord have to make repairs?
Updated October 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Short answer: California doesn't give landlords one fixed repair deadline. The law says a "reasonable time" after you're told about a problem that makes the home unlivable. For a tenant's repair-and-deduct remedy, 30 days is presumed reasonable — and much less when the problem is urgent.
Around that rule sit a few hard numbers that do matter: 35 days after a housing inspector's notice, 30 days for a recalled stove or refrigerator, 180 days of protection against anything that looks like retaliation. Here they are in one place, with what happens if you miss them and how to stay well inside them.
The deadlines at a glance
| Situation | The clock | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Habitability repair after the tenant tells you (in writing or by phone) | A "reasonable time" — 30 days is presumed reasonable, shorter if the circumstances require it | Civil Code §1942 |
| Emergency: gas, flooding, sewage, no heat in cold weather, no water | No number in the statute — act the same day; a tenant may repair and deduct sooner than 30 days | Civil Code §1942(b) |
| A city or county inspector has cited the unit in writing | 35 days from the notice — after that, without good cause, you can't demand or raise rent | Civil Code §1942.4 |
| Stove or refrigerator under a manufacturer or government recall (leases from Jan 1, 2026) | 30 days from notice of the recall to repair or replace | Civil Code §1941.1(c) |
| After a tenant asks for repairs or complains to an agency | 180 days in which an eviction, rent increase or cut in services is presumed retaliatory | Civil Code §1942.5 |
| Entering to make the repair | 24 hours' written notice presumed reasonable; emergencies excepted | Civil Code §1954 |
The 30 days isn't a grace period you're entitled to — it's the point after which the law assumes you've waited too long. A tenant can argue for less, and for anything that affects health or safety, a judge will expect far less.
When the clock starts
The clock starts at notice — and under §1942 that means written or oral notice to you or your agent. A tenant telling your handyman, leaving you a voicemail or mentioning it at the door can all count. Two habits close that gap:
- Give tenants one written channel for repairs — a form or a dedicated text number — and put it in the lease.
- Write down every verbal report the same day: date, time, who reported it, what they said. If it ever reaches a judge, your log is the timeline.
Our 7-step system for tenant maintenance requests covers setting that up.
What counts as a habitability repair
The deadlines above apply to problems that make a unit "untenantable" under Civil Code §1941.1. A home is untenantable if it substantially lacks any of these:
- Waterproofing and weather protection of the roof and exterior walls, including unbroken windows and doors
- Plumbing and gas facilities in good working order
- Hot and cold running water, connected to an approved sewage system
- Heating facilities in good working order
- Electrical lighting and wiring in good working order
- A building and grounds kept clean and free of debris, garbage, rodents and vermin
- Enough garbage receptacles in good repair
- Floors, stairways and railings in good repair
- New in 2026: a working stove and a working refrigerator, for leases entered into, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026
Working locks on doors and windows (§1941.3) and conditions listed as substandard in Health and Safety Code §17920.3 — mold, leaks, structural hazards — are treated the same way. A dripping faucet, a sticky drawer or worn carpet is not a habitability problem; fix those on a normal schedule.
What changed in 2026: stoves and refrigerators
AB 628 added a stove and a refrigerator to the habitability list, effective for leases signed, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026. Three details matter for small landlords:
- A broken stove or fridge is now a habitability repair, with the same reasonable-time rule and the same repair-and-deduct remedy as a broken water heater.
- A recalled appliance counts as broken. You have 30 days after notice of the recall to repair or replace it.
- Tenants can bring their own refrigerator only if the lease says so in the statutory wording, lets them switch back with 30 days' written notice, and you didn't make it a condition of renting.
Some housing types are exempt, including single-room occupancy units, residential hotels and buildings with shared kitchens.
What happens if you miss the deadline
- Repair and deduct (§1942): the tenant can hire the repair and subtract it from rent — up to one month's rent, at most twice in 12 months. They may also move out and stop owing rent.
- Rent reduction in court: under Green v. Superior Court (1974), a tenant sued for unpaid rent can raise the implied warranty of habitability as a defense, and the court can cut what's owed.
- After an inspector's notice (§1942.4): once 35 days pass without good cause, you can't demand or collect rent, raise it, or serve a three-day notice to pay — and you can owe actual damages plus $100 to $5,000, and the tenant's attorney's fees.
- Retaliation (§1942.5): for 180 days after a tenant asks for repairs or complains to an agency, an eviction, a rent increase or a cut in services is presumed retaliatory.
When it's not your repair
Tenants can't use these remedies for damage they caused. Under §1941.2 tenants must keep their part of the home clean, use fixtures properly and not damage the place; §1929 makes them responsible for deterioration caused by their own ordinary negligence. If a repair is on the tenant, say so in writing with your reasons and photos — and still fix anything that's a safety risk right away, then sort out the cost.
Targets that keep you well inside the law
| Kind of problem | Examples | Aim for |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | Gas smell, active leak or flooding, sewage, no power, no heat in cold weather, an exterior door that won't lock | Same day — within hours |
| Habitability, not dangerous | No hot water, broken stove or fridge, the only toilet, a roof leak when it's dry, pests | 24–72 hours to start, done within days |
| Routine | Dripping faucet, loose cabinet, sticking door, broken blind | 1–2 weeks, or with the next visit |
Hitting these targets every time is less about speed than about not losing track. The two things that blow deadlines for small landlords are a request nobody wrote down and a vendor who never confirmed.
A reply you can send the same day
A written answer on the day you hear about a problem shows you acted promptly — and tells the tenant what to expect, which heads off most disputes before they start.
When the time is set, the confirmation doubles as your notice to enter under §1954 — see step 5 of the maintenance request guide for wording.
Keep the proof
Whether you met a "reasonable time" is decided by the record: when the tenant reported it, when you responded, when the vendor came, what was done and the after photo. Keep it for every repair. It also protects your deposit deductions at move-out — our California deposit deadline calculator works out the 21-day date.
This guide is general information about California state law as of October 2026, not legal advice. Cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco add their own rules and enforcement programs. If a dispute is brewing, talk to a local landlord-tenant attorney.
Questions landlords ask
- Is there a 24-hour repair rule for emergencies in California?
- No state statute sets a fixed number of hours. Civil Code §1942 says a tenant may repair and deduct sooner than 30 days "if all the circumstances require shorter notice" — so a gas leak, sewage backup or no heat in winter is judged by what a reasonable landlord would do, which in practice means the same day. Some cities and lease forms add their own deadlines, so check local rules.
- Does a phone call count as notice of a repair?
- Yes. Section 1942 starts the clock on "written or oral notice" to the landlord or agent. That's why a phone-only process is risky: the tenant's clock is running whether or not you wrote it down. Log every call with the date and what was reported.
- Can a California tenant withhold rent for repairs?
- Not by statute, but courts allow it as a defense. Under Green v. Superior Court (1974), a tenant sued for unpaid rent can argue the landlord breached the implied warranty of habitability, and the court can reduce the rent owed. Tenants who withhold rent for minor problems risk eviction, so it's usually reserved for serious habitability failures the landlord knew about.
- How much can a tenant deduct from rent for a repair?
- Up to one month's rent per repair, and no more than twice in any 12-month period (Civil Code §1942). The problem must make the unit untenantable — a habitability issue, not a cosmetic one — and the tenant can't use the remedy for damage they or their guests caused.
- Do I have to provide a refrigerator and stove in California?
- For leases signed, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026, yes: a working stove and refrigerator are now part of the habitability standard in Civil Code §1941.1. A tenant can choose to bring their own refrigerator only with specific lease language. If either appliance is recalled, you have 30 days after notice of the recall to repair or replace it.