Your lease is dialed, until Sacramento changes the playbook. In 2025, AB 2747 and SB 611 reset what you can charge, what you must disclose, and how rent-payment credit reporting works across Sacramento County, including Fair Oaks.
Miss a step and you risk claims and lost income; here’s the short path to airtight compliance.
AB 2747: Rent Payment Reporting Requirements
Starting April 1, 2025, most landlords must make a simple offer: “Do you want your on-time rent reported to the credit bureaus?” For new leases, ask at signing and then at least once a year. For leases already on the books as of January 1, 2025, send the offer by April 1, 2025 and repeat yearly.
Small operators are generally off the hook if a building has 15 or fewer units, unless you own more than one residential building and you’re a REIT, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member.
Send the offer by mail or email. Name the credit bureau(s), say it’s optional, spell out any fee, and explain how to start or stop. If a tenant opts out, they have to wait six months to opt back in. Mailing it? Tuck in a stamped return envelope. Only full, on-time payments get reported.
Fees are tightly limited. You can charge one only if you actually incur a cost and even then it’s capped at the lower of your real cost or $10 per month. If your cost is zero, the fee is zero. Not paying the fee isn’t a lease violation and can’t be taken from the security deposit.
If the fee goes 30 days unpaid, you can stop reporting and the tenant must wait six months to re-enroll. And don’t cover the fee with rent money, keep it separate.
SB 611: Fee Bans and Security-Deposit Rules
As of January 1, 2025, those small add-on fees are done, you can’t charge when rent or a deposit is paid by check. On February 1, 2025, another charge disappears: no billing tenants for serving or posting legal notices.
As of April 1, 2025, service members get extra protection. If you take more than your standard deposit because of credit or rental history, your lease must say how much, why, and the exact date you’ll refund the difference and you return that extra within six months so long as rent is current and the increase wasn’t for prior damage.
At move-out, any deposit deduction needs photo proof attached to the 21-day itemized statement. And keep jurisdiction straight:
Fair Oaks is in unincorporated Sacramento County, so state law applies countywide; the City of Sacramento’s rules kick in only inside city limits. Always confirm the address before layering on city requirements.
What this Means in Fair Oaks and Sacramento County
Fair Oaks is an unincorporated community in Sacramento County. State law (including AB 2747 and SB 611) applies county-wide.
City-specific programs, such as the City of Sacramento’s Tenant Protection Program, generally apply only to properties within city limits and not to unincorporated Fair Oaks. Always confirm a property’s jurisdiction before applying city rules.
Turn Compliance Into Routine
Action plan: Update your leases, train your team, and configure your systems (rent reporting, cost tracking, templates) so compliance runs on autopilot.
Notify tenants on schedule, then verify jurisdiction for each property so City of Sacramento rules are applied only where they actually apply. Do these five steps and you’ll stay compliant without surprises.
No Surprises in 2025: Lock In Compliance Now
AB 2747 and SB 611 reshape key pieces of California landlord-tenant law. For Sacramento County landlords, these changes eliminate certain fees, add new disclosure and documentation obligations, and make rent-payment reporting an optional amenity that can benefit tenants. Audit your leases, update your practices, and train your team now to avoid disputes later.
Hand the rollout to specialists who do this every day. JTS Property Management will audit your leases, remove banned fees, build and deliver AB 2747 notices, configure compliant credit-reporting with cost tracking, train staff, and manage deadlines across your portfolio, so you stay fully compliant while your rent roll keeps moving.
Contact us to schedule a fast, portfolio-wide compliance tune-up!
FAQ
Does AB 2747 apply if I own only one building with 10 units?
Generally no; you’re exempt for ≤15 units unless you own more than one building and are a REIT/corporation/LLC with a corporate member.
Can I charge tenants for the cost of reporting rent payments?
Yes, up to the lesser of your actual cost or $10/month; $0 if you have no cost, and nonpayment isn’t grounds for termination or a deposit deduction.
What counts as a “notice” under SB 611?
Statutory termination and unlawful-detainer notices (e.g., pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit, termination); charging a serving/posting fee is prohibited.
Additional Resources
Fair Oaks Eviction Laws Explained: What Landlords Need to Know
How Inflation is Affecting Rental Prices in Northern California and What You Can Do About It
