The short answer
California's 2021 assisted-housing rent-reporting law sunset in 2025. A different law now requires many housing providers to offer optional reporting of complete, timely rent payments.
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The 2021 law is no longer the current rule
California Senate Bill 1157 added Civil Code section 1954.06. Beginning July 1, 2021, it applied to qualifying assisted housing developments and gave tenants an optional rent-reporting election. For tenants who opted in, the statute described reporting payments whether they were timely, late or missed. That section was written to end on July 1, 2025.
Assembly Bill 2747 added a different provision, Civil Code section 1954.07. Do not use a 2021 form or the old section's population, payment definition or sunset as a description of today's statewide rule. This guide was published October 4, 2026; its archive topic is 2021 because the older article prompted the review.
Compare the two California statutes
The change affects both who may be covered and what payment information the newer law addresses. The table is a dated overview, not a determination for any particular property.
| Question | Former SB 1157 rule: Civil Code 1954.06 | Current AB 2747 rule: Civil Code 1954.07 |
|---|---|---|
| When | July 1, 2021 through July 1, 2025; the section then expired. | Enacted in 2024. The offer schedule under the section began April 1, 2025. |
| Who | Covered qualifying assisted housing developments, subject to the former statute's exemptions. | Requires an offer for many residential tenancies, subject to current exemptions. Assisted housing developments are excluded from this section. |
| What information | The former election described reporting payments whether timely, late or missed. | “Positive rental payment information” means complete, timely rent payments. |
| Offer timing | Applied to covered leases beginning July 1, 2021, with a separate deadline for leases already in place. | For leases entered on or after April 1, 2025, offer it when the lease is made and at least annually. For leases in place on January 1, 2025, make the offer by April 1, 2025, and at least annually. |
The operative text and exemptions matter more than a blog title or a general statement about a particular building size.
What the current offer needs to explain
For a tenancy covered by section 1954.07, the written election must identify each reporting agency and any fee, explain that participation is optional, show how to send the election, and describe how a tenant can opt in or stop reporting. It must state that a tenant who opts out cannot resume for at least six months, and include a signature block for accepting the offer.
A provider may send the offer by first-class mail or email. If it uses first-class mail, it must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. A tenant may submit the completed election after receiving the offer and may request another copy. Keep the actual offer, delivery record and any election or written request to stop in the appropriate protected file.
Know the payment and fee limits
The current section addresses positive information: complete and timely rent payments. A credit bureau's treatment of a report can vary, so do not promise a score increase or a specific lending result.
If a tenant opts in, the landlord may charge no more than the lower of the landlord's actual cost or $10 per month; if reporting costs the landlord nothing, it may not charge a fee. The fee itself cannot be reported to a consumer reporting agency. Not paying it is not a basis to end the tenancy or deduct it from the security deposit. If the fee is unpaid for at least 30 days, the statute allows reporting to stop and sets a six-month wait before another election.
Check whether the property is covered
Section 1954.07 exempts a residential rental building with 15 or fewer dwelling units, unless both conditions apply: the landlord owns more than one residential rental building, and the landlord is a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or a limited liability company with at least one corporate member. The section also excludes an assisted housing development as defined in the Government Code.
These are statutory definitions, not a shortcut based on a property manager's label or the number of units someone happens to oversee. Assisted housing can have program, contract or other legal obligations outside this section. Confirm the ownership, building and housing-program facts, and check local requirements with a qualified California housing attorney or the responsible public agency.
Use a careful process as a landlord or renter
Housing providers: check whether the property is covered, identify the applicable lease-date schedule, and use a current election that matches section 1954.07. Explain the agency, fee and opt-out process in writing. Keep the election optional, protect payment records, and distinguish rent itself from any reporting-service fee. Do not assume that a rent ledger, receipt or payment reminder is the statutory offer.
Renters: read which agency receives the information, what the service costs and how to opt in or stop. Participation is optional under this section. Keep the offer, your written election and rent receipts. Review the resulting report when available and use the reporting agency's dispute process if the information is wrong. Asking about rent reporting does not decide whether an applicant qualifies for a home.
Rentari offers property-management software and written education. This guide does not claim that Rentari sends rent-payment data to a credit bureau or completes a provider's statutory election process.
Sources and limits
This overview separates the former statute from the current text. It does not decide whether a specific landlord, building, tenancy or housing program is covered. Statutes can change; read the current text and get qualified local advice before relying on a deadline or taking action. This guide is educational and is not legal advice or a credit-score forecast.
Sources and further reading
Keep learning
Archive years group longstanding rental topics. This Rentari guide was published on 2026-10-04.
Written and maintained by the Rentari team. Examples explain a decision; they are not customer results. This is general education. Confirm the rules and treatment for your property with a qualified local professional. Found an error or an unclear step? Send a correction with this page's address and the detail to review.
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