California Landlords · AB 2801
Skip the photos, lose the deduction.
Since April 2025, California landlords must photograph every unit at move-out and after any repair they deduct for — on every tenancy, whenever it started. Since July 2025, new tenancies need move-in photos too. Amavera walks you through the unit room by room and produces a sealed, independently timestamped report.
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AB 2801 — What changed
Assembly Bill 2801 amends California Civil Code §1950.5. Landlords must photograph the unit immediately after move-out before any repairs, again once those repairs are complete, and — for tenancies beginning July 1, 2025 or later — at move-in. The move-out and post-repair requirements took effect April 1, 2025 and apply to every tenancy no matter when it started. The photos must accompany the itemized deposit statement within 21 days. Bad-faith failure to take or share them can cost a landlord the right to claim any amount from the security deposit.
What AB 2801 requires from you
- Photos immediately after the tenant moves out, before any cleaning or repairs (since April 1, 2025 — every tenancy)
- Before-and-after photos of every repair or cleaning you deduct from the deposit (since April 1, 2025 — every tenancy)
- Date-stamped photos of the unit at the start of every new tenancy (since July 1, 2025 — new tenancies only)
- All photos delivered to the tenant with the itemized deposit statement within 21 days
- Photos kept on file and available to the tenant on request
How to use Amavera as a California landlord
Because AB 2801 places the documentation obligation on you — not your tenant — you need to do the inspection yourself. Here's the exact workflow:
- Create a free account on the landlord portal at amavera.app/portal. This is where you manage credits and access reports.
- Buy report credits — one credit per inspection report. Credits never expire. Buy a bundle to cover multiple units or an entire season of turnovers.
- Download the Amavera app on your iPhone or Android device.
- Sign in with the same email and password you used on the portal. Your credits carry over automatically — no separate purchase needed in the app.
- Start a new inspection in the app. Enter the property address and select move-in or move-out.
- Walk through the unit yourself, room by room. The app guides you on what to photograph — walls, floors, fixtures, appliances, windows, and more. How long it takes depends on the unit — a studio goes quickly, a four-bedroom with existing damage does not.
- Generate your report. Every photo is organized by room, each finding is described in neutral language, and the finished PDF is sealed with a timestamp from an independent authority.
- Unlock and download the report using one credit. Share it with your tenant, print it for your records, or store it in your portal dashboard — permanently.
- Share with your tenant for acknowledgement. Your tenant reviews the report and confirms it online. Their acknowledgement is timestamped and attached to the record — making it significantly stronger as evidence.
When your tenant moves out, repeat the same process. Then use the Comparison Report in the portal to see a room-by-room analysis of every change — classified as normal wear or damage beyond ordinary use. That's your documentation for any deposit deductions.
The date is the part that gets challenged
AB 2801 asks for timestamped photographs. But a phone's timestamp is metadata, and metadata can be changed in seconds — which is exactly why a tenant contesting a deduction will question it. Amavera seals every report differently:
- The timestamp comes from outside Amavera. Each report is sealed using FreeTSA, an independent RFC 3161 timestamp authority. The date isn't ours to set, and it isn't yours either.
- Any edit breaks the seal. Change one character or one pixel and verification fails. A report that still verifies is a report nobody has touched since the day it was sealed.
- Anyone can check it, including your tenant. Upload the PDF at amavera.app/verify — free, no account. A tenant who can confirm the record for themselves is a tenant far less likely to dispute it.
- The proof lives inside the file. Verifying doesn't depend on our servers, your account, or Amavera still existing years from now. The evidence travels with the document.
The cost of getting it wrong
Under AB 2801, a landlord who fails in bad faith to take or share the required photos can lose the right to claim any amount from the security deposit — and may owe statutory damages of up to twice the deposit. Courts weigh photographic evidence heavily, and undocumented deductions are far harder to defend, even when the damage is real.
Built for landlords with multiple units
If you manage more than a handful of units, you're doing move-in and move-out inspections constantly. Buy a Pro 30 bundle on the portal and draw down a credit each time you walk a unit — 30 inspection reports at a significant discount, enough to cover a year's worth of turnovers for most portfolios.
$630
30 reports — $21 each
No subscription. No expiration. Use them whenever you need them.
Single reports available at $30 each. Bundles of 5, 10, and 20 also available.