California Late fees

Can a landlord charge a late fee in California, and how much?

No statute caps residential late fees. Under § 1671(c)(2) and (d), a liquidated-damages clause in a residential lease is void unless the parties agree to an amount presumed to be the damage, and only where actual damages would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix. Courts apply this to late fees (Harbor Island Holdings v. Kim, 2003).

Verified Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 1671(b)–(d); Harbor Island Holdings, LLC v. Kim (2003) 107 Cal.App.4th 79 · last checked 2026-10-15