California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is valid only if it reasonably estimates the landlord's actual loss from late payment; arbitrary penalty fees are unenforceable.
California has no statute setting a maximum late fee. Instead, a late fee is a liquidated-damages clause governed by Civil Code § 1671(d), which makes such provisions in residential leases "void except that the parties... may agree... upon an amount which shall be presumed to be the amount of damage sustained by a breach thereof, when, from the nature of the case, it would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix the actual damage." California courts (e.g., Orozco v. Casimiro) have voided late fees that function as penalties rather than genuine estimates of the landlord's costs, such as administrative expense and lost use of funds. A fee unrelated to actual damages is unenforceable even if the lease recites it.
An unenforceable penalty late fee cannot be collected, and amounts already paid may be recoverable by the tenant. Relying on an unlawful penalty fee in an eviction can defeat the unlawful detainer if it inflates the rent demanded.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Clovis, CA
Construction in Clovis permitted 7 AM-7 PM Mon-Sat. No Sunday or federal holiday construction without a permit. City projects exempt.
Clovis, CA
Clovis has no local aircraft noise ordinance. The City is about 8 miles from Fresno Yosemite International Airport, and CMC 9.22.080(F)(4) exempts federally ...
Clovis, CA
Amplified music audible beyond the property line during quiet hours violates CMC §5.24. Special event sound permits required for Old Town Clovis events.
Clovis, CA
CMC 5.27.603 requires permits for amplified outdoor music audible beyond property lines. Vehicle-mounted sound devices are banned on streets under CMC 5.27.608.
Clovis, CA
Clovis Municipal Code §6.04 prohibits habitual barking/noise from dogs. Continuous barking 10+ minutes or intermittent 30+ minutes can be cited as a nuisance.
Clovis, CA
Exotic animals prohibited under CA Fish & Game Code §2118 and CCR Title 14 §671. Ferrets, hedgehogs, monkeys, most wild animals illegal statewide. Clovis enf...
See how Clovis's late fees & grace periods rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.