Turning over a unit yourself? Here are the locks California law actually requires before you hand over keys.

Published July 26, 2026

Civil Code 1941.3 sets a 13/16 inch deadbolt standard for new hardware, but a real grandfather clause protects older locks already in place. Know which one applies before turnover.

California Civil Code section 1941.3 sets a specific, checkable standard for a rental unit's locks: an operable deadbolt on every main entry door, bolt reaching at least 13/16 of an inch past the strike edge, plus working window locks. Older hardware that already met a looser prior standard can still be compliant, but the standard for new or replaced locks is not optional.

I want to walk through this the way I would walk a unit myself before handing over keys. It is a short checklist with real teeth if you skip it.

What the law actually requires

I pulled the current text of Civil Code section 1941.3 directly rather than work from memory. On the deadbolt, the statute requires a landlord to:

"Install and maintain an operable dead bolt lock on each main swinging entry door of a dwelling unit."

The measurement is not vague. The statute specifies:

"the bolt shall extend a minimum of 13/16 of an inch in length beyond the strike edge of the door"

That is a number you can hold a tape measure to. A deadbolt that turns and looks fine but throws a bolt shorter than 13/16 of an inch does not satisfy the statute.

Here is the part I see self managing owners get wrong in the other direction: not every existing lock has to be ripped out to hit that 13/16 inch number. The statute carries a grandfather clause that reads:

"Existing dead bolts of at least one half inch in length shall satisfy the requirements of this section. Existing locks with a thumb turn deadlock that have a strike plate attached to the doorjamb and a latch bolt that is held in a vertical position by a guard bolt, a plunger, or an auxiliary mechanism shall also satisfy the requirements of this section."

In plain terms, a deadbolt installed before 1998 that throws at least one half inch is already legal, even short of the 13/16 inch figure required of new hardware. Same for an older thumb turn lock with a strike plate and a guard bolt or plunger. If your unit has one of those and it is operable, you do not need to touch it. The catch: the exemption is not permanent. These older locks "shall be replaced with a dead bolt at least 13/16 of an inch in length the first time after July 1, 1998, that the lock requires repair or replacement." The grandfathered hardware is fine until it breaks, and the moment a locksmith touches it for repair, it has to come back up to the current standard.

On windows, the law requires a landlord to:

"Install and maintain operable window security or locking devices for windows that are designed to be opened."

There are narrow exceptions for certain window types and locations. The statute excludes louvered and casement windows, and windows that sit more than 12 feet vertically or six feet horizontally from the ground, a roof, or any other platform someone could stand on to reach the window. A bathroom window twenty feet up with nothing beneath it to climb onto is treated differently than a ground floor bedroom window a tenant could reach from the sidewalk.

If your building has multiple units sharing a common entry, the same section also requires a working locking mechanism on exterior doors that provide access to shared common areas, though it does not force you to install a door or gate where none already existed as of January 1, 1998.

What happens if you skip one

This is the part self managing owners underestimate. The statute does not make a landlord liable the moment a lock breaks; it ties liability to notice and response time. Under the statute, a landlord:

"shall not be liable for a violation unless he or she fails to correct the violation within a reasonable time"

after receiving actual notice of the problem. A deadbolt that fails on its own is not, by itself, a violation you are on the hook for. The violation is failing to fix it once you know. That is the trap in a self managed building with no maintenance system behind it: a tenant texts that the deadbolt is loose, you mean to get to it, three weeks pass, and the clock the statute cares about has been running the whole time.

If you do not fix it within a reasonable time after notice, the statute gives the tenant real remedies: breach of contract, injunctive relief, and the right to raise the violation as an affirmative defense if you ever try to evict that tenant. That last one is worth sitting with if you are managing alone. A broken lock you never fixed can surface, months later, as the reason a judge sides with your tenant in an unlawful detainer case that has nothing to do with the lock on its face.

What this means for your building

At turnover, before you hand over keys, walk every main entry door and check two things: does the deadbolt operate smoothly, and does it clear the standard. New or previously replaced hardware needs to throw a bolt of 13/16 of an inch or more, so measure it rather than eyeball it. Original hardware that has never needed repair and throws at least one half inch, or an older thumb turn lock with a strike plate and a guard bolt or plunger, is already compliant on its own terms. Just confirm it operates smoothly and note its condition; the trigger to upgrade is the next repair, not the calendar. Then walk every window designed to open and confirm the lock or latch engages, excluding the louvered, casement, and out of reach windows the statute exempts.

Once a tenant is in place, build yourself a habit of writing down the date any lock complaint comes in by text or email. That date starts the reasonable time clock the statute uses to decide whether you are exposed. Fixing it fast is the whole ballgame. This is not a rule that punishes you for a lock breaking. It punishes you for sitting on the notice.

Common questions

Does every window in the unit need a lock under this law? No. The statute excludes louvered and casement windows, and it excludes windows more than 12 feet vertically or six feet horizontally from the ground, a roof, or any other platform. Every other operable window needs a working locking device.

How is the deadbolt measurement actually checked? Civil Code 1941.3 requires the bolt to extend a minimum of 13/16 of an inch beyond the strike edge. A tape measure against the extended bolt is the practical way to confirm it at a self managed turnover.

If a deadbolt breaks after move in, am I automatically liable? No. The statute only creates liability if you fail to correct the problem within a reasonable time after you have actual notice of it. The exposure comes from a slow response, not from the lock failing in the first place.

Do I have to replace every old deadbolt to hit 13/16 of an inch? No. A deadbolt already in place that throws at least one half inch, or an older thumb turn lock with a strike plate and a guard bolt or plunger, satisfies the statute as is. The 13/16 inch standard applies to new hardware, and kicks in for existing locks the first time they need repair.

Last verified: July 26, 2026, against the current text of California Civil Code section 1941.3 on the California Legislative Information website. This is general information for property owners, not legal advice. Confirm your specific lock hardware and any tenant notice response with a licensed professional.

Kellie

Schofield Properties

323 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245

Topics: self-management, legal, south-bay

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Schofield Properties is a family run property management company at 323 Richmond St, El Segundo, CA 90245. We have managed the South Bay since 1972 and personally oversee about 186 doors today. Book a call to talk about your property.