Must a Hawthorne Landlord Put Their Name and Address on the Lease? Civil Code Section 1962

Published August 10, 2026

Civil Code section 1962 requires an owner or manager of a residential rental to give tenants the name, phone number, and street address for personal service, plus rent payment details, within 15 days of the tenancy starting. Section 1962.7 gives tenants an alternate way to serve legal papers if that never happens.

The short answer

Yes. Civil Code section 1962 requires the owner, or an authorized manager or agent, of a residential rental to give the tenant the name, phone number, and usual street address where personal service can be made, along with rent payment details, within 15 days of the tenancy starting. The statute also lets an alternate posted notice satisfy this in some buildings, and gives tenants a fallback way to serve legal papers if a landlord never complies.

Last verified: August 10, 2026

What triggers the disclosure

Civil Code section 1961 sets the scope of this chapter: it applies to every dwelling structure containing one or more units offered to the public for rent or lease for residential purposes. That reaches a single Hawthorne duplex as much as a large apartment building. The chapter is not limited to big complexes with an on site manager.

What section 1962 actually requires

Based on the statute, a landlord or the property's authorized agent must furnish the tenant with:

1. The owner and manager's identifying information. The name, telephone number, and usual street address at which personal service may be effected, for both the manager of the property and the owner or the owner's authorized agent for service of process.
2. Who receives rent and how. The person or entity to whom rent payments are to be made, including the hours they are available if payment is made in person, or the relevant financial account or electronic transfer information.
3. Accepted forms of payment. The forms of payment the landlord will accept.

For a written lease, this can be satisfied by giving the tenant a copy of the rental agreement that already contains this information, or a separate written statement covering it. For an oral rental agreement, it has to be a written statement, since there is no lease document to point to.

The 15 day deadline

The disclosure has to reach the tenant within 15 days of when the lease is executed, or when an oral rental agreement is entered into. The statute also lets a tenant ask for the same information again later, and the landlord then has 15 days from that request to provide a current copy. That matters in Hawthorne rentals where ownership or property management changes hands mid tenancy. A new owner or a new manager does not get an open ended grace period once a tenant asks.

The posted notice alternative

Civil Code section 1962.5 gives landlords in multi unit buildings an alternate compliance path: instead of individual written disclosure to each tenant, the landlord can post a printed or typewritten notice containing the same information. In a building with an elevator, that means posting in every elevator and in one other conspicuous place. In a building without an elevator, it means posting in at least two conspicuous places. A single unit dwelling can comply using either method. All the other requirements of section 1962 still apply; section 1962.5 only changes the delivery mechanism.

Quick reference

| Requirement | Detail | Citation |

|---|---|---|

| Applies to | Every residential dwelling structure with one or more units offered for rent or lease | Civil Code 1961 |

| Who must disclose | Owner or authorized manager or agent | Civil Code 1962 |

| Must disclose | Owner and manager name, phone, and street address for personal service; rent payment recipient, hours or account details; accepted payment forms | Civil Code 1962 |

| Deadline | 15 days from lease execution or oral agreement, and 15 days from any later tenant request | Civil Code 1962 |

| Written lease method | Copy of the lease containing the information, or a separate written statement | Civil Code 1962 |

| Oral agreement method | Written statement required | Civil Code 1962 |

| Alternate for multi unit buildings | Posted notice in elevators and conspicuous locations, per section 1962.5 | Civil Code 1962.5 |

| Consequence of non compliance | Tenant may serve legal process by registered or certified mail to the rent payment address, per Code of Civil Procedure section 1013 | Civil Code 1962.7 |

What happens if a Hawthorne landlord never sends this notice

The statutory text confirms one specific consequence: under Civil Code section 1962.7, if an owner, successor owner, manager, or agent fails to comply with this chapter, a tenant involved in a dispute arising out of the tenancy may serve legal process by registered or certified mail to the address at which rent is paid, with Code of Civil Procedure section 1013 governing that service. That is a real, statute backed consequence, and it shifts a procedural advantage to the tenant.

Beyond that specific mail service rule, this article could not confirm, from the statutory text of sections 1961, 1962, 1962.5, and 1962.7 alone, a broader doctrine that strict compliance with section 1962 is a prerequisite to an unlawful detainer action. That rule may exist in case law, but this article will not assert it without a verified source. If an eviction is on the table and this disclosure was never sent, flag that fact pattern for a landlord tenant attorney before filing.

A practical checklist for a Hawthorne rental

1. Within 15 days of signing any new lease or starting any oral tenancy, send the tenant the owner and manager's name, phone number, and a street address where personal service can be made.
2. Include who receives rent, how, and what payment forms you accept, in the same disclosure.
3. If ownership or property management changes, do not wait for a tenant to ask. Treat the change itself as the trigger to resend the disclosure within 15 days.
4. If a tenant formally requests an updated copy, calendar the 15 day response clock the day the request comes in.
5. Multi unit building owners who prefer posted notices over individual paperwork should confirm their posting locations meet the section 1962.5 elevator and non elevator standards exactly.
6. Keep dated proof of when each disclosure went out. If an eviction ever becomes necessary, that record answers the compliance question before it becomes a dispute.

FAQ

Does a Hawthorne landlord have to put their home address on the lease?

The statute requires a street address at which personal service may be effected for the owner or the owner's authorized agent, and separately for the manager. It does not have to be the owner's home address if an authorized agent's address for service is provided instead.

How long does a landlord have to send this disclosure after signing a lease?

15 days from when the lease is executed, or from when an oral rental agreement is entered into, under Civil Code section 1962.

Can a landlord just post a notice in the building instead of giving each tenant paperwork?

Yes, in multi unit buildings, under the alternate method in Civil Code section 1962.5: every elevator plus one other conspicuous place in elevator buildings, or at least two conspicuous places in non elevator buildings.

What happens if the landlord never sends this information?

Civil Code section 1962.7 confirms that a tenant can then serve legal process related to the tenancy by registered or certified mail to the address where rent is paid, rather than through the service method that would otherwise apply.

Does this law apply to a single Hawthorne duplex, or only large apartment buildings?

It applies to every dwelling structure containing one or more units offered to the public for rent or lease for residential purposes, under Civil Code section 1961, which reaches a duplex as much as a large complex.

Is strict compliance with this disclosure required before a landlord can evict a tenant?

This article could not verify a specific rule to that effect in the statutory text of sections 1961, 1962, 1962.5, or 1962.7. Raise it directly with a landlord tenant attorney before any unlawful detainer filing.

This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your specific disclosure practices, and especially anything related to an unlawful detainer filing, with a licensed attorney before relying on this article.

Topics: compliance, landlord law, disclosures, South Bay, Hawthorne

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