Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.5
California Civil Code
Operative Text
(a) A landlord of a residential dwelling unit, as defined in Section 1940, or his or her agent, may prohibit the smoking of a cigarette, as defined in Section 104556 of the Health and Safety Code, or other tobacco product on the property or in any building or portion of the building, including any dwelling unit, other interior or exterior area, or the premises on which it is located, in accordance with this article. (b) (1) Every lease or rental agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2012, for a residential dwelling unit on property on any portion of which the landlord has prohibited the smoking of cigarettes or other tobacco products pursuant to this article shall include a provision that specifies the areas on the property where smoking is prohibited, if the lessee has not previously occupied the dwelling unit. (2) For a lease or rental agreement entered into before January 1, 2012, a prohibition against the smoking of cigarettes or other tobacco products in any portion of the property in which smoking was previously permitted shall constitute a change of the terms of tenancy, requiring adequate notice in writing, to be provided in the manner prescribed in Section 827. (c) A landlord who exercises the authority provided in subdivision (a) to prohibit smoking shall be subject to federal, state, and local requirements governing changes to the terms of a lease or rental agreement for tenants with leases or rental agreements that are in existence at the time that the policy limiting or prohibiting smoking is adopted. (d) This section shall not be construed to preempt any local ordinance in effect on or before January 1, 2012, or any provision of a local ordinance in effect on or after January 1, 2012, that restricts the smoking of cigarettes or other tobacco products. (e) A limitation or prohibition of the use of any tobacco product shall not affect any other term or condition of the tenancy, nor shall this section be construed to require statutory authority to establish or enforce any other lawful term or condition of the tenancy. (f) For purposes of this section, “smoking” has the same meaning as in subdivision (c) of Section 22950.5 of the Business and Professions Code. (g) For purposes of this section, “tobacco product” means a product or device as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 22950.5 of the Business and Professions Code.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.5 authorizes residential landlords to ban smoking of cigarettes or other tobacco products anywhere on their property, including individual units, common areas, and exterior spaces. Leases signed on or after January 1, 2012 must spell out exactly where smoking is prohibited, while landlords seeking to add a smoking ban to a pre-existing tenancy must follow the written-notice process required for lease-term changes under Section 827. The rule does not override stricter local ordinances, and a smoking restriction cannot be used to alter any other term or condition of the tenancy.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.5, compliant operators typically include a clear description of all smoke-free areas in every new lease or rental agreement executed on or after January 1, 2012. When adding or expanding a smoking prohibition to an existing tenancy, operators generally provide adequate written notice in the manner required by Section 827 before the policy takes effect. Because local ordinances may impose additional or stricter requirements, property managers commonly review applicable municipal rules alongside this statute when drafting or updating their smoking policies.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.5 gives tenants in pre-existing tenancies the right to receive proper written notice before a landlord can impose a new or expanded smoking ban, since such a change constitutes a modification of lease terms under Section 827. Tenants who believe a landlord failed to provide adequate notice, or whose lease lacks the required smoke-free-area disclosure for agreements signed after January 1, 2012, may have grounds to raise that procedural gap in a dispute. Tenant-rights organizations and local rent boards can be useful resources for understanding how this provision interacts with any local ordinances that may apply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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