Short answer
Put two things in writing before a tenant moves in: a dollar amount your manager may spend on one repair without calling you, and a definition of an emergency that lets work start when you cannot be reached. Base the limit on your reserve and the age of the well, septic, roof and heating. California expects habitability repairs within a reasonable time, so a limit that stalls urgent work can cost you more.
The Saturday night call, planned on a Tuesday
Picture the tenant in your Auburn-area rental calling at 9 p.m. on a Saturday: the faucets are dry because the well pump quit. You live in the Bay Area, your phone is off, and someone has to decide whether a pump company comes out tonight or on Monday.
That decision is easier when you make it months earlier. A repair approval limit is the amount your manager may spend on one job without asking first. Emergency authority is the separate rule for what can happen when a home is unsafe or unlivable and you cannot be reached. Both belong in your management agreement, and both are worth a second look before each winter.
What counts as urgent on a foothill property
Rural and older homes around Auburn fail in their own ways. Most of the urgent ones line up with the conditions that Civil Code 1941.1 says make a home untenantable, so it helps to name them in your agreement instead of leaving the word "emergency" undefined.
- No water. A failed well pump, pressure tank or broken supply line. The law expects a water supply with hot and cold running water.
- Sewage backing up. A full or failed septic tank or a blocked line. The law expects an approved sewage disposal system. For well and septic basics, see our guide to wells and septic in Auburn rentals.
- No heat in cold weather. A dead furnace, a failed propane regulator or a heat pump that stops. Working heating facilities are on the list.
- Water coming in. A tree or large limb on the roof, a storm leak or a broken window. Effective waterproofing of the roof and outside walls, with unbroken windows and doors, is on the list.
- A home that will not lock. A broken deadbolt on a main entry door or a window lock that fails. Civil Code 1941.3 sets the lock rules.
- Gas smell or an alarm sounding. A tenant reporting a gas odor or a carbon monoxide alarm should be told to leave and call the utility or 911 first. The repair call comes after.
- No working stove or refrigerator. For leases signed, amended or extended on or after January 1, 2026, these are habitability items too.
Why the law shortens your decision time
Under Civil Code 1941, a residential landlord must repair problems that make the home unlivable, unless the tenant caused them. Civil Code 1942 then gives the tenant a remedy if you do not act within a reasonable time after notice: the tenant may make the repair and deduct the cost from rent, up to one month's rent and no more than twice in 12 months, or move out. Waiting past 30 days after notice is presumed reasonable for the tenant, but a shorter wait can be reasonable for something like a dry well.
Entry rules matter too. Civil Code 1954 lets a landlord or agent enter without notice to respond to an emergency. For ordinary repairs, written notice is required, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable. So the real risk of a very low limit, or an owner who is hard to reach, is a repair that happens late, on the tenant's terms, at a price you never saw.
| If this is you | What usually fits | What to put in writing |
|---|---|---|
| You live far away or travel often | A per-job limit high enough for common urgent fixes, plus clear emergency authority | Who decides when you do not answer, and how long the manager waits |
| Your well, septic or furnace is near the end of its life | A larger reserve and a plan for replacement before it fails | Whether replacement counts as a repair under the limit or always needs your approval |
| You want to approve almost everything | A low limit with a narrow emergency exception | A promise that urgent habitability work starts even if you are unreachable |
| You keep only a small reserve | A modest limit and a rule that larger jobs need bids | How the manager handles a repair that costs more than the reserve holds |
| You have trusted local trades of your own | Your contractors for planned work, the manager's vendors for emergencies | Licence and insurance copies on file, and who calls whom at night |
Bids, licences and the $1,000 line
Your approval limit and California's contractor licence rules work side by side. Under Business and Professions Code 7048, as the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) explains it, an unlicensed person may do a job only if labor and materials together come to less than $1,000, the work needs no building permit, and that person has no employees on the job. A larger project cannot be split into small invoices to fit under that line. Anything else calls for a licensed contractor, and CSLB's online lookup shows whether a licence is active.
For bigger repairs that are not emergencies, CSLB suggests getting at least three written bids based on the same scope. Many owners write that rule into the agreement above a certain amount. In a home built before 1978, any paid work that disturbs paint also falls under EPA's lead-safe rules; our lead paint guide covers what that means.
What to write into the agreement
There is no correct number for every house. A newer furnace and a recently pumped septic tank support a lower limit; a 30-year-old well pump and a roof under tall pines may call for a higher one or a larger reserve. These are the points a careful agreement usually settles:
- The per-job amount the manager may spend without asking, and whether it is per repair or per month.
- A plain definition of an emergency, using the conditions above, and permission to act on it when you do not answer.
- Who gets called, in what order, and how long the manager waits for you before acting.
- Whether the manager holds a repair reserve for you, and the amount you choose.
- When written bids are needed, and whether you may supply your own licensed contractor (compare the options in our guide to your own contractor versus the manager's vendors).
- How you will see the work afterward: invoices, photos and a line on the monthly statement.
Where SPMG fits
SPMG's services page says maintenance and repairs are handled through "a trusted network of contractors and vendors" and that owners are consulted on important decisions such as major repairs, with the final decision staying with the owner. The site does not publish a standard approval limit, so the number is something you set together in the agreement.
Planned upkeep also lowers the number of 2 a.m. calls. The site's posts on preventative maintenance and seasonal upkeep cover that side. To talk through limits for a specific property, contact SPMG for a free discovery call.
Common questions
Can my property manager approve a repair without asking me?
Only within the authority your management agreement gives. Most agreements allow spending up to a set amount per job and allow emergency work without approval when the home is unsafe or unlivable. Above that amount, the manager usually needs your go-ahead. If your agreement is silent, settle it in writing before a problem forces the question.
What happens if my tenant fixes something and takes it off the rent?
Civil Code 1942 allows that for conditions that make a home untenantable when the landlord does not repair within a reasonable time after notice. The deduction is capped at one month's rent and can be used no more than twice in 12 months. It does not apply when the tenant caused the problem. A workable approval limit makes this outcome much less likely.
What dollar amount should I set as my approval limit?
Pick a number based on your reserve, the age of the home's major systems and how quickly you can be reached. Owners who are hard to reach often choose a limit that covers the usual urgent fixes for their property. Revisit it each year, especially before winter, when heating and storm damage calls tend to come in.
Can a handyman do repairs on my Auburn rental?
For small jobs, yes. Under the minor work exemption, an unlicensed person may do work only if labor and materials together total less than $1,000, no building permit is needed, and the person has no employees on the job. Larger or permitted work needs a licensed contractor, which you can confirm on the CSLB website.
Recent changes
- January 1, 2026: A working stove and refrigerator became habitability requirements for leases entered into, amended or extended on or after this date (AB 628). (AB 628 (2025), California Legislative Information)
- January 1, 2025: The contractor licence exemption for minor work rose from $500 to $1,000, but only for work that needs no permit and where the unlicensed person has no employees (AB 2622). (CSLB Industry Bulletin 24-07 on AB 2622)
Sources
- Civil Code 1941.1, Untenantable dwellings (California Legislative Information)
- Civil Code 1942, Repair by tenant (California Legislative Information)
- Civil Code 1954, Landlord entry (California Legislative Information)
- Business and Professions Code 7048, Minor work exemption (California Legislative Information)
- CSLB: How do I find the right licensed contractor?
- SPMG: Services
Facts checked November 9, 2026 against the sources above. Reviewed by Mark Shvaya, Designated Broker, CA DRE #02243502. This guide is general information about California rules, not legal or tax advice for your situation.
Keep reading
- CompareYour contractor vs. the manager's vendorsCompare licensing, insurance, lead-safe rules and tenant duties before deciding who does the work.
- DecideManagement agreement checklistRead a California management agreement clause by clause: exit terms, spending limits, trust money, fees and records.
- DecideRent-ready compliance checklistThe safety devices, disclosures and records an older Auburn home needs before the first showing.