No. California law does not require you to make repairs before selling your home. The legal must-dos are small: strap the water heater, have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and disclose every defect you know about. Most repair demands come from a buyer’s inspection or lender, and you can negotiate or decline those.
TLDR
- California does not require a seller to fix a house before selling it, and an as-is sale is legal statewide.
- The few state requirements at sale are a strapped water heater, working smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors where required, and written disclosures.
- Some cities, including Pasadena and Lawndale, add a presale inspection or report, which is paperwork first and repairs only in some cases.
- Repair requests usually come from the buyer’s inspection or the buyer’s lender, and a seller can agree, offer a credit, or say no.
- Sellers who want to fix things but can’t pay upfront can use savings, a brokerage program that collects at closing, or a repair credit.
Most people who ask this question already have a list running in their head. The roof that’s been “fine for now” for six years, the dishwasher that stopped working, the bathroom that hasn’t been touched since 1987, and underneath all of it, the worry that the house can’t go on the market until every item is crossed off and paid for.
It can, and for most sellers the list the law cares about is a lot shorter than the one in their head.
What follows is the real list, the state rules, the city rules, and the rules that come from buyers and their lenders, along with how sellers who do want to fix things usually pay for them. If this is a family home you’re letting go of, that’s a hard thing to be sorting through, and none of it has to be decided tonight.
California Law Requires Very Few Repairs Before a Sale
California has no law that says a house must be in good condition before it can be sold. You can sell a home with a failing roof, broken appliances, an old kitchen, or years of deferred maintenance, which simply means upkeep that got put off, and the sale is still legal.
What the state does require is honesty. Under Civil Code section 1102.1, the Transfer Disclosure Statement, the form where a seller lists what they know about the home’s condition, cannot be waived in an “as is” sale. So the trade California makes with sellers is this: you don’t have to fix it, but you do have to tell the buyer about it. Our guide to your disclosure duties walks through those forms in detail.
That one rule answers most of the question.
The Short List of Things California Does Require
A small set of safety items do carry a legal requirement when a California home changes hands. None of them are expensive, and most houses already meet them.
| Requirement | What the seller does | Source |
| Water heater bracing | Brace, anchor, or strap the water heater against earthquakes and certify it in writing | Health and Safety Code 19211 |
| Smoke alarms | Have an operable smoke alarm and give the buyer a written statement of compliance | Health and Safety Code 13113.8 |
| Carbon monoxide detectors | Install them in homes with gas appliances, a fireplace, or an attached garage, and note them on the disclosure form | Health and Safety Code 17926 |
| Water-saving plumbing fixtures | Disclose any noncompliant toilets, showerheads, or faucets in homes built before 1994 | Civil Code 1102.155 |
The water heater rule comes from Health and Safety Code section 19211, which applies to all existing residential water heaters, not just new ones. The smoke alarm rule is in Health and Safety Code section 13113.8, and it exempts some transfers, including certain court-ordered sales and foreclosure sales, so a probate or trust sale may be treated differently.
The plumbing fixture rule surprises people. California expects single-family homes built before 1994 to have water-conserving fixtures, but Civil Code section 1102.155 only requires the seller to disclose noncompliant ones at sale. Replacing an old toilet is not a condition of closing.
Should You Replace the Water Heater Before Selling?
Usually not. California requires the water heater to be strapped, and the seller signs a statement saying it is, but no state law requires a new one because the house is being sold.
An old water heater that still works just gets disclosed, and the buyer factors its age into the price. A heater that is leaking or has already failed is a different story, and even though the law doesn’t force the repair, a leak can damage floors and walls and it will show up in any inspection. If the buyer is likely to use a loan, that is one of the few repairs that often pays for itself. Straps, on the other hand, are almost always worth adding before you list, because the certification is required either way.
Some Cities Add Their Own Point-of-Sale Rules
On top of state law, some cities require a report or inspection before a sale closes. A California State Auditor report counted at least 19 of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County with this kind of resale ordinance, so it’s worth checking your city before you list.
Two local examples show how different they can be. Pasadena’s Presale Self-Certification Program requires a certificate before escrow closes on a house, condo, townhouse, or duplex. If an inspection finds problems like unpermitted additions or missing fire safety items, the owner can fix them or sign a Transfer of Responsibility that passes the fix to the buyer. Lawndale’s Residential Property Report costs $240, focuses mostly on garages and parking areas, and the city states that no retrofit is required for a sale.
Neither program makes a sale impossible. They add paperwork, and sometimes a decision about who handles a violation. If your city has already cited the property, our post on open code violations covers how those work in a sale.
Where Most Repair Demands Come From
Most of the pressure to fix things comes from the buyer and the buyer’s lender, not from the state. Those demands are real, but they are negotiable in a way the law is not. After a buyer’s inspection, the buyer’s agent usually sends a repair request. A seller can agree to it, agree to part of it, offer a credit or a lower price instead, or decline. If the seller declines, the buyer can usually walk away during the inspection contingency, the window in the contract set aside for this, so the risk of saying no is losing that buyer, not breaking a law.
Lenders are stricter. FHA loans follow HUD Handbook 4000.1, which has the appraiser require repairs that affect the safety, security, or soundness of the home. Cosmetic items like worn carpet or a dripping faucet are noted but not required, while a failing roof or exposed wiring can hold up the loan until it’s fixed. A buyer paying cash skips that step entirely, which is why homes in rough condition tend to end up with cash buyers.
A Burbank house Mrs. Property Solutions bought in probate shows the difference. It had serious foundation problems, and the two sisters who inherited it lived out of state. Because the foundation was priced into the offer from the first conversation, there was no inspection surprise to renegotiate around, and the amount on their closing check matched the original offer exactly. It closed in 21 days.
When the issue holding up a sale is legal rather than physical, like a title problem or heirs who disagree, repairs usually aren’t the first thing to solve.
Broken Appliances and Deferred Maintenance Don’t Stop a Sale
A broken oven, a dead garage door opener, or a dishwasher that stopped working years ago can stay exactly as it is. The Transfer Disclosure Statement asks what you know about the home’s systems and appliances, and a buyer who reads “not working” can price that in.
Sellers usually handle appliances one of three ways. They leave them and disclose them, replace one cheaply if it would bother most buyers, or remove it and exclude it from the sale in the contract. Deferred maintenance works the same way on a larger scale, and it lowers what buyers will pay without making the house unsellable. For bigger structural repairs like foundations or full roof replacements, the math changes enough that it deserves its own look.
How Do You Pay for Repairs Before Listing?
Sellers who decide some repairs are worth it usually pay for them in one of four ways, and the right one depends on how much cash you have and how soon you need to sell.
- Savings or cash on hand. The simplest route, with no repayment and no fees.
- Borrowing against the home or a personal loan. This works, but interest and fees come out of the same sale proceeds the repair was meant to increase.
- A brokerage program that collects at closing. Compass runs one called Compass Concierge, which fronts the cost of work like paint, flooring, and plumbing and collects it when the home sells. Repayment is also due if the listing ends or after 12 months, and fees or interest may apply depending on the state.
- A repair credit instead of the repair. You skip the work, and the buyer gets money off at closing to handle it. The buyer’s loan program may limit how a credit is used, so the escrow officer and both agents should confirm it before you agree.
If none of those fit and you can’t afford to fix the house before selling, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. It means the house gets sold in the condition it’s in, and the price reflects that. It helps to keep the full cost of a listed sale in view while you’re deciding. The median Los Angeles County home sold for $946,950 in August 2026, according to the California Association of Realtors, and a 5% to 6% agent commission on that price comes to roughly $47,350 to $56,820, paid from the proceeds at closing alongside any repair money you borrowed.
Deciding What’s Worth Fixing
The honest answer is that some repairs are worth it and many aren’t. If the house is in decent shape, you have a few months, and the fixes are small, like paint, a strapped water heater, a working smoke alarm, and a repaired leak, a traditional listing will usually bring the highest price, and selling to a cash buyer would likely leave money on the table.
If the list is long, the budget isn’t there, or you’re managing the house from out of state, selling it as it stands is a reasonable choice and not a failure. Our guide to weighing as-is against fixing up lays out that decision side by side, and the broader guide to selling a house as-is covers the whole process from listing to closing.
If You’d Rather Not Fix Anything
If you’ve read this far, you probably know which of these repairs you’re willing to take on, and it’s completely fine if the answer is none of them.
Mrs. Property Solutions buys houses in Los Angeles County and across Southern California in the condition they’re in, which means no repairs, no cleanout, and no inspection list to negotiate. We’ve been doing this since 2016, we’ve purchased 150+ homes, and we have 50+ five-star reviews from sellers who were in the same spot you’re in now. We’re local to LA County, there are no agent commissions, and the offer we make is the offer we honor, with no renegotiating after the fact.
You can read how we buy houses that need repairs, or call (626) 344-9579 to talk it through. There’s no obligation, and a conversation doesn’t commit you to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell my house in California without making any repairs?
Yes. California law does not require a seller to fix a house before selling it. You still have to disclose known defects on the Transfer Disclosure Statement, strap the water heater, and have working smoke alarms, and a buyer’s lender may require safety repairs before it will fund the loan.
Should I replace my water heater before selling my house?
Usually not. California requires the water heater to be braced or strapped against earthquakes, and the seller certifies that in writing, but it does not require a new one. An old heater that works gets disclosed. A leaking or failed heater is worth fixing if the likely buyer is using a loan.
Do I have to fix broken appliances before selling?
No. Broken appliances can stay as they are, as long as you disclose what you know on the Transfer Disclosure Statement. Many sellers leave them in place, remove them and exclude them from the sale, or offer a small credit. A buyer can ask for repairs, but you are not required to agree.
Can you sell a house with deferred maintenance in California?
Yes. Deferred maintenance, meaning upkeep that was put off for years, does not stop a California sale. It lowers what buyers will pay and can narrow the buyer pool, especially buyers using FHA loans, whose appraisers flag problems affecting safety, security, or soundness. Known defects still go on the disclosure forms.
Can a buyer make me do repairs after the home inspection?
No. A buyer can request repairs or a credit after the inspection, and the seller can agree, counter, or decline. If the seller declines, the buyer may cancel during the inspection contingency period. The purchase contract, not state law, controls what happens, so read that contingency before responding.
Can repairs be paid for when the house sells?
Yes, in some cases. A few brokerages, including Compass through its Concierge program, front the cost of pre-listing work and collect it at closing, with repayment also due if the listing ends. Fees or interest may apply. A repair credit to the buyer at closing is the other common way to handle it.
Does selling as-is mean I don’t have to disclose problems?
No. California Civil Code section 1102.1 says delivery of the Transfer Disclosure Statement cannot be waived in an as-is sale. Selling as-is means the seller will not make repairs. It does not allow the seller to stay quiet about defects they know about, including ones they have never fixed.
Will a cash buyer ask me to make repairs?
No, not when the cash buyer is purchasing as-is. The condition is priced into the offer, and there is no lender appraisal demanding fixes. Ask any cash buyer whether the price can change after their inspection. At Mrs. Property Solutions, the offer we make is the offer we honor.
Helpful Resources
- Selling without a realtor
- What Happens If You List a House As-Is on the MLS?
- How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House As-Is in California?