Do you need a license to be a property manager in California?

In California, managing or renting property for others for pay is real estate work that needs a license: the real estate salesperson license, issued by the California Department of Real Estate. The law exempts some staff employed by a property owner or a licensed broker, such as on-site or leasing employees doing limited tasks. The exact wording, with any exceptions, is below.

Managing property for others"Broker Defined 10131. A real estate broker within the meaning of this part is a person who, for a compensation or in expectation of a compensation, regardless of the form or time of payment, does or negotiates to do one or more of the following acts for another or others: ... (b) Leases or rents or offers to lease or rent, or places for rent, or solicits listings of places for rent, or solicits for prospective tenants, or negotiates the sale, purchase, or exchanges of leases on real property, or on a business opportunity, or collects rents from real property, or improvements thereon, or from business opportunities." official source
On-site and employee exemptions"10133. (a) The acts described in Section 10131 are not acts for which a real estate license is required if performed by: (1) A regular officer of a corporation or a general partner of a partnership with respect to real property owned or leased by the corporation or partnership, respectively, or in connection with the proposed purchase or leasing of real property by the corporation or partnership, respectively, if the acts are not performed by the officer or partner in expectation of special compensation." "10131.01. (a) Subdivision (b) of Section 10131 does not apply to (1) the manager of a hotel, motel, auto and trailer park, to the resident manager of an apartment building, apartment complex, or court, or to the employees of that manager," "(3) any person other than the resident manager or employees of that manager, performing the following functions, who is the employee of the property management firm retained to manage a residential apartment building or complex or court and who is performing under the supervision and control of a broker of record who is an employee of that property management firm or a salesperson licensed to the broker ... (A) Showing rental units and common areas to prospective tenants. (B) Providing or accepting preprinted rental applications, or responding to inquiries from a prospective tenant concerning the completion of the application. (C) Accepting deposits or fees for credit checks or administrative costs and accepting security deposits and rents. (D) Providing information about rental rates and other terms and provisions of a lease or rental agreement, as set out in a schedule provided by an employer. (E) Accepting signed leases and rental agreements from prospective tenants." "10133.2. The provisions of Sections 10016, 10131, 10131.1, and 10132 do not apply to any stenographer, bookkeeper, receptionist, telephone operator, or other clerical help in carrying out their functions as such." official source
Leasing agents"(3) any person other than the resident manager or employees of that manager, performing the following functions, who is the employee of the property management firm retained to manage a residential apartment building or complex or court and who is performing under the supervision and control of a broker of record who is an employee of that property management firm or a salesperson licensed to the broker ... (A) Showing rental units and common areas to prospective tenants. (B) Providing or accepting preprinted rental applications, or responding to inquiries from a prospective tenant concerning the completion of the application. (C) Accepting deposits or fees for credit checks or administrative costs and accepting security deposits and rents. (D) Providing information about rental rates and other terms and provisions of a lease or rental agreement, as set out in a schedule provided by an employer. (E) Accepting signed leases and rental agreements from prospective tenants." official source
Licensing agencyCalifornia Department of Real Estate (DRE), headed by the Real Estate Commissioner official source
CredentialReal estate salesperson license (or real estate broker license) official source

Checked against official California sources on Oct 27, 2026. This is not legal advice: rules change and exemptions depend on who employs you, so confirm with the licensing agency. This page lists only what we could confirm on an official page.

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