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Do property managers need a license in California?

Short answer

Yes, in most cases. California requires a real estate broker license (or working under a licensed broker) to rent, lease or collect rent on property for someone else for pay. There is no separate property manager license. A resident manager who lives on site at an apartment building is the main exception.

The rule

Under California law, someone who leases or rents property, or collects rent, for another person and for pay is acting as a real estate broker and needs a license (Business and Professions Code 10131). Salespeople can do this work under a licensed broker. The Department of Real Estate (DRE) does not issue a separate "property manager" license.

Main exceptions

Check a license in two minutes

  1. Open the DRE public license lookup.
  2. Search the company name, the broker's name, or the license number they give you.
  3. Check the status is licensed (active) and note any disciplinary actions listed.

Our License Confirmed badge

We match each listing against the DRE's public license file. "License Confirmed · DRE #" means a clear match to an active license. No badge means we could not make a clear match, not that the company is unlicensed; ask them for their number.

Common questions

Does a property manager need a license in California?

Generally yes: a real estate broker license, or work under a licensed broker, to manage rentals for others for pay (Business and Professions Code 10131). On-site resident managers of apartment buildings are exempt.

How do I check a property manager's license?

Use the California Department of Real Estate public license lookup (search by name or license number). Check that the license is active and that the name matches the company or its broker.

Can a realtor act as a property manager?

A licensed real estate salesperson can do property management work only under their broker's supervision; a broker can manage property in their own right. Ask whose license the company operates under.

What does License Confirmed mean on this site?

We matched the listing to an active license in the Department of Real Estate's public file with a clear match. No badge does not mean a company is unlicensed; it means we could not make a clear match yet.

Sources

Written by The Property Management Directory team. Last checked October 2026.