SB 712: Tenant Rights for Indoor Micromobility Devices

California’s e-bike apartment storage law, Civil Code Section 1940.41, took effect January 1, 2024 and gives renters the right to keep one personal micromobility device per occupant inside their unit, as long as the device qualifies under one of three paths the statute lays out. Landlords can no longer write a flat ban into a lease. They can, however, redirect storage outside the unit if they provide a qualifying alternative, and they keep real authority over fire safety and charging.¹

Which Devices the Law Covers

The statute defines a personal micromobility device as anything powered by the rider’s effort or by an electric motor, designed to carry one person or one adult with up to three children. That sweeps in e-bikes and e-scooters, but also traditional bicycles, kick scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, and wheelchairs. A battery is not required. An e-cargo bike built to carry small children fits. Motorcycles and electric cars do not.¹

Three Ways Your Device Can Qualify for Indoor Storage

You get to keep up to one qualifying device per person in the unit. A household of three can keep three. To qualify, the device has to meet at least one of these conditions:

It has no electric motor. A regular bicycle, kick scooter, or skateboard needs nothing further.
It carries one of the recognized safety certifications for its device type.
You insure it with a policy that covers storing the device in your unit.

The insurance route has a catch worth understanding before you rely on it. It gets the device through the door, but the landlord can forbid you from charging an uncertified device inside the apartment. If you want to plug in at home, certification is the path that actually gets you there.¹

Which Safety Certifications Count

The statute names specific standards, split by device type:

E-bikes: UL 2849 (the U.S. standard for e-bike electrical systems) or EN 15194 (the European standard for electrically assisted cycles).
E-scooters: UL 2272 (the U.S. standard for personal e-mobility device electrical systems) or EN 17128 (the European standard for personal light electric vehicles).

These standards test the battery, charger, and electrical system together as a complete unit, not just the parts in isolation. The Consumer Product Safety Commission treats UL 2272 as the relevant voluntary standard for personal e-mobility devices and recommends that battery packs include charge control, short-circuit protection, and cell balancing.²

You can usually find the certification mark on the battery pack, on a label attached to the frame, or in the manufacturer’s documentation. If you are buying a new device for a California rental, confirming the certification before purchase saves trouble later.¹

Using Insurance Instead

If your electric device lacks a recognized certification, a policy that covers storing the device in your unit is the alternative. The statute does not set a required coverage amount or policy type. It just has to cover the device’s presence in the dwelling.

A standard renters policy usually includes fire liability, but not every policy explicitly covers lithium-ion battery fires. Some insurers want an endorsement for high-capacity battery coverage. Confirm with your provider that the policy does not exclude battery-related damage before you treat insurance as your qualifying path. And remember: insurance gets the device inside, but the landlord can still bar you from charging it there.¹

When a Landlord Can Send You to Outside Storage

Your right to indoor storage ends if the landlord provides qualifying secure, long-term storage on the property. To count under the statute, the space must meet every one of these requirements:

Access is limited to residents of the same housing complex.
It sits on the property’s premises.
It is reasonably protected from rain and other precipitation.
It includes at least one standard electrical outlet per device so tenants can recharge.
Tenants are charged no fee to use it.

Every element has to be in place. A bike rack in an open-air garage fails the weather-protection test. A locked room that charges a monthly fee fails the fee test. A dry, locked room with no outlets fails the charging test, which is the one landlords most often miss. If the alternative falls short on any single element, you keep the right to store the device in your unit under the three-path framework above.¹

Charging and Fire-Safety Rules You Still Have to Follow

Even a fully certified device stored lawfully indoors is subject to local fire codes. The statute also lets a landlord require compliance with the California Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Information Bulletin 23-003 on lithium-ion battery safety, provided the landlord gives the tenant a copy.¹

The bulletin’s practical rules, which a landlord can enforce as conditions of indoor storage, include:

Plug the charger directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip.
Use only the charging cord that came with the device.
Do not charge while sleeping or while away from the unit.
Do not charge near your primary exit.
Stop charging once the battery is full.
Keep batteries at room temperature, away from heat or direct sunlight.

If you receive a copy of the bulletin from your landlord, treat it as enforceable ground rules.³

Other Landlord Authority That Survives

The law does not strip landlords of every say over how devices are kept on the property:

Tenants must store devices consistent with applicable fire codes, which generally means not blocking exits, hallways, or stairwells.
Landlords can prohibit mechanical or electrical work on batteries and motors inside the unit. Fixing a flat or adjusting brakes is fine; electrical repairs happen elsewhere.
Landlords do not have to approve modifications to the apartment, such as wall mounts or added electrical capacity.

These restrictions apply on top of the storage rules, not instead of them.¹

Disability Accommodation Exception

If an occupant needs a micromobility device as a disability accommodation, the landlord’s power to redirect storage to an outside facility does not apply. A tenant who relies on a wheelchair, motorized scooter, or similar device for disability-related mobility keeps it in the unit even when the property offers qualifying secure storage. The statute also preserves any separate rights or remedies available under other disability law.¹

1
California Legislative Information. California Code Civil Code 1940.41 – Personal Micromobility Devices
2
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Batteries
3
Office of the State Fire Marshal. Information Bulletin 23-003 – Lithium-Ion Battery Safety