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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 10Ch. 2§ 10220 Lessee Risk Of Loss

§ 10220 Lessee Risk Of Loss

Commercial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 10220 Lessee Risk Of Loss

This law says who is responsible if something rented or leased gets damaged or lost. It depends on whether the item was accepted or if there were problems with it.

Key Takeaways

  • •If the rented item is not as promised, the owner is responsible until they fix it or you accept it.
  • •If you reject the item later because it’s bad, the owner may still be responsible for any damage or loss.
  • •If you agree to rent the item but then back out or break the rules, you might be responsible for damage for a little while.

Example

You rent a car, but it's dirty and broken when you get it, so you refuse to take it.

The rental company is still responsible if the car gets stolen or damaged before they fix it or you accept it.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10220 Lessee Risk Of Loss

(a) Where risk of loss is to pass to the lessee and the time of passage is not stated: (1) If a tender or delivery of goods so fails to conform to the lease contract as to give a right of rejection, the risk of their loss remains with the lessor, or, in the case of a finance lease, the supplier, until cure or acceptance. (2) If the lessee rightfully revokes acceptance, he or she, to the extent of any deficiency in his or her effective insurance coverage, may treat the risk of loss as having remained with the lessor from the beginning. (b) Whether or not risk of loss is to pass to the lessee, if the lessee as to conforming goods already identified to a lease contract repudiates or is otherwise in default under the lease contract, the lessor, or, in the case of a finance lease, the supplier, to the extent of any deficiency in his or her effective insurance coverage may treat the risk of loss as resting on the lessee for a commercially reasonable time. (Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 111, Sec. 22. Effective July 15, 1991.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

risk of losslease contractright of rejectionfinance leasecommercially reasonable time

Related Statutes

  • § 10221 Lease Goods Casualty Rules
  • § 10211 Lessor Warranty Against Claims
  • § 10212 Lease Merchantability Warranty
  • § 2510 Risk Of Loss Allocation
  • § 10204 Lease Contract Formation Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 10220.
View Official Source