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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 10Ch. 5Art. 3§ 10528 Lessor Damage Recovery Rules

§ 10528 Lessor Damage Recovery Rules

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

§ 10528 Lessor Damage Recovery Rules

This law explains how much money a person who rents out something (like a car or equipment) can ask for if the renter breaks the rental agreement. It helps figure out the fair amount to cover what the owner loses.

Key Takeaways

  • •If you break a rental agreement, you might have to pay the rent you missed plus other costs.
  • •The owner can ask for the difference between what you agreed to pay and what they can rent it for now.
  • •Extra costs (like repairs) can be added, but any money the owner saves will be subtracted.
  • •The goal is to fairly cover what the owner loses, not to punish the renter.

Example

You rent a car for a year but stop paying and return it after 6 months.

The car owner can ask you to pay the rent you missed, plus the difference between what you agreed to pay for the rest of the year and what they can now rent the car for. They can also ask for extra costs like fixing damages, minus any money they saved because you returned the car early.

How to Calculate

Damages = (Accrued and unpaid rent) + (Present value of remaining rent - Present value of market rent) + (Incidental damages) - (Expenses saved)

  1. Calculate the rent that was not paid up to the date the item was returned or taken back.
  2. Find the present value of the rent that was left for the rest of the lease term.
  3. Find the present value of what the item can be rented for now (market rent) for the same remaining time.
  4. Subtract the market rent value (Step 3) from the remaining rent value (Step 2).
  5. Add any extra costs (like repairs) and subtract any money saved because the lease ended early.
  6. Add all these amounts together to get the total damages.

You rented a machine for 12 months at $100 per month but stopped paying after 6 months. The market rent for the machine is now $80 per month.

Result: $600 (unpaid rent) + ($600 - $480) (difference in rent) + $50 (repairs) - $100 (saved expenses) = $770 total damages

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10528 Lessor Damage Recovery Rules

(a) Except as otherwise provided with respect to damages liquidated in the lease agreement (Section 10504) or otherwise determined pursuant to agreement of the parties (Sections 1302 and 10503), if a lessor elects to retain the goods or a lessor elects to dispose of the goods and the disposition is by lease agreement that for any reason does not qualify for treatment under subdivision (b) of Section 10527, or is by sale or otherwise, the lessor may recover from the lessee as damages for a default of the type described in subdivision (a) of, or paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of, Section 10523, or, if agreed, for other default of the lessee, (1) accrued and unpaid rent as of the date of default if the lessee has never taken possession of the goods, or, if the lessee has taken possession of the goods, as of the date the lessor repossesses the goods or an earlier date on which the lessee makes a tender of the goods to the lessor, (2) the present value as of the date determined under paragraph (1) of the total rent for the then remaining lease term of the original lease agreement minus the present value as of the same date of the market rent at the place where the goods are located computed for the same lease term, and (3) any incidental damages allowed under Section 10530, less expenses saved in consequence of the lessee’s default. (b) If the measure of damages provided in subdivision (a) is inadequate to put a lessor in as good a position as performance would have, the measure of damages is the present value of the profit, including reasonable overhead, the lessor would have made from full performance by the lessee, together with any incidental damages allowed under Section 10530, due allowance for costs reasonably incurred and due credit for payments or proceeds of disposition. (Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 254, Sec. 72. Effective January 1, 2007.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

defaultaccrued and unpaid rentpresent valuemarket rentincidental damagesprofitreasonable overhead

Related Statutes

  • § 10519 Lease Damages Calculation
  • § 10525 Lessor Rights After Lessee Default
  • § 10530 Lessor Incidental Damages After Default
  • § 10532 Lessor Residual Interest Recovery
  • § 2708 Seller Damages For Breach

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 10528.
View Official Source