Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act

The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act is the main body of statutory law that applies to residential common interest developments in California.

We strongly recommend that you access the State of California website instead of any private websites in order to make certain you are reading the most current law. The law changes from time to time and since not every private website is updated timely, you will always be safe in reading the law as published by the State of California. The link is at the top of this page.

The David-Stirling Act is the commonly used name for Sections 4,000 to 4,150 of the California Civil Code. The act was originally approved by the state legislature in 1985 and became effective on January 1, 1986. It has been modified and added to numerous times.

The Davis-Stirling Act defines a common interest development as any of the following:

  1. A Community Apartment Project,
  2. A Condominium Project,
  3. A Planned Development, or
  4. A Stock Cooperative.

Note that a townhome or townhouse is an architectural design, not a form of ownership. In California, most townhomes or townhouses are condominiums. Likewise, a detached home can be part of a planned development or it can be a condominium.

The Davis-Stirling Act applies to all residential common interest developments in California, including those in existence prior to the adoption of the law. A different body of laws applies to commercial condominiums.

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