Editorial Policy

Research starts with the rule

For the state requirements guide, our source standard is the published state statute or an official attorney general, housing agency or other state government explanation. We read the relevant provision, check its scope and effective-date language, and distinguish ordinary rent from advance rent and security deposits. A search snippet, another receipt generator or an introduced bill is not enough to establish a rule.

The current guide was checked against the primary sources linked below. California’s summary uses the Department of Real Estate’s tenant guide. New Jersey’s citation is the enacted session law that created the cash-receipt provision, including its coverage definition and applicability date.

Every state claim needs a citation

Each state entry links to the official source supporting its payment trigger, required fields, timing and stated exceptions. When a source does not specify a field, we do not present a suggested field as a legal requirement. We omit speculative penalties and court outcomes. If we cannot support a statement, we narrow or remove it.

The guide is selective. An omitted state is not a finding that no law applies. We do not label a jurisdiction “no requirement” based on a limited search. Local, subsidized-housing and lease-specific questions need a separate check.

Review dates and update cadence

The visible “Last reviewed” date records a completed source check, not an automatic calendar update or a change to the footer. Our review target is at least every six months, with an earlier check when we learn of a relevant law change, receive a substantiated correction or encounter a broken source link. A target is not a guarantee of continuous monitoring. Check the linked official source before relying on a rule.

When a substantive correction changes a summary, we update its review date and explain the changed point on the guide. Layout-only edits do not count as a new legal review.

Automation and responsibility

Content is drafted with automated tools and checked against primary sources. Automation helps locate provisions, compare wording and prepare drafts; it does not establish legal authority. Cornelia Cove LLC is responsible for publication. We do not attribute this review to an invented lawyer, named reviewer or credentialed editorial board. This site does not provide legal advice.

Independence and commercial interests

We publish the generator discussed on this site, including in our comparison guide. Our October 14, 2026 export review found no displayed ads or affiliate-tagged outbound links. The privacy policy allows for advertising and analytics; that disclosure is not a promise that the site will always operate without them. Our editorial standard is to cite rules for what they say and disclose any future paid placement or affiliate relationship where it appears.

Corrections process

Email partners@corneliacove.com with the page URL, disputed wording, jurisdiction and an official source or effective date. Please omit private tenant or payment information. We check the cited provision and applicability, correct or remove unsupported text, and update the guide’s review date and explanation when the change is substantive. We do not promise a response deadline.

Primary sources for the current review

• California — California Department of Real Estate: rent receipts
• Maryland — Maryland Real Property § 8-205
• Massachusetts — Massachusetts General Laws ch. 186, § 15B(2)(a)–(b)
• New Jersey — N.J.S.A. 46:8-49.2; P.L. 2019, c.300
• New York — New York Real Property Law § 235-e(a)–(c)
• Oregon — Oregon Revised Statutes § 90.140(2)
• Texas — Texas Property Code § 92.011
• Washington — Revised Code of Washington § 59.18.063(2)–(3)

The sources page gives each source’s issuing body and the exact provisions we rely on, and our methodology explains how the current summaries were researched and dated. Read the state-by-state summaries and review notes, or learn more about the publisher and generator.