 Previously, landlords could charge up to three months' rent. San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney penned the legislation, which he says will especially help lower-income residents who are often stuck in unsafe or inconvenient living conditions because they can't come up with enough money for a deposit to move elsewhere. With this, California joins 11 other states, including New York, Alabama, and Massachusetts, in capping security deposit amounts. For NPR News, I'm Dana Cronin.