(a) A licensee of a residential care facility for the elderly shall not require any form of preadmission fee or deposit from a recipient under the State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled (Article 5 (commencing with Section 12200) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) who applies for admission to the facility.

(b) If a licensee charges a preadmission fee, the licensee shall provide the applicant or his or her representative with a written general statement describing all costs associated with the preadmission fee charges and stating that the preadmission fee is refundable. The statement shall describe the conditions for the refund as specified in subdivision (g). A licensee shall only charge a single preadmission fee as defined in subdivision (e) per resident admission.

(c) A licensee of a residential care facility for the elderly shall not require, request, or accept any funds from a resident or a resident’s representative that constitutes a deposit against any possible damages by the resident.

(d) Any fee charged by a licensee of a residential care facility for the elderly, whether prior to or after admission, shall be clearly specified in the admission agreement.

(e) For the purposes of this section, “preadmission fee” means an application fee, processing fee, admission fee, entrance fee, community fee, or other fee, however designated, that is requested or accepted by a licensee of a residential care facility for the elderly prior to admission.

(f) This section shall not apply to licensees of residential care facilities for the elderly that have obtained a certificate of authority to offer continuing care contracts, as defined in paragraph (8) of subdivision (c) of Section 1771.

(g) If the applicant decides not to enter the facility prior to the facility’s completion of a preadmission appraisal or if the facility fails to provide full written disclosure of the preadmission fee charges and refund conditions, the applicant or the applicant’s representative shall be entitled to a refund of 100 percent of the preadmission fee.

(h) Unless subdivision (g) applies, preadmission fees in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) shall be refunded according to the following:

(1) If the applicant does not enter the facility after a preadmission appraisal is conducted, the applicant or the applicant’s representative shall be entitled to a refund of at least 80 percent of the preadmission fee amount in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).

(2) If the resident leaves the facility for any reason during the first month of residency, the resident shall be entitled to a refund of at least 80 percent of the preadmission fee amount in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).

(3) If the resident leaves the facility for any reason during the second month of residency, the resident shall be entitled to a refund of at least 60 percent of the preadmission fee amount in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).

(4) If the resident leaves the facility for any reason during the third month of residency, the resident shall be entitled to a refund of at least 40 percent of the preadmission fee amount in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).

(5) The facility may, but is not required to, make a refund of the preadmission fee for residents living in the facility for four or more months.

(i) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (g), if a resident is evicted by a facility pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1569.682, the resident or the resident’s legal representative shall be entitled to a refund of preadmission fees in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) in accordance with all of the following:

(A) A 100-percent refund if preadmission fees were paid within six months of notice of eviction.

(B) A 75-percent refund if preadmission fees were paid more than six months but not more than 12 months before notice of eviction.

(C) A 50-percent refund if preadmission fees were paid more than 12 months but not more than 18 months before notice of eviction.

(D) A 25-percent refund if preadmission fees were paid more than 18 months but less than 25 months before notice of eviction.

(2) No preadmission refund is required if preadmission fees were paid 25 months or more before the notice of eviction.

(3) The preadmission refund required by this subdivision shall be paid within 15 days of issuing the eviction notice.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 686, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2008.)