First, take a breath
If you've just inherited a house in California, you are probably grieving and overwhelmed at the same time. The good news: almost nothing about the house has to be decided this week. The first 30 days have one job — keep the property safe and get the information you'll need for every decision that comes later.
Secure the house
An empty house is vulnerable, and sadly, word travels. In the first days:
- Change or rekey the locks if neighbors, caregivers, or anyone else had keys.
- Keep the utilities on. Heat, water and electricity protect the house itself — a dark, cold house invites problems.
- Call the homeowners insurance carrier and tell them the owner has died. Ask what the policy requires now; a vacant home may need different coverage, and you don't want to find out after a loss that the policy lapsed.
- Forward the mail so bills, statements and legal notices reach whoever is handling things.
- Remove valuables — jewelry, cash, important papers — and store them safely.
- Keep a record of anything you spend on the house. These costs may be reimbursable from the estate later.
Don't sell or give anything away yet
This is the mistake that causes the most family conflict. Until someone has legal authority — an executor appointed by the court, an administrator, or a successor trustee under a trust — no one should sell, give away, or move big items out of the house. And don't sign anything with a buyer or investor, no matter how friendly the offer sounds, until you know who has authority and what the house is actually worth.
Find the documents
Gather these as you find them:
- The will and any trust documents
- The most recent deed to the house
- Mortgage statements and loan paperwork
- Property tax bills
- The homeowners insurance policy
Also order several certified copies of the death certificate — banks, the court, the county recorder and insurance companies will each want one, and ordering extras now saves weeks later.
Find out how the title was held
The deed answers the single most important question in this whole process: how was the house owned? It might be held in a trust, in joint tenancy, as community property with right of survivorship, under a transfer-on-death deed, or in the person's name alone. That one fact decides which path you're on — a trust administration, a probate with a will, a probate without a will, or a simpler small-estate process. You can get a copy of the deed from the County Recorder's office where the property is located.
Tell the County Assessor
California requires the County Assessor to be notified when ownership changes because of a death. The form is the Change in Ownership Statement (Death of Real Property Owner), form BOE-502-D, and it is due within 150 days of the death. Whoever is handling the estate usually files it, but make sure someone does — there are penalties for missing it.
Keep the bills paid
If you can, keep paying the mortgage, property taxes and insurance. A federal law, the Garn-St Germain Act, generally prevents a lender from calling a home loan due just because the property passes to a relative after the borrower's death. Keep making payments and contact the loan servicer as the estate or heir. Missed payments can still snowball into late fees and foreclosure risk. If money is tight, tell your attorney — there may be estate funds available for exactly this.
Who to call
Three professionals cover almost everything in this first month. A probate or trust attorney tells you which legal path the estate is on and what must be filed. A tax professional helps you avoid expensive mistakes, because choices made now affect taxes when the house is eventually sold or kept. And when you're ready to talk about what the house is worth or whether to sell, a trust and probate real estate agent can walk the property and give you a written opinion of value with no obligation.
Once you know how the title was held, continue to the guide for your path: a house in a trust, probate with a will, probate without a will, or a small estate.