Short answer. The same as a general partner. Under Article 1851, a limited partner may have the books kept at the principal place of business and inspect and copy them at a reasonable hour; have, on demand, true and full information and a formal account when just and reasonable; and have dissolution and winding up by court decree.
What the law says
Have the partnership books kept at the principal place of business of the partnership, and at a reasonable hour to inspect and copy any of them
Civil Code, Article 1851 — Rights of a Limited Partner. Read the full provision →
Limited partners get real information rights
Being a passive investor does not mean being kept in the dark. Article 1851 gives a limited partner the same rights as a general partner on three important matters. The first is access to the records: he may have the partnership books kept at the principal place of business of the partnership, and at a reasonable hour to inspect and copy any of them. So the books must be kept where he can reach them, and he can go and inspect and copy them at reasonable times.
Information and an accounting
The second right goes beyond the books to the substance of the business. A limited partner may have on demand true and full information of all things affecting the partnership, and a formal account of partnership affairs whenever circumstances render it just and reasonable. So he can demand accurate, complete information about the firm's affairs — not a curated summary — and, where the circumstances make it fair, a formal accounting. The first part mirrors the duty of full information that partners owe one another; the second lets a limited partner force a proper reckoning of the partnership's affairs when there is good reason, without waiting for dissolution.
Court dissolution, profits and return of capital
The third shared right is access to the court: a limited partner may have dissolution and winding up by decree of court. So if things go wrong, he is not powerless — he can ask a court to dissolve and wind up the partnership on proper grounds, the same as a general partner. Beyond these three shared rights, the article confirms the limited partner's core economic entitlements: the right to receive his share of the profits or other income compensation, and the right to the return of his contribution.
Using your rights
If you are a limited partner and cannot get straight answers, this article is your leverage. You are entitled to have the books kept where you can reach them and to inspect and copy them at reasonable hours, so ask — in writing — to see them. You can demand true and full information, and a formal account where the situation makes it fair. And if the venture has gone badly wrong, you can seek dissolution and winding up from a court. Keep your requests documented, because a limited partner who is refused the access this article guarantees has both a grievance and a record of it.