California rent control: AB 1482 explained

California's statewide rent control, formally the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), has been in effect since January 1, 2020, and is currently set to sunset January 1, 2030 unless the legislature extends it. It does two separate things: caps how much rent can increase, and requires a legally valid reason before ending most tenancies.

What the rent cap actually is

The cap is 5% plus the regional Consumer Price Index, or 10% flat, whichever is lower, recalculated every August using the prior year's inflation data for that metro area — which is why the effective cap differs by region and by year rather than being one fixed number statewide. San Francisco's cap for August 2025 through July 2026, for example, worked out to 6.3%. Only two increases are allowed in any 12-month period, and the cap does not apply to the initial rent set on a newly vacant unit — vacancy decontrol means a landlord can set whatever starting rent the market supports for a new tenant.

Notice required for an increase

An increase of 10% or less requires 30 days' written notice; anything above 10% requires 90 days. Verbal notice of any increase is not valid under the law regardless of amount.

Just-cause eviction protection

Once a tenant has lived in a unit for 12 months (24 months if a new tenant was added partway through the tenancy), ending the tenancy requires a legally recognized cause. At-fault reasons — nonpayment, lease violations, criminal activity, nuisance, unauthorized subletting — require no relocation payment. No-fault reasons — the owner moving in, a substantial remodel, demolition, an Ellis Act withdrawal, or government order — require one month's rent as relocation assistance to the tenant.

What is exempt

Buildings less than 15 years old, single-family homes and condos not owned by a corporation or REIT (with a written exemption notice provided), owner-occupied duplexes, deed-restricted affordable housing, and college dorms and government-subsidized units all fall outside AB 1482's cap and just-cause requirements. An exemption is not automatic just because a property qualifies — the required written notice to the tenant is part of what makes the exemption apply.

California rent control cities

AB 1482 is the statewide floor. A number of cities have their own rent stabilisation ordinances that go further for the units they cover, usually older buildings, with lower annual caps and their own registration rules. They include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Mountain View, Richmond, Alameda and others, and the list changes as cities adopt or amend ordinances. Cities such as Long Beach and San Diego follow the statewide AB 1482 cap for covered units rather than a local rent control law.

Where a local ordinance covers a unit, its cap and procedures apply instead of AB 1482. Check the city's current rules, including any registration requirement, before setting a new rent.

Local ordinances can be stricter

Where a local rent control ordinance existed before September 1, 2019, or provides greater tenant protection than the state law, the local rule governs instead. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica all have ordinances that apply on top of, or instead of, AB 1482's statewide baseline — checking the specific city's ordinance is not optional if the property is in one of these jurisdictions.

Tracking which of two increases a unit has already used this year, and which cap percentage currently applies in that metro, is exactly the kind of detail that is easy to get right once and then forget to update the following August. Rent collection and tenant records tied to each property make that history visible at a glance instead of requiring a manual check back through past notices before every increase.

To work out the maximum increase for a covered unit, use the California rent increase calculator; for notice periods and what a valid notice must say, see California rent increase laws.