California Assembly Bill 1482 FAQs

What is AB 1482?

Click here for information on terminating tenancy under tenant not allowing entry or signing new lease.

AB 1482 is a California state-wide rent control bill that was signed by Governor Newsome on October 8th, 2019. It will take effect as of January 1, 2020 but covers any rent increases made as of March 15, 2019. This bill caps annual rent increases at 5% plus Consumer Price Index 

(CPI) and requires landlords to evict tenants only under “just cause” situations.

For the most up to date information on rent increases and AB 1482, please click here.

Does AB 1482 affect my rental unit?

AB 1482 applies to most rental units in California except if:

• the city where your property is located has existing rent control or “just cause” ordinances. If this is your case, please call us. AB 1482 may modify these provisions.
• your building was constructed within the last 15 years. If you’re not sure, check when your certificate of occupancy was issued.
• the unit is an owner occupied duplex.
• the unit falls under deed restricted affordable housing.
• the unit is a single family home with the exception of the unit being owned by corporations or LLCs with at least one corporate member.

When will this bill take effect?

January 1st, 2020. Landlords are required to review and adjust rent increases made as of March 15, 2019, however. If your rent increases were MORE than what the bill allows, an adjustment needs to be made to the amount of rent was on March 15, 2019 PLUS CPI PLUS 5%. If your rent increase was LESS for what the bill allows, a landlord is allowed to increase rent twice within a 12 month period as of March 15, 2019, but no more than what the bill allows, which is 5% PLUS CPI.

Notice of Exemption

Properties that are exempt from AB 1482 must provide a written notice to their tenants before July 31st, 2020. All tenancies that begin on or after July 1st, 2020 must include the notice in the lease. The notice must read as follows:

“This property is not subject to the rent limits imposed by Section 1947.12 of the Civil Code and is not subject to the just-cause requirements of Section 1946.2 of the Civil Code. This property meets the requirements of Sections 1947.12 (d) (5) and 1946.2 (e)(8) of the Civil Code and the owner is not any of the following: (1) a real estate investment trust, as defined by Section 856 of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a corporation; or (3) a limited liability company in which at least one member is a corporation.”

If you failed to provide this notice to your tenant and want to serve a 30 or 60 day notice at any point after August 1st 2020, you may be subject to providing relocation assistance to your tenant.

Rent Increases

How much can I increase rent as of January 1, 2020?

This bill will cap, or put a max limit for annual rent increases at 5% PLUS the annual difference in cost of living which is measured by the CPI, or Consumer Price Index of where the rental unit is located.

New! Use our CPI Rent Increase Calculator to verify your annual rent increases.

How many times can I raise rent per year?

Landlords cannot increase rent more than two times a year when tenants have resided at the property for 12 months continuously.

What if my rental unit is empty?

This bill only affects units that are occupied. If your rental unit is vacant, you can adjust rent to market rent prices.

Is my property exempt from AB 1482 if it is a single family dwelling?

If your property is not currently under any type of local rent control ordinance AND if the property is NOT owned by an LLC or corporation as defined by law, then in most cases your property is exempt from AB 1482. It is advisable that you give us a call to make sure!

Do I have to inform the tenant if my property is exempt from AB 1482?

Yes. Any lease signed on or after July 1st, 2020 must inform the tenant if your property is exempt from AB 1482 and the reason. Any leases signed before July 1st, 2020 does not obligate the landlord to inform the tenant, but it is optional. Please call us for more information.

Do I have to do anything if the rent was increased after March 1st, 2019 but under the allowable rent increase amount?

If you increased rent after March 1st, 2019 and are still under AB 1482 set limits, you are allowed to increase a maximum of 1 more time (making it 2 increases in a 12 month period within March 15, 2019) to “catch up”. Keep in mind, if you are currently in a fixed term lease, you cannot increase rent until the lease has expired. You can also stay at your current rental rate safely if you wish.

Just Cause

What is a “Just Cause” eviction?

The bill states that a landlord cannot evict a tenant for any reason where the tenant isn’t at fault. A “just cause” includes failure to pay rent, violation of terms in a lease agreement, owner or family plans to live at the rental, if owner intends to permanently remove rental from the market, if they owner plans to heavily remodel the rental, or if they are ordered to vacate the property by a government agency or court.

Are all tenants protected by “just cause” provisions under AB 1482?

No. Only tenants that have continuously resided at the rental for 12 or 24 months are protected by AB 1482 “just cause” provisions. Keep in mind, this includes any tenants that will have met this criteria as of January 1, 2020. 

12 month “just cause” protections kick in when there are no changes to the number of tenants residing at the property and continue with no changes up to month 24. No matter if the lease is fixed or month to month, on day 366, these tenants are protected. 24 month “just cause” protections kick in if there were any changes to occupants residing at the property within 24 months. Here is an example:

Bob Tenant moves in and enjoys his rental unit for 11 months. On month 12, he adds a roommate to his lease, say Suzy Tenant. Bob and Suzy will not be eligible for protection until month 24. In such case where Suzy moves out on month 16, Bob will still be eligible for AB 1482 “just cause” protection on month 24, regardless of Suzy moving out and Tim Tenant moving in on month 20. Tim will enjoy this protection after just 4 months of residing in the rental.

If my lease specifies that the lease will not automatically renew after the set term (One year lease) do I have to renew their lease?

This depends on how your lease is written. If your lease says that the fixed term (let’s say 1 year, or 12 months) expires WITHOUT automatically rolling over to a month-to-month lease, you do not have to renew the lease and the tenant will not be protected by AB 1482 “just cause” ordinance. If your lease rolls over automatically to a month-to-month, on day 366, the tenant will be protected under AB 1482 and can only then be removed under “just-cause” situations. The latter situation requires the landlord to take timely action if they do not wish to renew the tenant’s lease.

What reasons can I use for terminating a tenancy that is not exempt?

Remember that tenants are only protected by “just cause” ordinance if they meet the time requirements specified. 

Examples of “Tenant At-Fault Just Causes”

• Non payment of rent.
• Failure to comply with your lease terms.
• Creating or being the cause of a nuisance as defined by law.
• Criminal activity performed on the rental property by the tenant.
• Refusing to execute a new lease after a written lease has terminated on or after January 1st, 2020.
• Not permitting the landlord to enter dwelling after proper serving of 24 hour notice.
• Managers refusing to leave premises after termination.

Examples of “No-Fault Just Causes”

• The owner, the owner’s spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents or grandparents intend to occupy the rental unit.
• If the owner decides to remove the rental unit from the market.
• If the owner plans on substantially remodeling the rental unit or demolishing it.
• If the unit is to be vacated by court or government agency order.

Examples where “Just Cause” does not apply

• Selling of the rental property.
• Moving a resident manager into the unit.

If you have additional questions that were not covered here, please contact us! We are here to help! 1-800-686-8686

Relocation Assistance/Rent Waivers

When am I required to provide relocation assistance to the tenant?

A landlord is required to provide either relocation assistance or rent waiver when the tenancy terminates based on a no-fault just cause. The landlord can decide witch of the two to provide the tenant.

How much do I have to pay for relocation assistance?

The relocation fee or rent waiver amount must be equal to one month’s rent. If the fee is to be paid to the tenant, it must be done within 15 calendar days of the service of notice of termination of tenancy. If it is to be done via rent waiver, a written waiver of the payment of the last month’s rent must be provided to the tenant before the rent due date.

What if I refuse to pay relocation assistance?

The notice of termination of tenancy issued to the tenant is void.

Is my city controlled under AB 1482?

We have listed most of California cities below and have included links to their respective ordinance. Some cities will have their own page with further details on their ordinance.

City	Ordinance
Adelanto
Agoura Hills
Alameda
Alamo
Albany
Alhambra
Aliso Viejo
Alpine
Alta Sierra
Altadena
Alturas
American Canyon
Anaheim	AB 1482
Anderson
Antelope
Antioch
Apple Valley
Aptos
Arcadia
Arcata
Arden-Arcade
Arnold
Arroyo Grande
Artesia
Atascadero
Atwater
Auberry
Auburn
Avalon
Avila Beach
Avocado Heights
Azusa
Bakersfield	AB 1482
Baldwin Park
Banning
Barstow
Baywood-Los Osos
Beaumont
Bell
Bell Gardens
Bella Vista
Bellflower
Belmont
Benicia
Berkeley
Beverly Hills
Big Bear
Big Bear Lake
Bishop
Blackhawk
Bloomington
Blythe
Bonsall
Boonville
Boron
Boulder Creek
Boyes Hot Springs
Brawley
Brea
Brentwood
Buellton
Buena Park
Burbank
Burlingame
Calabasas
Calexico
California City
Calimesa
Calistoga
Camarillo
Cameron Park
Camino
Campbell
Canyon Lake
Capitola
Carlsbad
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmichael
Carpinteria
Carson
Castaic
Castro Valley
Cathedral City
Ceres
Cerritos
Challenge-Brownsville
Chicago Park
Chico
Chino
Chino Hills
Chowchilla
Chula Vista
Citrus Heights
City of Industry
Claremont
Clayton
Clearlake
Cloverdale
Clovis
Coachella
Coalinga
Colton
Commerce
Compton
Concord
Copperopolis
Corning
Corona
Coronado
Corte Madera
Costa Mesa
Cotati
Coto de Caza
Covina
Crescent City
Crestline
Culver City
Cupertino
Cypress
Daly City
Dana Point
Danville
Davis
Delano
Delhi
Desert Hot Springs
Diamond Bar
Diamond Springs
Dinuba
Dixon
Downey
Duarte
Dublin
East Los Angeles
East Palo Alto
Eastvale
El Cajon
El Centro
El Cerrito
El Dorado Hills
El Monte
El Segundo
Elk Grove
Emeryville
Encinitas
Escalon
Escondido
Eureka
Exeter
Fair Oaks
Fairfield
Fall River Mills
Fallbrook
Florence-Graham
Florin
Folsom
Fontana
Foothill Farms
Fort Bragg
Fortuna
Foster City
Fountain Valley
Fowler
Fremont
Fresno	Rental Housing Improvement Act
Fullerton
Galt
Garden Grove
Gardena
Georgetown
Gilroy
Glendale	Right-to-Lease’ Ordinance
Glendora
Gold River
Goleta
Granite Bay
Grass Valley
Greenfield
Groveland
Grover Beach
Hacienda Heights
Half Moon Bay
Hanford
Happy Valley
Hawthorne
Hayward
Healdsburg
Helendale
Hemet
Hercules
Hermosa Beach
Hesperia
Hidden Meadows
Highland
Hollister
Huntington Beach	AB 1482
Huntington Park
Idyllwild-Pine Cove
Imperial Beach
Indio
Inglewood
Irvine	AB 1482
Irwindale
Isla Vista
Jackson
Joshua Tree
Kerman
Kernville
King City
Kingsburg
La Canada Flintridge
La Crescenta-Montrose
La Habra
La Mesa
La Mirada
La Puente
La Quinta
La Riviera
La Verne
Ladera Ranch
Lafayette
Laguna Beach
Laguna Hills
Laguna Niguel
Laguna Woods
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Elsinore
Lake Forest
Lake Isabella
Lake of the Pines
Lakeport
Lakeside
Lakewood
Lancaster
Larkspur
Lathrop
Lawndale
Lemoore
Lincoln
Linda
Lindsay
Livermore
Livingston
Lodi
Loma Linda
Lomita
Lompoc
Long Beach	Relocation Assistance Ordinance
Loomis
Los Alamitos
Los Altos
Los Angeles	LA Rent Control Ordinance
Los Banos
Los Gatos
Lucerne Valley
Lynwood
Madera
Malibu
Mammoth Lakes
Manhattan Beach
Manteca
Marina
Marina del Rey
Mariposa
Martinez
Marysville
Maywood
McKinleyville
Meadow Vista
Menifee
Menlo Park
Merced
Mill Valley
Millbrae
Milpitas
Mission Viejo
Modesto
Mojave
Monrovia
Montclair
Montebello
Monterey
Monterey Park
Moorpark
Moraga
Moreno Valley
Morgan Hill
Morro Bay
Mount Shasta
Mountain View
Murrieta
Napa
National City
Needles
Nevada City
Newark
Newport Beach
Nipomo
Norco
North Highlands
North San Juan
North Tustin
Norwalk
Novato
Oakdale
Oakhurst
Oakland- Rent	Adjustment Program (RAP) Ordinance (OMC Chapter 8.22)
Oakley
Oceanside
Oildale
Ojai
Olivehurst
Ontario	AB 1482
Orange
Orangevale
Orcutt
Orinda
Orland
Oroville
Oxnard
Pacific Grove
Pacifica
Palm Desert
Palm Springs
Palmdale
Palo Alto
Paramount
Pasadena	Tenant Protection Ordinance
Paso Robles
Patterson
Perris
Petaluma
Phelan
Pico Rivera
Piedmont
Pine Grove
Pine Mountain Club
Pittsburg
Placentia
Placerville
Pleasant Hill
Pleasanton
Pomona
Porterville
Poway
Prunedale
Quincy
Ramona
Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cucamonga	AB 1482
Rancho Mirage
Rancho Palos Verdes
Rancho San Diego
Rancho Santa Fe
Rancho Santa Margarita
Red Bluff
Redding
Redlands
Redondo Beach
Redwood City
Reedley
Rescue
Rialto
Richmond
Ridgecrest
Ripon
Riverbank
Riverside	AB 1482
Rocklin
Rohnert Park
Rosamond
Rosemead
Rosemont
Roseville
Rowland Heights
Sacramento	Sacramento Tenant Protection and Relief Act
Salida
Salinas
San Anselmo
San Bernardino	AB 1482
San Bruno
San Carlos
San Clemente
San Diego	San Diego city RTK (Right to Know Ordinance)
San Dimas
San Fernando
San Francisco	Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance.
San Gabriel
San Jacinto
San Jose	Apartment Rent Ordinance
San Juan Capistrano
San Leandro
San Luis Obispo
San Marcos
San Marino
San Mateo
San Rafael
San Ramon
Sanger
Santa Ana	AB 1482
Santa Barbara
Santa Clara
Santa Clarita
Santa Cruz
Santa Fe Springs
Santa Maria
Santa Monica	Rent Control Law
Santa Paula
Santa Rosa
Santa Ynez
Santee
Saratoga
Sausalito
Scotts Valley
Seal Beach
Seaside
Sebastopol
Selma
Shafter
Shasta Lake
Shingle Springs
Sierra Madre
Signal Hill
Simi Valley
Solana Beach
Soledad
Sonoma
Sonora
South El Monte
South Gate
South Lake Tahoe
South Pasadena
South San Francisco
South Whittier
Spring Valley
Springville
Squaw Valley
St. Helena
Stanford
Stanton
Stevenson Ranch
Stockton
Suisun City
Sunnyvale
Susanville
Taft
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley
Tehachapi
Temecula
Temple City
Thermal
Thousand Oaks
Topanga
Torrance-
Tracy
Truckee
Tulare
Turlock
Tustin
Twentynine Palms
Ukiah
Union City
Upland
Vacaville
Valle Vista
Vallejo
Valley Center
Ventura
Victorville
Villa Park
Vineyard
Visalia
Vista
Walnut
Walnut Creek
Wasco
Watsonville
Weaverville
West Carson
West Covina
West Hollywood
West Point
West Sacramento
Westlake Village
Westminster
Whittier
Wildomar
Willits
Willowbrook
Willows
Windsor
Woodcrest
Woodland
Yorba Linda
Yosemite Lakes
Yreka
Yuba City
Yucaipa
Yucca Valley