Robyn Seymour - What Renters should know about Rent Control in California?

Possibly a renter might not even know what exactly is the rent control in California and how does it affect their lease, unless you have friends or family that resides in California or have previously lived there yourself. In very simple terms, rent control refers to the minimum and maximum that a landlord can charge for a rental within that city but what is not commonly known is that it may include additional regulations as well. Although, California has no statewide law establishing statewide rent control. It also does not have a state law preventing rent control either. Consequently, the absence of this statewide law does not mean that different cities may (and have) established rent control on a local basis usually by the act of a city council.

Some form of rent regulation now exists in 15 California cities.

In Northern California those cities are: Berkeley, Campbell (mediation only), East Palo Alto, Fremont (mediation only), Hayward, Los Gatos, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.

In Southern California those cities are: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks and West Hollywood.

Rent control ordinances generally control more than how much rent a landlord may charge. Some other items it may affect are, how a landlord may terminate a tenancy and under what circumstances by requiring the landlord to have a just cause to evict. Other cities such as Los Angeles require landlords to register their properties with a local rent control agency. In addition, many cities regulate security deposits (by requiring that interest be paid) and impose notice requirements for rent increases and termination of tenancies that are different from California state law.

If you are considering renting in any of the above cities, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that no two rent control ordinances are identical (even as to how rents may be increased) and since cities change their rent control laws frequently, a potential renter should access the specific city’s website that they are looking to move into to get a good idea of the rent control regulations that apply. Before he or she signs the agreement the renter should gather all this information and this will save the renter a lot of potential headaches in the future and offers him with some thoughtful about his or her rights and obligations regarding the rent control ordinances in his preferred city.