California Rent Control — How It Works in 2025/2026

California rent control is not one law — it is a stack of rules. At the bottom is the statewide rent cap under AB 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which limits annual rent increases to 5% plus regional CPI, capped at 10%, and applies to most older multifamily rentals across the entire state. On top of that, certain cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Monica and others) have their own local rent-control ordinances that can be stricter.

What cities are allowed to control is limited by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which exempts single-family homes, condos and newer construction and guarantees landlords can reset rent to market on turnover. Whether a specific unit is covered — and by which layer — depends on its build date, type, ownership and city, which is exactly what GoCodebook answers for a given address.

Every covered rental in California is subject to the statewide rent cap (Civil Code § 1947.12): increases capped at 5% + the regional Consumer Price Index, never more than 10% in any 12-month period. This is a "rent cap," not classic rent control — there is no rent board and the rent resets to market when a tenant moves out.

Some cities layer a stricter local ordinance on top — lower annual caps, a rent board, and sometimes registration. When both apply, the landlord must follow the more restrictive rule. AB 1482 explicitly does not weaken existing local rent control. Rent-cap rules also travel with just-cause eviction protections (Civil Code § 1946.2).

Both layers are constrained by Costa-Hawkins. It exempts single-family homes and condominiums (units with separately alienable title) and construction newer than February 1, 1995 from local rent control, and it mandates vacancy decontrol — landlords may set the new rent to market when a unit voluntarily turns over. AB 1482 separately exempts housing built within the last 15 years (rolling) and single-family homes/condos not owned by a corporation or REIT when proper notice is given.

Because exemptions hinge on build date, property type, ownership and city, two similar units on the same block can be covered differently. GoCodebook checks the property facts and the applicable rule so you do not have to guess.

Start with the build date (anything getting a certificate of occupancy before January 1, 2005 can fall under AB 1482, and pre-Feb 1, 1995 buildings can fall under local control); then the property type (single-family and condos are usually exempt from local control under Costa-Hawkins); then ownership; then the city. A landlord who wants the single-family exemption must also serve a specific written notice.

When a landlord exits the business entirely, the Ellis Act governs withdrawal. And the 2024 SB 567 amendments tightened the no-fault eviction and rent-cap rules. Ask GoCodebook about any address for a cited answer.