Alameda · Renting & eviction

Renting in Alameda: the rules that apply

Alameda has its own rent control, which ties increases on units not exempt under state law to a yearly Annual General Adjustment. The city also adds just-cause, relocation, notice-filing, harassment and buyout rules on top of state law.

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Key points

Rent increases: Alameda allows increases no more than once per 12 months, never in a tenancy's first 12 months, on units not exempt under state law.
Annual adjustment: Alameda's yearly limit is the Annual General Adjustment, effective September 1; a banked increase adds no more than 3% of the banked amount.
Pass-throughs: In Alameda, a rent increase plus any granted pass-through may not exceed 8% of the tenant's current rent.
Just cause: Alameda's eviction causes include unpaid rent and lease breach; an owner move-in requires occupying within 60 days and staying at least 3 years.
Relocation pay: Alameda's City Council sets relocation amounts; for owner move-in or market withdrawal, half is due within 3 business days of the tenant's written commitment.
Termination notices: Alameda termination notices must state the cause, and some must be filed with the Program Administrator within 3 calendar days of service.

Each rule below is marked Alameda code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Rent increases

Alameda code Alameda allows increases no more than once per 12 months, never in a tenancy's first 12 months, on units not exempt under state law. Alameda's yearly limit is the Annual General Adjustment, effective September 1; a banked increase adds no more than 3% of the banked amount. In Alameda, a rent increase plus any granted pass-through may not exceed 8% of the tenant's current rent.

All 13 Alameda rules on rent increases, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Eviction and just cause

Alameda code What Alameda's code adds
Allowed at-fault reasons	Failure to pay rent. Applies: After proper notice; not if tenant tenders full rent within the notice period and landlord refuses or fails to accept or accepts any tendered rent. § 6-58.80 · code text A. Failure to pay rent. The Tenant upon proper notice has failed to pay the Rent to which the Landlord is entitled under a Rental Agreement; Breach of Rental Agreement Applies: Material and substantial breach, excluding surrender of possession upon proper notice, continues after written notice to cease; no notice for violent or physically threatening conduct. § 6-58.80 · code text B. Breach of Rental Agreement. The Tenant has continued, after the Landlord has served the Tenant with a written notice to cease, to commit a material and substantial breach of an obligation or covenant of the Tenancy other than the obligation to surrender possession upon proper notice, Nuisance in the rental unit or common area of the rental complex. Applies: Continues there after written notice to cease; no notice is needed for illegal activity, substantial damage, or an immediate public health or safety threat. § 6-58.80 · code text C. Nuisance. The Tenant has continued, after the Landlord has served the Tenant with a written notice to cease, to commit or expressly permit a nuisance on the Rental Unit or to the common area of the rental complex, Failure to give the landlord reasonable access to the rental unit. Applies: The tenant continues refusing after written notice; access is for inspection, required repairs or improvements, showing to a buyer or lender, or another reasonable purpose. § 6-58.80 · code text D. Failure to give access. The Tenant has continued to refuse, after the Landlord has served the Tenant with a written notice, to grant the Landlord reasonable access to the Rental Unit
Allowed no-fault reasons	Primary Residence for the landlord, spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, or parent-in-law or child-in-law. Applies: Natural-person landlord must own at least 50%; no vacant Comparable unit except for disability accommodation; occupy within 60 days and stay at least 3 years. § 6-58.80 · code text E. Owner move-in, the Landlord seeks in good faith to recover possession of the Rental Unit for use and occupancy as a Primary Residence by (1) the Landlord, (2) the Landlord's spouse or registered domestic partner, or (3) the Landlord's parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law,

CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. Just cause required: After 12 months of lawful occupancy, the owner may terminate only for a just cause stated in the notice (Civ. Code § 1946.2(a)). Just-cause eviction in California — the full state rule →

Relocation payments

Alameda code Alameda's City Council sets relocation amounts; for owner move-in or market withdrawal, half is due within 3 business days of the tenant's written commitment.

All 12 Alameda rules on relocation payments, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Notices

Alameda code Alameda termination notices must state the cause, and some must be filed with the Program Administrator within 3 calendar days of service.

All 11 Alameda rules on notices, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Security deposits

CA state law Alameda has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Security deposit cap: One month's rent, on top of the first month's rent (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(6)). Deposit return deadline: 21 calendar days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of any deductions (Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(1)). California security deposit law — the full state rule →

Retaliation

Alameda code What Alameda's code adds
Presumption period	180 days Applies: In a possession action, evidence the tenant asserted or exercised rights within this period before the alleged retaliation creates a rebuttable presumption of retaliation. § 6-58.120 · code text In an action against the Tenant to recover possession of a Rental Unit, evidence of the assertion or exercise by the Tenant of rights under this Article or under state or federal law within one hundred eighty (180) days prior to the alleged act or retaliation shall create a rebuttable presumption that the Landlord's act was retaliatory;
Protected activities	Includes Article/state/federal rights; requesting/participating in rent control; refusing/rescinding Buyout Agreements; and rights/participation in Article litigation. § 6-58.120 · code text No Landlord shall take any action to terminate a tenancy, reduce any Housing Services or increase the Rent where the Landlord's intent is to retaliate against the Tenant for (i) the Tenant's assertion or exercise of rights under this Article or under state or federal law, (ii) the Tenant's request to initiate, or the tenant's participation in, the rent control procedures under this Article, (iii) the Tenant's refusing to enter into a Buyout Agreement or rescinding a Buyout Agreement or (iv) the Tenant's exercise of rights under or participation in litigation arising out of this Article.
Remedies	Retaliation may be a defense in an action to recover possession of a Rental Unit. § 6-58.120 · code text Such retaliation may be a defense to an action to recover the possession of a Rental Unit and/or may serve as the basis for an affirmative action by the Tenant for actual and punitive damages and/or injunctive relief as provided herein. Tenants may seek actual and punitive damages and/or injunctive relief. Applies: When the Tenant brings an affirmative action. § 6-58.120 · code text Such retaliation may be a defense to an action to recover the possession of a Rental Unit and/or may serve as the basis for an affirmative action by the Tenant for actual and punitive damages and/or injunctive relief as provided herein.

CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. Retaliation protection period: For 180 days after a tenant complains about habitability (to the landlord or an agency), the landlord may not evict, raise rent or cut services in retaliation (Civ. Code § 1942.5(a), (b)). Retaliatory eviction in California — the full state rule →

Harassment and lockouts

Alameda code Interrupt, terminate, or fail to provide housing services required by contract or State/County/local housing, health, or safety laws. Not performing repairs and maintenance required contractually or by State, County, or local housing, health, or safety laws is prohibited.

All 11 Alameda rules on harassment and lockouts, with the code text and the state law underneath →

Repairs and habitability

Alameda code What Alameda's code adds
Cutting services	Landlords must not interrupt or terminate any utility service furnished to the housing accommodation. § 6-61.30 · code text Interrupt or terminate any utility service furnished to the housing accommodation by any means whatsoever including, but not limited to, the cutting of wires, removing fuses, switching of breakers, or not paying the utility bills when the utility bills are in the name of the landlord. Landlords must not prevent tenants from having reasonable access to their housing accommodation. § 6-61.30 · code text Prevent the tenant from gaining reasonable access to the housing accommodation by changing the locks or using a bootlock or by any other similar method or device. Landlords cannot remove doors or windows without replacing them within a reasonable time period. § 6-61.30 · code text Removal without replacement within a reasonable time period, doors or windows of the housing accommodation. Landlords may not remove personal property, furnishings, or other items from the housing accommodation without the tenant’s prior written consent. Applies: Except under procedures in Civil Code, Part 4, Division 3, Title 5, Chapter 5, commencing with Section 1980. § 6-61.30 · code text Remove from the housing accommodation personal property, the furnishings, or any other items without the prior written consent of the tenant, except when done pursuant to the procedures set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1980) of Title 5 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code.

CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. Duty to keep the unit habitable: The landlord must deliver a unit fit to live in and repair conditions that make it untenantable (Civ. Code § 1941). Repair and deduct: A tenant may make a repair the landlord neglects and deduct the cost from rent, up to one month's rent, no more than twice in any 12 months (Civ. Code § 1942(a)). Habitability and repair-and-deduct — the full state rule →

Landlord entry

CA state law Alameda has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Landlord entry notice: Reasonable written notice, presumed to be 24 hours, and entry only during normal business hours (Civ. Code § 1954(d)(1), (e)). Landlord entry notice in California — the full state rule →

Buyout agreements

Alameda code What Alameda's code adds
Required disclosure	Give written adopted-regulation-form disclosure: rights to refuse, consult counsel/Program Administrator, revise before signing, and rescind within 30 calendar days after signing. § 6-58.115 · code text Before making an offer to a Tenant of a Buyout Agreement, a Landlord must give a Tenant a written disclosure document, in a form set forth in an adopted regulation, setting forth the Tenant's rights concerning the Buyout Agreement including the following: (i) the right not to enter into the Buyout Agreement; (ii) the right to consult an attorney and the right to revise the Buyout Agreement before signing the Buyout Agreement; (iii) the right to consult the Program Administrator regarding the Buyout Agreement; and (iv) the right to rescind the Buyout Agreement any time up to thirty (30) calendar days after the Tenant has signed the Buyout Agreement.
Filing with the city	File the signed Buyout Agreement with the Program Administrator within 3 business days. Applies: After the Tenant has signed the Buyout Agreement. § 6-58.115 · code text Within three (3) business days after the Tenant has signed the Buyout Agreement, the Landlord shall file the signed Buyout Agreement with the Program Administrator and provide a signed copy to the Tenant. File the signed Buyout Agreement with the Program Administrator within 3 calendar days. Applies: After all parties have signed. § 6-58.115 · code text The Landlord shall provide the Tenant a copy of the Buyout Agreement when all the parties have signed and shall file the signed Buyout Agreement with the Program Administrator within three (3) calendar days after all parties have signed.
Required terms	The written disclosure must state the tenant’s right not to enter into the buyout agreement. Applies: When written disclosure is given before making an offer. § 6-58.115 · code text (i) the right not to enter into the Buyout Agreement; The written disclosure must state the tenant’s right to consult an attorney and revise the Buyout Agreement before signing. Applies: When written disclosure is given before making an offer. § 6-58.115 · code text (ii) the right to consult an attorney and the right to revise the Buyout Agreement before signing the Buyout Agreement; The disclosure must state the tenant’s right to consult the Program Administrator about the Buyout Agreement. Applies: When written disclosure is given before making an offer. § 6-58.115 · code text (iii) the right to consult the Program Administrator regarding the Buyout Agreement; The disclosure must state the Tenant’s right to rescind the Buyout Agreement up to 30 calendar days after signing. Applies: When written disclosure is given before making an offer. § 6-58.115 · code text (iv) the right to rescind the Buyout Agreement any time up to thirty (30) calendar days after the Tenant has signed the Buyout Agreement.
Time to cancel	Tenants may cancel a Buyout Agreement within 30 calendar days. Applies: After the Tenant has signed the Buyout Agreement. § 6-58.115 · code text the right to rescind the Buyout Agreement any time up to thirty (30) calendar days after the Tenant has signed the Buyout Agreement.

Hotel and short-term rental tax

Alameda code What Alameda's code adds
Tax rate	14% of the rent charged by the operator. § 3-61.3 · code text For the privilege of occupancy in any hotel, each transient is subject to and shall pay a tax in the amount of fourteen (14%) percent of the rent charged by the operator.
Who collects it	The operator collects the tax from each guest at the same time as the rent. § 3-61.5 · code text Each operator shall collect the tax imposed by this section to the same extent and at the same time as the rent is collected from every transient. The hosting platform collects the tax as the host's agent. Applies: Applies to bookings made through a hosting platform. § 3-61.5 · code text Hosting platforms shall be responsible for collecting all applicable taxes imposed by this section.

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

Does a landlord in Alameda need a reason to evict?

Alameda's eviction causes include unpaid rent and lease breach; an owner move-in requires occupying within 60 days and staying at least 3 years.

How much can an Alameda landlord charge for a security deposit?

Alameda has no local rule on this that we found (checked October 2026); state law applies: One month's rent, on top of the first month's rent (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(6)).

What is the hotel tax on short-term rentals in Alameda?

Alameda's code: 14% of the rent charged by the operator. (§ 3-61.3); The operator collects the tax from each guest at the same time as the rent. (§ 3-61.5).

General information, not legal advice.

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