Half Moon Bay · Renting & eviction
Renting in Half Moon Bay: the rules that apply
Half Moon Bay adds its own just-cause, notice, retaliation and harassment rules to state law, and the page lists its Rent Stabilization: 2025–26 Posted Notice (city guidance). Relocation pay and security deposits follow state law.
Key points
- Just cause: Half Moon Bay requires a just cause to end a tenancy once a tenant has lived lawfully in the unit for 30 days.
- Rent increases: State law caps covered units at 8.8% from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027; see Half Moon Bay's Rent Stabilization 2025–26 Posted Notice (city guidance).
- Termination notices: Half Moon Bay termination notices must state at least 1 just cause and be filed with the city within 5 days after service.
- Relocation pay: Half Moon Bay relocation pay follows state law: 1 month's rent within 15 calendar days of notice, for no-fault evictions on covered units.
- Harassment: Half Moon Bay bans landlord harassment, including cutting housing services, abusing the right of entry, and threatening physical harm.
- Retaliation: Half Moon Bay bans retaliation for using its tenant protection rights, and retaliation claims go only to court.
Each rule below is marked Half Moon Bay code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Rent increases
Half Moon Bay has a related local rule: Half Moon Bay Rent Stabilization: 2025–26 Posted Notice (city guidance). This page does not summarize it yet; read the text in the library. Where it does not apply, the state rule below does.
| Rent cap right now | 8.8% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 (5% plus 3.8% inflation) Applies: Covered units only. Inflation is the BLS consumer price index for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area, April to April, as the statute requires; the figure is recomputed every year. |
|---|---|
| Statewide rent increase cap (AB 1482) | 5% plus the change in cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower, over any 12 months Applies: Covered units only; measured against the lowest rent charged in the prior 12 months. |
| Number of rent increases | No more than two increases in any 12-month period |
| Rent cap — new construction exemption | Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years is exempt (rolling) Applies: Mobilehomes excepted. |
| Rent cap — single-family home or condo exemption | A home or condo that can be sold on its own is exempt when the owner is not a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member, and the tenant was given the written exemption notice Applies: The same exemption applies to the just-cause rule (§ 1946.2(e)(8)). |
| Rent cap — owner-occupied duplex exemption | A duplex in one building is exempt when the owner lived in the other unit at the start of the tenancy and still does, unless either unit is an ADU or JADU |
| New tenancy resets the rent | When no prior tenant remains, the owner may set the initial rent; the cap applies to later increases |
| Rent cap sunset | § 1947.12 is repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended |
Eviction and just cause
Half Moon Bay code Half Moon Bay requires a just cause to end a tenancy once a tenant has lived lawfully in the unit for 30 days.
Relocation payments
CA state law Half Moon Bay has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. No-fault eviction relocation assistance: One month's rent (as relocation payment or rent waiver), paid within 15 calendar days of the notice (Civ. Code § 1946.2(d)(3)(A)). Relocation under California's just-cause law — the full state rule →
Notices
| Filing a copy with the city |
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|---|---|
| What a notice must say |
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| Notice of a rent increase | At least 30 days' notice for an increase of 10% or less; at least 90 days for an increase of more than 10% Applies: The 10% is measured against the rent charged at any time in the 12 months before the increase, counting all increases in that period together. |
|---|---|
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (landlord) | 60 days' notice; 30 days if the tenant has lived there less than one year Applies: Where the unit is covered by just cause (Civ. Code § 1946.2) or a local ordinance, the notice must also state a qualifying cause. |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (tenant) | At least as long as the rental period (one month for a month-to-month tenancy) |
| 30-day notice when the unit is sold to an owner-occupant | 30 days' notice when a separately sellable unit is in escrow to a natural person who will live there for at least a year Applies: Notice within 120 days of opening escrow, given once, and all § 1946.1(d) conditions met. |
| Notice to pay rent or quit | 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, stating the amount due and how to pay Applies: May be served any time within one year after the rent became due. |
| Notice to cure a lease violation or quit | 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, to perform the broken lease term or leave |
| No fee for serving notices | A landlord may not charge the tenant a fee for serving or posting a notice |
Security deposits
CA state law Half Moon Bay 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
| Protected activities |
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|---|---|
| Remedies |
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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
Half Moon Bay code Half Moon Bay bans landlord harassment, including cutting housing services, abusing the right of entry, and threatening physical harm.
Repairs and habitability
CA state law Half Moon Bay has no rule of its own on this, so California law 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 Half Moon Bay 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 →
Hotel and short-term rental tax
| Tax rate |
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| Who collects it |
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Other Half Moon Bay rules on this
Half Moon Bay's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.
- Half Moon Bay Rent Stabilization: 2025–26 Posted Notice (city guidance)
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
How much can rent go up in Half Moon Bay?
State law caps covered units at 8.8% from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027; see Half Moon Bay's Rent Stabilization 2025–26 Posted Notice (city guidance). Half Moon Bay also has a related rule: Half Moon Bay Rent Stabilization: 2025–26 Posted Notice (city guidance).
Does a Half Moon Bay landlord have to pay relocation?
Half Moon Bay relocation pay follows state law: 1 month's rent within 15 calendar days of notice, for no-fault evictions on covered units.
How much notice does a Half Moon Bay landlord have to give?
Half Moon Bay termination notices must state at least 1 just cause and be filed with the city within 5 days after service.
How much can a Half Moon Bay landlord charge for a security deposit?
Half Moon Bay 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 Half Moon Bay?
Half Moon Bay's code: 15% of the rent, or 50 cents per day if greater. (Hotels and campgrounds, starting July 1, 2022.) (§ 3.12.030); Each operator collects the tax from every guest at the same time as the rent. (§ 3.12.050).
General information, not legal advice.
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