California Landlord Law Index: Every Bill by Number, With Dates

Do you know which of these twelve assembly bills apply to your property? We do.

The answer depends on your build year, unit count, ownership structure, and city. Send us the address. We will tell you exactly which bills cover you and where your current paperwork falls short — free, whether you hire us or not.

Effective: January 1, 2020. Sunsets: January 1, 2030. Code: Civil Code §§1946.2, 1947.12, 1947.13. Author: Chiu.

What it requires. Two things. Annual rent increases on covered property are capped at 5% plus regional CPI, never above 10% total, with no more than two increases in any rolling 12-month period. And after a tenant has occupied a unit for 12 months — or one adult occupant for 24 months — the owner needs lawful just cause to terminate. Lease expiration is not just cause.

In San Diego County right now: the maximum increase is 8.2% for August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 — 5% plus a 3.2% CPI reading for the San Diego–Carlsbad area. The cap resets every August 1, and the effective date of the increase determines which cap applies, not the date the notice was served.

Who is exempt. Property completed within the last 15 years — in 2026 that means built on or after January 1, 2011, and the date advances every January. Single-family homes and individually owned condos may be exempt, but only if the owner served the required written exemption notice and is not a corporation, REIT, or an LLC with a corporate member. Multi-unit apartment buildings never qualify for the single-family exemption.

What happens if you miss it. An over-cap increase exposes the owner to damages, and a no-fault termination served without the required relocation assistance is void. The exemption notice is the most commonly missing document in California single-family rental files — without it, the property is treated as covered for that tenancy regardless of how it is owned.

Effective: July 1, 2022. Code: Health and Safety Code §17970.5. Author: Friedman.

What it requires. This one is aimed at cities, not landlords, which is why most owners have never heard of it and why it matters more than they realise. When a city or county receives a complaint of a substandard building or a lead hazard from a tenant, occupant, or their agent, it must inspect. It must then tell the owner every violation found and every action required to fix it, and schedule a reinspection. Free certified copies of the report go to the complaining tenant and to every potentially affected tenant in the building.

Why it changed the landscape. Before AB 838, some jurisdictions imposed preconditions before sending an inspector — proof the owner had been unresponsive, or that the tenant was current on rent. Those preconditions are gone. A single complaint now produces a documented municipal record of your property's condition.

The part that works in an owner's favour. An inspection that finds nothing is a municipal record that the property was compliant on that date, which is useful evidence if a habitability claim follows. The statute also lets an owner document conditions the tenant caused. It runs both directions.

Effective: April 1, 2024. Amends: AB 1482, Civil Code §§1946.2 and 1947.12. Author: Durazo.

What it requires. It did not replace AB 1482 — it tightened it. The two no-fault grounds owners use most, owner move-in and substantial remodel, now carry stricter proof and notice requirements. An owner claiming intent to occupy must actually occupy, and a substantial remodel must genuinely be substantial.

What happens if you miss it. Enforcement got real teeth. Tenants can bring actions for violations, and an owner who claims a no-fault ground and then does not follow through faces damages. If you are relying on owner move-in or remodel to end a tenancy, get the notice reviewed before it goes out.

Effective: July 1, 2024. Code: Civil Code §1950.5(c).

What it requires. One month's rent, furnished or unfurnished. Before AB 12 the limits were two months unfurnished and three months furnished.

The small-landlord exception. Up to two months is still permitted if the owner is a natural person, or an LLC whose members are all natural persons, and owns no more than two residential properties totaling four or fewer units. Many small owners meet this test and do not know it. A military tenant is always capped at one month regardless of the exception.

What happens if you miss it. Collecting over the cap is recoverable by the tenant. If your lease template still says two months and you do not qualify for the exception, that template is a liability sitting in a drawer.

Effective: January 1, 2025. Code: amends Civil Code §1950.6. Author: Pellerin.

What it requires. A landlord or agent charging a screening fee must now choose one of two processes and follow it consistently: approve the first applicant who meets published written criteria, or refund the entire fee to every unselected applicant within 7 days of selecting a tenant or 30 days of the application, whichever comes first. A fee cannot be charged at all when no unit is available or will be available within a reasonable time.

The fee cap, stated correctly. The statutory ceiling started at $30 and adjusts annually with CPI. California landlord-tenant law firms report the 2026 ceiling at $65.86 per applicant. But the ceiling is not the limit — the binding limit is your actual out-of-pocket cost of obtaining the report. The fee cannot be a profit centre, an itemized receipt must be provided on request, and any unused portion must be refunded.

What happens if you miss it. This is a compliance exposure that sits with the owner as well as the agent. If your management company cannot describe which of the two processes it uses, that is worth resolving before your next vacancy.

Effective in two phases: the move-out photo requirement began April 1, 2025 and applies to all tenancies regardless of start date. The move-in photo requirement began July 1, 2025 and applies to new tenancies. Code: Civil Code §1950.5.

What it requires. Timestamped photographs at three points: before the tenant takes possession, after the unit is returned but before any cleaning or repair work, and again after that work is complete. When a deduction is claimed, those photographs must be delivered to the tenant along with the itemized disposition and the supporting bills, invoices, or receipts.

What happens if you miss it. This is the most consequential documentation change in California rental law in a decade, and it is unforgiving because the evidence cannot be created after the fact. No photographs, no defensible deduction. If you took over a property mid-tenancy and the prior manager has the move-in photos, get them now — they are the only ones that will ever exist.

Effective: April 1, 2025.

Who it covers. This is the bill most often applied to the wrong people. It reaches landlords with 16 or more units, and separately corporate owners — including LLCs with a corporate member and REITs — that own more than one residential property, even if each has fewer than 16 units. A private individual with a handful of houses is generally outside it and may offer rent reporting voluntarily.

What it requires. Covered landlords must offer tenants the option to have on-time rent reported to at least one nationwide consumer reporting agency, at lease signing for new and renewed leases, and re-offered annually. Existing tenancies had to receive the offer by April 1, 2025. A fee may be charged, capped at $10 per month or actual cost, and must be disclosed before enrolment. The offer must state clearly that participation is optional.

What happens if you miss it. The annual re-offer is the part that slips, because it is a recurring obligation with no natural trigger. Put it on a calendar rather than trusting it to memory.

Effective: January 1, 2026. Code: Civil Code §1941.1 — it expands the statutory definition of a habitable dwelling.

What it requires. A working stove and a working refrigerator, both maintained in good order, in any residential lease entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2026. The stove must safely generate heat for cooking; the refrigerator must safely store food.

The nuance almost every summary gets wrong. An existing month-to-month tenancy was not automatically swept in on January 1, 2026. But any change of terms after that date can trigger compliance — which means a routine rent increase on a month-to-month can pull the unit into the requirement. If you have month-to-month tenancies without appliances, understand this before you serve the next increase.

What happens if you miss it. Appliances are now part of habitability, which puts them in reach of repair-and-deduct and rent-withholding remedies. Practically it also means more repair events per unit per year — relevant if your management company adds a markup to vendor invoices.

Effective: January 1, 2026. Code: Civil Code §1950.5.

What it requires. Where rent was collected electronically, the landlord must offer to return the security deposit electronically as well. The tenant still chooses — they can ask for a mailed check — but the electronic option has to be on the table.

What it does not change. The 21-day deadline under Civil Code §1950.5(g) is untouched, as is the requirement for an itemized statement and supporting documentation, and the exposure of up to twice the deposit for a bad-faith retention. AB 414 changes the delivery method, not the deadline.

Effective: January 1, 2026, for tenancies that are month-to-month or renewed on or after that date.

What it requires. Tenants must be allowed to opt out of third-party subscription services bundled into the tenancy — bulk internet, wireless, and similar. A landlord may not require a tenant to use a specific internet service provider.

What happens if you miss it. Unusually direct: if the opt-out is not offered, or charges continue after a tenant opts out, the tenant may deduct those charges from rent. Retaliating against a tenant for opting out is prohibited. If you have a bulk internet arrangement in a building, this needs attention before the next renewal cycle.

Effective: January 1, 2026.

What it requires. A tenant who cannot pay rent because of a verified delay, interruption, or reduction in Social Security benefits may raise it as an affirmative defence in an unlawful detainer for nonpayment. If proven, the court must stay the action for up to six months, or until benefits are restored, whichever comes first.

What it means practically. A nonpayment case that would ordinarily move on a predictable timeline can be paused for up to half a year. If you rent to tenants on fixed benefit income, the operational answer is early communication when a payment is late rather than a faster notice — you may learn about the delay in time to work with it instead of litigating around it.

Effective: January 1, 2026.

What it requires. After a natural disaster the landlord must remove debris, smoke residue, and ash, and address mold, asbestos, and water damage to restore habitability. The statute presumes a unit affected by disaster debris is not habitable. Rent and other fees must stop during a mandatory government evacuation order. Prepaid rent must be returned if the tenant cannot come back. Tenants have a right to return once the unit is remediated, a right to terminate without penalty if it is not, and a right to be notified when the unit is habitable again.

The distinction that matters. These duties attach to mandatory government evacuation orders. A voluntary advisory does not trigger them — but if a voluntary advisory is upgraded to mandatory, the obligations run from the date of the mandatory order. In wildfire country this is not a hypothetical statute.

1. "AB 1482 expires in mid-2026." It does not. The Tenant Protection Act sunsets January 1, 2030. That date is in the bill text itself and is restated in the Senate Judiciary Committee analysis of SB 567. A California law firm currently has the 2026 date published on a live page. The Legislative Analyst's Office must report to the Legislature on the Act's effectiveness on or before that 2030 date, which is probably where the confusion starts.

2. "AB 1482 covers properties built before 2010." The exemption is a rolling 15 years, not a fixed year. In 2026 the line is January 1, 2011. In 2027 it will be January 1, 2012. Any page stating a fixed year is either out of date or was written without noticing the mechanism, and a property that was exempt last year can be covered this year.

3. "The tenant screening fee is $65.86." That figure is the CPI-adjusted ceiling reported for 2026. The binding limit under Civil Code §1950.6 is your actual out-of-pocket cost of obtaining the report. If the report costs you $38, you may charge $38. Charging the ceiling because it is the ceiling is the violation.

4. "AB 628 applied to every unit on January 1, 2026." It applies to leases entered into, amended, or extended on or after that date. Existing month-to-month tenancies were not automatically included — but a change of terms after that date can bring them in. The practical effect is that a rent increase can trigger an appliance obligation, which is not obvious from any summary of the bill.

AB 1529 — reported as a technical Tenant Protection Act clarification allowing required disclosures to be included directly in the lease.

AB 325 and SB 763 — reported as addressing rent-pricing algorithms and coordinated pricing under the Cartwright Act.

SB 655 — reported as expanding habitability standards.

AB 238 — reported as affecting eviction timelines.

AB 1384 and AB 747 — reported as changing court and service procedures with additional documentation requirements.

AB 391 — reported as updating mobile-home tenancy notice requirements, including optional electronic notice.

Inside City of San Diego limits — including Mission Valley, Downtown, Pacific Beach, North Park, Clairemont, and La Jolla — the San Diego Tenant Protection Ordinance (SDMC §§98.0701–98.0709) applies on top of AB 1482. Just cause begins on day one rather than at twelve months, no-fault relocation is two months' rent (three if the tenant is 62 or older or disabled), and the Housing Commission must be notified of terminations.

Chula Vista has its own ordinance, CVMC 9.65, which requires notifying the City within three business days of a no-fault termination or the notice is invalid, and sets a substantial-remodel minimum spend.

La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Escondido, and Lemon Grove have no local ordinance. State law is the entire rulebook there, which means errors at the state level carry full exposure with nothing else to fall back on.

When does AB 1482 expire?

January 1, 2030. The sunset date is written into the bill text and restated in the Senate Judiciary Committee analysis of SB 567. Some sources report a 2026 expiry, which is incorrect. Before the sunset, the Legislative Analyst's Office is required to report to the Legislature on the Act's effectiveness, and the Legislature may extend, amend, or let it lapse.

What are the new California landlord laws for 2026?

Five took effect January 1, 2026 with multiple sources confirming: AB 628 requires a working stove and refrigerator in leases entered into, amended, or extended on or after that date; AB 414 requires an electronic security deposit refund option where rent was collected electronically; AB 1414 lets tenants opt out of bundled third-party services such as bulk internet; AB 246 creates an eviction defence for tenants whose Social Security benefits were delayed; and SB 610 imposes post-disaster obligations including halting rent during a mandatory evacuation.

Which properties are exempt from AB 1482 in 2026?

Property completed within the last 15 years, which in 2026 means built on or after January 1, 2011 — the threshold moves forward every January. Single-family homes and individually owned condos may also be exempt, but only if the owner is not a corporation, REIT, or LLC with a corporate member, and served the required written exemption notice. Without that notice the property is treated as covered. Multi-unit apartment buildings never qualify for the single-family exemption.

What is the maximum rent increase in San Diego County right now?

8.2% for August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 on covered properties — 5% plus a 3.2% CPI reading for the San Diego–Carlsbad area. Two increases are allowed in a rolling twelve-month period but the combined total cannot exceed the cap, and the cap resets each August 1. The effective date of the increase determines which cap applies, not the notice date.

Does AB 2747 apply to small landlords?

Usually not. It reaches landlords with 16 or more units, and separately corporate owners — including LLCs with a corporate member and REITs — owning more than one residential property even if each has fewer than 16 units. An individual owning a few houses is generally outside it and may offer rent reporting voluntarily.

What photos does AB 2801 require, and when did it start?

Timestamped photographs at three points: before the tenant takes possession, after the unit is returned but before any cleaning or repair, and again after that work is done. They must accompany any itemized deduction statement along with the supporting invoices. It rolled out in two phases — move-out photos from April 1, 2025 for all tenancies, and move-in photos from July 1, 2025 for new tenancies. The evidence cannot be created retroactively, so a missing move-in photo set is permanent.

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in California?

No more than the actual out-of-pocket cost of obtaining the screening report, and in no case above the CPI-adjusted ceiling under Civil Code §1950.6 — reported by California landlord-tenant firms at $65.86 per applicant for 2026. The fee cannot be a profit centre, an itemized receipt must be provided on request, unused amounts must be refunded, and under AB 2493 no fee may be charged when no unit is available.

Primary sources were used where available: the bill text on the California Legislative Information site, the statute text itself, and committee analyses. AB 1482's sunset date, AB 838's inspection mandate, AB 2493's process requirements, and the Civil Code §1950.6 fee mechanism all come from primary text.

Secondary sources were used only where multiple independent publishers agree, including the California Apartment Association and several California landlord-tenant law firms. Every bill in the main index has at least two independent confirmations of its effective date and core requirement.

Single-sourced bills are segregated into their own section and labelled as unverified rather than folded into the index. That is a deliberate choice: an index is only useful if the reader can trust that everything in it has been checked.

Corrections welcome. If a date, code section, or requirement here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it and note the change. This page is dated at the top so you can see how current it is.

About the Author
Scott Engle is a California licensed real estate broker (DRE #01332676, Corp DRE #02075336), licensed since 2003, and Broker/Owner of Realty Management Group, a flat fee San Diego property management company serving San Diego County since 2005. Realty Management Group manages 400+ units countywide across 1–16 unit properties, with more than $500M in assets managed and 1,000+ transactions completed.

Three months free · Flat $199 after that

Twelve statutes. One of them could already a problem at your property.

Almost every owner we onboard is out of compliance on at least one — usually the AB 1482 exemption notice or the AB 2801 move-in photos, and both are permanent once missed. Send us the address and we will tell you which ones apply and where the gaps are. Free, and the findings are yours either way.

400+ units managed · 4.9★ from 127 Google reviews · Broker DRE #01332676

Related Articles

• 2026 California Rental Laws: What Changed and What to Do
• AB 1482 Exemptions and the 2026 San Diego Cap
• San Diego Rent Cap 2026–27: The Maximum Increase Is 8.2%
• California Security Deposit Guide: Rules, Deadlines & AB 2801
• Which San Diego Cities Have Rent Control?
• San Diego Property Management Fees: Every Fee Charged in the County