What AB 1482 is
Assembly Bill 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, took effect on January 1, 2020. It added two sections to the California Civil Code:
- Rent cap. Section 1947.12 limits how much an owner can raise rent over any 12 months. § 1947.12
- Just cause. Section 1946.2 requires a stated legal reason to end a tenancy once tenants have lived there long enough. § 1946.2
It applies statewide, but cities with stricter local rent control keep their own rules. Under current law, the rent cap section is repealed on January 1, 2030.
The rent cap
Over any 12-month period, rent can't rise by more than 5% plus the regional change in the Consumer Price Index, or 10%, whichever is lower. § 1947.12(a)(1)
- The base is the lowest gross rent charged in the 12 months before the increase takes effect.
- The CPI change is measured April to April. New caps apply to increases effective each August 1.
- You can raise the same tenant's rent no more than twice in 12 months, and the total still can't exceed the cap.
- When a new tenancy starts and no prior tenant remains, the owner can set the starting rent.
For increases effective Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027, the caps are 8.7% in Los Angeles and Orange counties, 8.8% in the five-county San Francisco area, 8.2% in San Diego County, 8.1% in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and 8.6% everywhere else. Calculate your maximum.
Just cause for ending a tenancy
Once all tenants have lawfully lived in the unit for 12 months, or at least one tenant for 24 months, the owner needs a just cause to end the tenancy and must state it in the termination notice. § 1946.2(a)
- At-fault causes include not paying rent, a serious lease violation, nuisance, and criminal activity on the property.
- No-fault causes include the owner or certain relatives moving in, taking the unit off the rental market, a government order, or a substantial remodel. No-fault terminations require relocation help equal to one month's rent, paid directly or by waiving the final month's rent.
- A 2023 law, SB 567, added stricter conditions for owner move-in and remodel terminations starting April 1, 2024.
Just cause rules are complicated and mistakes can void an eviction. Talk to a landlord-tenant attorney before ending a tenancy.
Who is exempt
The rent cap doesn't apply to buildings with a certificate of occupancy from the past 15 years, deed-restricted affordable housing, school dormitories, units under a stricter local law, owner-occupied duplexes, and single-family homes or condos that meet the ownership and notice rules. Use the exemption checker to see which applies.
The most common mistake is assuming a single-family home is exempt automatically. It isn't. The owner must not be a REIT, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member, and the tenant must receive the exact statutory notice. See the exemption notice.
Notices landlords need
- Covered units: the tenant protections notice, in at least 12-point type. Create it. § 1946.2(f)
- Exempt single-family homes and condos: the exemption notice, in the lease for tenancies starting or renewing on or after July 1, 2020. Create it. § 1947.12(d)(5)(B)
- Every rent increase: written notice at least 30 days ahead for 10% or less, 90 days for more, plus 5 days if mailed. Create it. § 827(b)
What happens if you overcharge
A tenant can sue for the excess rent. The court may award attorney fees and costs and, if the owner acted willfully or with oppression, fraud, or malice, up to three times the excess. The Attorney General and city attorneys can also enforce the law, and claims can be brought up to three years later. § 1947.12(k)
In its first enforcement settlement in 2023, the Attorney General's office required a Silicon Valley property manager to refund more than $300,000 to tenants.
What's next for AB 1482
The rent cap is scheduled to end on January 1, 2030 unless the legislature extends it. In January 2026, AB 1157, a bill that would have lowered the cap to 2% plus inflation (5% maximum), extended it to single-family homes, and removed the end date, failed to advance in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Expect the debate to return before 2030.