AB-1482 Statewide Rent Cap: Who's Covered, Who's Exempt

The short answer

Most rentals in California are covered by AB-1482, the state's Tenant Protection Act. It has two rules:

• The rent cap limits how much you can raise the rent each year.
• The eviction rule means that after a tenant's first year, you need a reason the law allows to end the tenancy.

Some rentals are exempt from one rule or both. Find your situation in the table. Each row has its own section below.

If no row fits, both rules apply.

Newer buildings

A house or condo that passes three tests

A house or condo that passes all three tests below is exempt from the rent cap. It's also exempt from the eviction rule. If it fails any one test, both rules apply.

• It can be sold by itself. No other home is tied to it on the same lot. An ADU usually can't be sold apart from the main house, so a house with an ADU on the lot doesn't pass.
• People own it. A person, a trust, or a partnership of people passes. So does an LLC owned only by people. A corporation, a real estate investment trust, or an LLC with a corporation as a member doesn't pass.
• The lease has the state's sentence. The law spells out a short notice saying the home is exempt. You copy it word for word into the lease.

Building an ADU behind an older house

• You live in the house and rent the ADU. A new ADU is exempt from the rent cap until it's 15 years old. The eviction rule doesn't apply while you live there.
• You live somewhere else and rent both. The older house falls under the rent cap and the eviction rule. A new ADU is exempt from both until it's 15 years old.
• You live in the ADU and rent the house. The older house falls under the rent cap. The law's text doesn't clearly say whether the eviction rule applies, so ask an attorney.

The law doesn't plainly answer two more questions:

• whether a converted garage counts as a new building for the 15-year rule
• what happens to a house you already rented under the exemption before the ADU was built

A duplex you live in

A duplex you live in is exempt from the rent cap. It's also exempt from the eviction rule. All of these must be true:

• Both units are in one building.
• You lived in one unit as your main home when the tenancy started.
• You still live there.
• Neither unit is an ADU or a junior ADU.

This exemption doesn't need the lease sentence.

Renting rooms or an ADU at your own home

College and school dorms

Dorms run by a college or a school are exempt from the rent cap. They're also exempt from the eviction rule.

What AB-1482 is

• Pasadena
• Baldwin Park
• Pomona
• Unincorporated LA County areas, such as Altadena, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Hacienda Heights, and Rowland Heights

Where a local rule gives renters more protection, the local rule governs that point. In SGV cities without a local rent law, AB-1482 is the main rule. The single-family guide compares them.

How the rent cap works

How the eviction rule works

• not paying rent
• breaking an important lease rule
• causing a nuisance or doing something illegal at the unit
• refusing to sign a new lease with similar terms
• criminal activity against the owner
• subletting without permission
• not letting the owner in when the law allows it

No-fault causes are about the owner's plans. The law lists these:

• the owner or a close family member moving in
• taking the unit off the rental market
• tearing down or substantially remodeling the unit
• following a government order to move out

Selling the property isn't on AB-1482's list of just causes.

SB 567 tightened two no-fault reasons

Relocation assistance

The notice every covered tenant gets

How it affects each side

Where to learn more

Who to contact

• Landlords and renters can get answers from these offices for free. AB-1482 has no state rent board, so these are the closest official sources.
• LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) (both). Counselors explain state and county rent rules and offer free mediation between landlords and tenants. Phone: (800) 593-8222. Email: rent@dcba.lacounty.gov. Website: dcba.lacounty.gov/rentstabilizationprogram. Walk-in: 320 W. Temple St., Room G-10, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
• California Attorney General, rent cap page (both). Posts the official AB-1482 cap for each region every year. Website: oag.ca.gov/rentcaps.
• Stay Housed L.A. (renters). Free legal help and eviction defense for LA County renters who qualify. Phone: (888) 694-0040. Website: stayhousedla.org.
• Housing Rights Center (both). Free housing counseling, fair housing help, and workshops for tenants and landlords across LA County, including SGV cities. Phone: (800) 477-5977. Email: info@housingrightscenter.org. Website: housingrightscenter.org.
• If your rental is in Altadena or another unincorporated county area, Pasadena, or Baldwin Park, the local office is listed in the single-family comparison. In Pomona, ask the City of Pomona.

Before you act

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and every property is different. Before you act, talk to a licensed California real estate attorney. For tax questions, also talk to a CPA.