California landlord-tenant law gives renters some of the strongest protections in the country while placing detailed obligations on property owners. The Tenant Protection Act caps most annual rent increases, a 2024 change limits security deposits to one month’s rent for most landlords, and tenants who have lived in a unit for at least a year cannot be evicted without a legally recognized reason. Landlords, in turn, must keep units habitable, give proper notice before entering, and follow a specific court process to remove a tenant. Here is how the main rules work on both sides.
How Much Rent Can Go Up Each Year
The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) caps annual rent increases on covered units at 5% plus the local rate of inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower, measured over any 12-month period. The increase is calculated against the lowest rent charged during the 12 months before it takes effect. Discounts or concessions the landlord offered and the tenant accepted are excluded from that baseline, so a temporary move-in discount does not permanently lower the cap.1California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1947.12 The statewide cap is set to expire on January 1, 2030.2California Legislative Information. California Assembly Bill 1482 – Tenant Protection Act of 2019
Not every rental is covered. AB 1482 exempts units with a certificate of occupancy issued within the last 15 years, single-family homes and condos where the owner is a natural person and has given the tenant written notice of the exemption, and units already subject to a local rent ordinance that restricts increases to a lower amount. If you rent a single-family home, check your lease for that written exemption notice. Without it, the landlord cannot claim the exemption.
A rent increase is not valid without proper advance written notice. Increases of 10% or less within a 12-month period require 30 days’ notice. Increases above 10% require at least 90 days’ notice. Since AB 1482 caps covered units at 10%, landlords of covered properties will almost always need to give 30 days’ notice.
Several California cities impose stricter controls. In Los Angeles, the Rent Stabilization Ordinance limits annual increases on covered units to 3% through June 2027, with the formula amended to range between 1% and 4% going forward depending on the Consumer Price Index.3Los Angeles Housing Department. Renter Protections San Francisco’s Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance typically applies to buildings constructed before 1979. Where a local ordinance’s cap is lower than the state cap, the local rule controls.
Security Deposit Limits and Return
Since July 1, 2024, most California landlords can charge a maximum security deposit of one month’s rent, whether the unit is furnished or unfurnished. The older limits of two months’ rent for unfurnished units and three months’ for furnished units no longer apply.4California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1950.5
A narrow exception exists for small landlords. An individual, or an LLC where every member is a natural person, who owns no more than two rental properties with a combined total of four or fewer units can still charge up to two months’ rent. That exception disappears if the tenant is a service member, in which case the one-month limit applies regardless of how many units the landlord owns.
After a tenant moves out, the landlord has 21 days to return the deposit along with an itemized statement of any deductions. If the deductions total $125 or more, the landlord must include detailed documentation: for work done by the landlord personally, that means showing what work was done, the time spent, and the hourly rate; for outside contractors, a copy of the invoice. If repairs cannot be completed within 21 days, the landlord must send a good-faith estimate by the deadline and provide a final accounting with any remaining balance within 14 days of finishing the work.5California Office of the Attorney General. Know Your Rights as a California Tenant – Security Deposits
Deductions are limited to four categories: unpaid rent, cleaning the unit to its move-in condition, repairing damage caused by the tenant or their guests beyond normal wear and tear, and replacing or restoring the landlord’s personal property like furniture (only when the lease specifically allows it). A landlord cannot deduct for ordinary wear, such as minor scuff marks or carpet that has worn thin over years of normal use.
Habitability and the Right to Repairs
Every California landlord has a duty to keep rental units safe and livable. Civil Code Section 1941.1 defines a habitable unit as one with weatherproof roof and exterior walls (including unbroken windows and doors), hot and cold running water connected to an approved sewage system, working heating, functional electrical wiring and lighting, clean common areas free of trash and vermin at the start of the tenancy, and sound floors, stairways, and railings.6California Legislative Information. California Code Civil Code CIV 1941.1 These are minimum standards. A landlord who lets any of them slide is violating the law.
When you notify your landlord about a habitability problem and they fail to fix it within a reasonable time, California law gives you two self-help options. You can hire someone to make the repair and deduct the cost from your next rent payment, as long as the repair costs no more than one month’s rent. You can use this remedy up to twice in any 12-month period. Alternatively, you can treat the landlord’s failure as a breach serious enough to justify moving out, which ends your obligation to keep paying rent.7California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1942 A 30-day wait after giving notice is presumed reasonable, though shorter notice may be appropriate for urgent problems. The remedy is not available if you caused the condition yourself.
Tenants sometimes hear they can simply stop paying rent when habitability problems go unaddressed. That option exists in theory, but the California Attorney General’s office warns that withholding rent puts you at risk of eviction. Get legal advice before you stop paying.8California Department of Justice. Know Your Rights as a California Tenant
Landlord Entry and Tenant Privacy
Your landlord does not have an open invitation to walk into your unit. California law limits entry to specific situations: making repairs, showing the unit to prospective tenants or buyers, conducting agreed-upon inspections, or responding to emergencies. Outside of emergencies, the landlord must give written notice at least 24 hours in advance, stating the date, approximate time, and reason, and the visit must happen during normal business hours.9California Legislative Information. California Code Civil Code 1954 – Right of Entry The statute explicitly forbids a landlord from abusing the right of access or using it to harass a tenant. Repeated unnecessary entries, entries without proper notice, or entries at unreasonable hours all cross that line.
Just Cause Eviction
Once a tenant has lived in a unit for 12 months or more, AB 1482 bars the landlord from simply ending the lease. The landlord must have a legally recognized reason, falling into one of two categories.10California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1946.2
At-Fault Causes
At-fault grounds cover situations where the tenant did something wrong: failing to pay rent after proper notice, breaching a material lease term after written notice to correct it, creating a nuisance or damaging the property, criminal activity or threats directed at the owner, unauthorized subletting, blocking the landlord from entering for a legally permitted reason, and refusing to sign a renewal lease with substantially similar terms. For curable violations, the landlord must give notice and an opportunity to fix the problem before filing an eviction case.
No-Fault Causes
No-fault grounds include the owner or a close family member moving in, withdrawing the unit from the rental market, demolishing or substantially remodeling the unit, or complying with a government order that requires the tenant to vacate. No-fault evictions carry strings. The landlord must provide relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent, paid within 15 days of issuing the termination notice, or waive the tenant’s final month of rent. The notice must specify which option the landlord has chosen. If the landlord fails to provide this assistance, the notice is void.
The same exemptions that apply to the rent cap also apply to just cause protections. Qualifying single-family homes, condos with proper written notice, and buildings less than 15 years old are exempt.
How Eviction Actually Works
Even with valid grounds, California requires a specific legal process. The landlord must first serve the correct notice. A 3-day notice to pay rent or quit covers unpaid rent and must state the exact amount owed, the rental periods covered, and the method of payment accepted; the three days count only court days. A 3-day notice to perform or quit covers curable lease violations. No-fault evictions require 30 days’ notice if the tenant has lived in the unit less than a year, or 60 days if a year or more.
If the tenant does not comply by the deadline, the landlord files an unlawful detainer lawsuit. This is the only legal way to force a tenant out. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant’s belongings without a court order is illegal, regardless of how strong the landlord’s case may be.11California Courts. Eviction Cases in California The tenant has a limited window to respond. If they do, either side can request a trial, and common tenant defenses include improper notice, retaliation, discrimination, or the landlord’s failure to maintain habitable conditions. If the landlord wins, the sheriff enforces the writ of possession after posting a final notice to vacate.
Ending a Month-to-Month Tenancy
Outside the just cause framework, California sets specific notice periods for ending a month-to-month rental. A tenant can terminate by giving 30 days’ written notice, regardless of how long they have lived in the unit. For landlords, the notice period depends on the tenant’s length of stay: 30 days for tenancies under one year, 60 days for tenancies of one year or more. For tenants who have reached the 12-month mark, AB 1482’s just cause rules also apply, so the landlord still needs a recognized reason, not just the right notice period.
Discrimination and Source of Income
Two overlapping laws protect California renters from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from refusing to rent, setting different terms, or otherwise discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.12U.S. Department of Justice. The Fair Housing Act California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act adds protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, source of income, veteran status, and genetic information. The source-of-income protection matters especially for tenants using housing vouchers: a California landlord generally cannot reject you solely because your rent is paid partly through a government subsidy. Complaints can go to the California Civil Rights Department or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Retaliation Is Illegal
Tenants who complain about habitability problems, report code violations, or exercise any legal right are protected from landlord retaliation for 180 days after the protected activity. During that window, a landlord cannot raise rent, reduce services, or try to evict in response to the complaint.13California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1942.5 The protection also covers tenants who organize or participate in tenant associations. Threatening to report a tenant or their associates to immigration authorities counts as illegal retaliation under this statute.
Required Disclosures
Lead-Based Paint
Federal law requires landlords of properties built before 1978 to disclose known information about lead-based paint before a tenant signs a lease. The landlord must provide a copy of the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,” share any records or reports on lead hazards, and include a lead warning statement in the lease. A signed copy of the disclosure must be kept for at least three years. Short-term rentals of 100 days or less, qualifying senior and disability housing, and units certified as lead-free are exempt.14U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards
Bed Bugs
California requires landlords to give every new tenant a written notice about bed bug identification, prevention, treatment, and reporting. Landlords cannot show, rent, or lease a vacant unit they know is infested. If a tenant reports bed bugs, the landlord must respond quickly and hire a licensed pest control operator, with inspection findings provided to the tenant in writing.15California Department of Public Health. Bed Bug Infestation Guidance for Property Owners and Tenants Retaliating against a tenant who reports an infestation is illegal under the same anti-retaliation statute that protects habitability complaints.
Mold
Under the Toxic Mold Protection Act, landlords must provide prospective tenants with an informational booklet on dampness and mold before the lease is signed. California’s Health and Safety Code classifies a dwelling as substandard when dampness or visible mold creates a health hazard, requiring the landlord to address the condition. Minor mold on surfaces that naturally accumulate moisture during normal use, like shower tiles, is excluded from that standard.16California Department of Public Health. Information on Dampness and Mold for Renters in California
Assistance Animals in No-Pet Buildings
A no-pets clause in your lease does not override your right to a service animal or emotional support animal if you have a disability. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, a landlord must grant a reasonable accommodation allowing an assistance animal when the tenant has a disability-related need for it. That includes waiving pet deposits and pet fees, since assistance animals are not considered pets under the law.17U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistance Animals
A landlord can deny the accommodation only in narrow circumstances: if the specific animal poses a direct threat to health or safety that cannot be reduced by other measures, if it would cause significant property damage, or if the accommodation would impose an undue financial burden. General breed restrictions and weight limits in a lease do not override these federal protections. If your disability and need for the animal are not obvious, the landlord can request reliable documentation from a licensed healthcare provider confirming your disability-related need, but cannot ask for your diagnosis, demand medical records, or require specific training or certification. Documentation from online services that issue letters based solely on questionnaires may not hold up.
Tenant Responsibilities
Rights flow both ways. Tenants are expected to pay rent on time, keep the unit reasonably clean, avoid damaging the property, and follow the lease, whether that involves noise, parking, or guest rules. Using the rental for illegal purposes is grounds for a 3-day eviction notice. Tenants must also allow lawful access after proper notice; repeatedly blocking legitimate entry can itself become grounds for eviction under the just cause rules. If a tenant’s own negligence causes a habitability issue, the repair-and-deduct remedy is off the table.7California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1942
Extra Protections for Servicemembers
Active-duty military members facing eviction in California have additional federal protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. A landlord generally cannot evict a servicemember or their dependents from a primary residence without first obtaining a court order. The court can stay the case for at least 90 days if the servicemember shows that military duties prevent them from appearing, supported by a letter from their commanding officer.18United States Courts. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) These federal protections apply alongside California’s state-level rules. A servicemember who qualifies for just cause protection under AB 1482 keeps those rights as well.