Does Culver City Have Rent Control? Caps, Just Cause, and Exemptions

Yes, Culver City has rent control. Its Rent Stabilization Ordinance caps annual rent increases on covered units at a rate tied to inflation, with a floor of 2% and a ceiling of 5%, and a companion Tenant Protections Ordinance requires landlords to have a legitimate reason before ending any tenancy. Both became permanent on October 30, 2020.¹

Which Units Are Covered

The rent cap applies to parcels with two or more rental units built on or before February 1, 1995.² That sweeps in most of the city’s older apartment buildings and duplexes.

Several categories are exempt from the increase cap:

Units with a certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995. The municipal code narrows this further: to the extent state law permits, the exemption applies only to units with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years.³
Single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.
Government-subsidized units.
Subdivided interests in a subdivision.
Units exempt under state or federal law.

Being exempt from the rent cap is not the same as being unregulated. The just cause eviction rules still apply to exempt properties, and every residential rental unit in Culver City must be registered with the city regardless of exemption status.⁴

How Much Rent Can Go Up

For covered units, the maximum annual increase tracks the Consumer Price Index, bounded by the 2% floor and 5% ceiling.¹ Only one increase per unit is allowed in any 12-month period.

The exact permissible percentage shifts regularly. After the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes updated CPI data each month, the Housing Division posts the current maximum on its website.¹ Check the posted rate before any increase notice goes out; last month’s number may not match this month’s.

Written notice has to follow California Civil Code Section 827: at least 30 days for increases of 10% or less, and 90 days for anything larger.² Because the local cap keeps increases well under 10%, 30 days is the norm.

A landlord who believes the capped increase doesn’t deliver a fair return can file a rent adjustment application with the Housing Division asking for more.⁵ The burden is on the landlord to show the cap is preventing a reasonable return.

Just Cause for Ending a Tenancy

Culver City requires just cause to end any tenancy, and this rule reaches further than the rent cap: it applies even to properties otherwise exempt from rent stabilization.⁶ The grounds split into two groups.

At-Fault Grounds

These depend on the tenant’s conduct. A landlord can pursue termination when a tenant:

Fails to pay rent within three days of receiving a written demand.
Violates a material lease term and does not fix the problem within ten days of written notice.
Repeatedly refuses to give the landlord reasonable access to the unit as allowed under state law.
Uses the unit for illegal activity or creates a nuisance, including violent crime, criminal threats, or dangerous or unsanitary conditions.
Was employed by the landlord as a resident manager, received the unit as part of that job, and the employment has ended.

Each ground carries its own procedural requirements, including written notice and, where applicable, a chance to cure.⁷

No-Fault Grounds

These apply when the landlord has a legitimate reason to recover the unit that isn’t the tenant’s fault:

The landlord or an eligible relative moving into the unit as their primary residence for at least three years afterward.
Demolition of the unit.
Withdrawal of the unit from the rental market.

The three-year residency requirement has teeth. If the owner or relative does not actually live in the unit for the full three years, the city can reset the rent to its pre-eviction level.²

Some tenants cannot be removed through an owner move-in at all: long-term tenants who are 62 or older or disabled, terminally ill tenants, low-income tenants, tenants with school-age children during the school year, and licensed residential care facilities for the elderly.²

Relocation Pay for No-Fault Evictions

When a tenancy ends on no-fault grounds, the landlord owes relocation assistance equal to three times the monthly rent or three times the unit’s fair market value, whichever is greater, plus an additional $1,000.⁶ For a tenant paying $2,500 a month, that is at least $8,500.

Small landlords get a break. An owner of no more than three rental units total (anywhere, not just in Culver City), who is not a corporation or REIT and is evicting so the owner or a relative can move in, pays half the relocation fee.⁸ The reduction applies only to owner or relative move-in evictions; demolition and market withdrawal still trigger the full amount.

If Your Rental Is Exempt From the Local Cap

Rentals outside the local ordinance, such as a single-family home or a condo, usually still fall under California’s Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482). The state law caps annual rent increases at 5% plus the local CPI change, with a hard ceiling of 10%, and requires just cause for any eviction once a tenant has lived in the unit continuously for 12 months.⁹

AB 1482 has its own exemptions, including owner-occupied duplexes and certain single-family homes where the owner provides proper written notice. Still, very few Culver City rentals operate with zero regulation. The local rules are stricter, but even exempt landlords face limits.

Registration Is Required for Every Rental

Every residential rental unit in Culver City must be registered with the city, whether or not it is covered by rent stabilization.⁴ Registration is due by July 31 each year through the city’s online portal. Fee amounts have changed over time, so check with the Housing Division for the current schedule.

Landlords also have to post the official Rent Control Ordinance Notice somewhere tenants will see it, such as a building entry or common area. The city provides the notice as a downloadable document.¹⁰ For current percentages and forms, the Housing Division can be reached at Rent.Control@CulverCity.org or (310) 253-5790.

1
City of Culver City. 2.25% Cap on Annual Residential Rent Increases
2
City of Culver City. Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Measures
3
American Legal Publishing. Culver City Municipal Code – General Applicability and Exemptions
4
City of Culver City. Residential Rental Unit Registration Program Frequently Asked Questions
5
American Legal Publishing. Culver City Municipal Code – Rent Adjustment Application
6
City of Culver City. Permanent Rent Control and Tenant Protections Notice
7
American Legal Publishing. Culver City Municipal Code – For Cause Termination
8
City of Culver City. Tenant Protections Ordinance
9
California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 1946.2
10
City of Culver City. Rent Control and Tenant Protections Notice