How Bakersfield Handles Rental Property Rules: A Practical Guide

Bakersfield maintains 206 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with rental property rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Bakersfield falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Source-of-Income Discrimination

Bakersfield landlords cannot refuse to rent based on a tenant's lawful source of income, including Section 8 housing vouchers, under California's amended Fair Employment and Housing Act since 2020.

Key details: Authority: Govt Code 12955. Effective: January 2020. Covers: Vouchers, VASH, subsidies. Enforcement: CA Civil Rights Department.

Posting no-voucher ads, refusing to inspect for the housing authority, or applying higher income ratios to subsidized applicants can result in damages, civil penalties, and Civil Rights Department orders.

Relocation Assistance

Bakersfield follows California AB 1482 relocation rules. Tenants displaced by a no-fault eviction receive one month's rent in direct relocation assistance or an equivalent waiver of the final month's rent.

Key details: Amount: One month's rent. Payment deadline: Within 15 days. Alternative: Waive last month's rent. Local supplement: None in Bakersfield.

Skipping relocation entirely, failing to specify the election in the notice, or paying after the 15-day deadline can void the eviction and create damages liability for the landlord.

Security Deposit Rules

Bakersfield landlords must follow California Civil Code 1950.5 on security deposits. As of 2024, residential deposits are capped at one month's rent for most landlords regardless of furnished status.

Key details: Standard cap: One month's rent. Small-landlord cap: Two months' rent. Return window: 21 calendar days. Authority: Civil Code 1950.5.

Demanding more than the statutory cap, withholding without an itemized statement, or returning late beyond 21 days can result in actual damages, statutory penalties, and bad-faith awards up to twice the deposit.

No-Fault Evictions

Bakersfield landlords using a no-fault termination on AB 1482-covered tenancies must state a permitted reason, give 60 days' notice, and pay relocation assistance equal to one month's rent.

Key details: Notice: 60 days written. Relocation pay: One month's rent. Move-in occupancy: Required in good faith. Authority: Civil Code 1946.2.

Serving a vague no-fault notice, skipping relocation pay, or moving in a family member who never occupies the unit can void the eviction and expose the landlord to damages and re-rental claims.

AB-1482 Notice Disclosure

Bakersfield landlords must follow California AB 1482 rent-cap and just-cause rules where applicable, and provide tenants with the statutory written disclosure either in the lease or as a separate signed addendum.

Key details: Authority: California Civil Code 1947.12. Annual cap: 5 percent + CPI, max 10. Just cause: After 12 months tenancy. Notice form: Statutory language required.

Failing to deliver the AB 1482 notice, charging an increase above the cap, or evicting without just cause when AB 1482 applies can void the increase, expose landlords to damages, and trigger tenant defenses.

Section 8 Voucher Acceptance

The Housing Authority of the County of Kern administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program for Bakersfield. Landlords must accept vouchers as a lawful source of income and meet HUD inspection standards.

Key details: Administrator: Housing Authority Kern County. Rent standard: HUD Fair Market Rent. Inspection: Annual HQS. Side payments: Prohibited.

Refusing voucher applicants, demanding side payments above the authority's approved rent, or letting a unit fail HQS inspection can lead to contract termination, recapture, and source-of-income discrimination claims.

Tenant Anti-Harassment

Bakersfield has no standalone tenant-harassment ordinance, but California Civil Code and statewide tenant protections prohibit landlord acts intended to force a tenant out, including utility shutoffs and lockouts.

Key details: Lockouts: Prohibited. Utility shutoffs: Prohibited. Statutory penalty: Up to 2000 per act. Authority: Civil Code 789.3, 1940.2.

Lockouts, utility shutoffs, removing belongings, or threatening immigration reporting can produce statutory damages, injunctive relief, and possible criminal exposure for the landlord.

Rental Registration

Bakersfield does not require a mandatory rental property registration program. Rental properties must comply with standard building codes, property maintenance standards, and business licensing requirements, but there is no registry or database of rental units maintained by the city.

Key details: Registration Required: No mandatory rental registration. Inspections: Complaint-driven only. Habitability: CA Civil Code §1941 applies. Business License: May be required for rental operations. Enforcement: Through Code Enforcement complaints.

Failure to maintain rental properties in habitable condition violates state law and may result in code enforcement action. Tenants have remedies including repair-and-deduct, rent withholding, and reporting to Code Enforcement. Operating without a required business license can result in fines.

The rules around rental registration in Bakersfield lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Rent Control

Bakersfield has NO local rent control ordinance. There is no city rent board and the Bakersfield Municipal Code does not contain a rent stabilization chapter. Kern County also has no countywide rent control. The only rent cap protecting most Bakersfield tenants is California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), codified at Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12, which caps annual increases at 5% plus regional CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower.

Key details: Local Ordinance: None — no city rent control. Governing Law: Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12 (AB 1482). Annual Cap: 5% + CPI, max 10%. CPI Region: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA. Sunset Date: January 1, 2030.

AB 1482 has no city enforcement mechanism in Bakersfield. Tenants charged an unlawful increase may sue in small claims court for restitution under Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12(h), recover unlawful overages, and assert an affirmative defense in any unlawful detainer based on the excess rent.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Bakersfield gives residents more flexibility on rent control.

Just Cause Eviction

Bakersfield has no local just-cause-eviction ordinance. After 12 months of continuous occupancy, most tenants are protected by California's statewide just-cause statute at Cal. Civil Code § 1946.2 (AB 1482). Landlords must state an at-fault or no-fault reason in any termination notice. No-fault evictions require relocation assistance equal to one month's rent.

Key details: Local Ordinance: None — state law only. Governing Law: Cal. Civil Code § 1946.2 (AB 1482). Threshold: 12 months continuous occupancy. No-Fault Relocation: 1 month's rent (§ 1946.2(d)). Sunset Date: January 1, 2030.

Under Cal. Civil Code § 1946.2(g), an owner's failure to strictly comply renders the termination notice void and creates an affirmative defense in any unlawful detainer action. Wrongful no-fault evictions can also expose landlords to liability for actual damages and, where bad faith is shown, treble damages and attorney fees.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Bakersfield gives residents more room on rental property rules. 2 of the 10 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

All of the above reflects Bakersfield's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.