Rental Property Rules in Petaluma, CA (2026)
4 verified rental property rules for Petaluma, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Petaluma does not cap rent for apartments or houses, which California's Costa-Hawkins Act leaves to state law, but it does cap space rent at its mobilehome parks. Petaluma Municipal Code Section 6.50.040 limits annual mobilehome space rent increases to the lesser of seventy percent of the change in the Bay Area consumer price index or four percent, administered by a city rent stabilization program covering roughly 317 lower-income mobilehome tenants.
Petaluma Mobilehome Space Rent Stabilization
Significant RestrictionsPetaluma Municipal Code § 6.50.040
6.50.040 Residential rent increase limitations. A. The space rent payable for use or occupancy of any mobilehome space shall not be increased within twelve months of the effective date of the preceding rent increase. Rent increases permitted under this chapter may not exceed the lesser of: 1. Seventy percent of the percent change in the CPI; or 2. Four percent, except pursuant to subsec...
Just Cause Eviction
Petaluma Municipal Code Chapter 6.60 bars landlords from ending most residential tenancies without an enumerated at-fault or no-fault just cause, going further than the statewide Tenant Protection Act it implements. Covered tenants who receive a no-fault termination, such as an owner move-in or a market withdrawal, are entitled to relocation assistance and specific additional notice before the landlord can proceed.
Petaluma Just Cause Eviction Protections
Significant RestrictionsPetaluma Municipal Code § 6.60.050
6.60.050 Requirements for termination of tenancies. Landlords are prohibited from terminating tenancies to which this chapter applies unless the termination is for an "at-fault" or "no-fault" just cause in accordance with this section, and unless and until the landlord first satisfies the termination prerequisites specified in this section. ... ... D. No-Fault Just Causes. The following circums...
Rent Increase Notice
Mobilehome park owners in Petaluma must give affected tenants at least ninety days' written notice before any space rent increase takes effect, under Petaluma Municipal Code Section 6.50.040(F). The notice must also carry detailed financial documentation supporting the increase and information about the tenant's right to contest it through the city's rent arbitration process.
Petaluma Mobilehome Rent Increase Notice
Some RestrictionsPetaluma Municipal Code § 6.50.040(F)
6.50.040 Residential rent increase limitations. ... ... F. A notice of rent increase given by an owner pursuant to subsection B, C or E of this section shall be given in writing at least ninety days before any rent increase is to take effect.
Repairs & Habitability
Petaluma requires every dwelling unit, guest room and congregate residence to have permanently installed heat capable of holding 68 degrees Fahrenheit three feet above the floor, plus working hot and cold water and sanitary fixtures, under the residential maintenance standards of Section 1.10.085.
Petaluma Rental Heat and Habitability Rule
Some RestrictionsPetaluma Municipal Code § 1.10.085(A), (H)(1)
A. General. In addition to the general property maintenance standards specified in Section 1.10.075, all buildings, common areas, or portions thereof used, designed, or intended to be used for human habitation shall comply with the requirements of this section. ... ... H. Mechanical Equipment. 1. Heating. ... Dwelling units, guest rooms, and congregate residences shall be provided with permanen...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Petaluma city rules.
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