11 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 5 cities in Santa Clara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Santa Clara County follows California AB 1482 statewide rent cap (5 percent plus CPI, max 10 percent) with no local rent control ordinance.
Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12
(a) (1) Subject to subdivision (b), an owner of residential real property shall not, over the course of any 12-month period, increase the gross rental rate for a dwelling or a unit more than 5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling or unit at any time during the 12 months prior to the...
Santa Clara County landlords must follow California AB 1482 just cause eviction rules, requiring specified reasons and relocation assistance for no-fault terminations.
Cal. Civil Code § 1946.2
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate a tenancy without just cause, which shall be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy. (b) For purposes of this section, "just cause" means either of the following: (1) At-fault just cause, whi...
Unincorporated Santa Clara County does not require rental property registration, though business licenses may apply to multi-unit and short-term rental operators.
Santa Clara County has no countywide relocation ordinance for unincorporated areas. State law controls: AB-1482 requires one month of rent for no-fault terminations and the Ellis Act adds extra pay for elderly or disabled tenants.
Cal. Civil Code § 1946.2
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate a tenancy without just cause, which shall be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy. (b)(2) No-fault just cause, which means any of the following: (A)(i) Intent to occupy the residential real...
California Civil Code §1950.5, amended by AB-12 effective July 2024, caps residential security deposits at one month's rent statewide. Santa Clara County adds no local cap, so the state rule governs unincorporated and incorporated rentals alike.
Cal. Civil Code § 1950.5 (as amended by AB-12)
(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), (3), or (5), a landlord shall not demand or receive security, however denominated, in an amount or value in excess of an amount equal to one month's rent, in addition to any rent for the first month paid on or before initial occupancy. (2) This subdivision does not prohibit an advance payment of not less than six months' rent if the term of the lease ...
Santa Clara County imposes no countywide buyout disclosure rule. Cash-for-keys agreements in unincorporated areas follow only baseline California contract and Civil Code rules, unlike San Jose and Mountain View, which require formal disclosures.
Unincorporated Santa Clara County applies California's AB-1482 no-fault grounds: owner move-in, substantial remodel, demolition, government order, and Ellis Act withdrawal. Each path requires written notice, statutory relocation, and good-faith intent.
Cal. Civil Code § 1946.2
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate a tenancy without just cause, which shall be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy... (b)(2) No-fault just cause, which means any of the following: (A)(i) Intent to occupy the residential re...
Santa Clara County has no countywide rent stabilization, so pass-through charges in unincorporated areas follow state law. AB-1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI, capped at 10%, including any operating cost passthroughs.
Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12
(a) (1) Subject to subdivision (b), an owner of residential real property shall not, over the course of any 12-month period, increase the gross rental rate for a dwelling or a unit more than 5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling or unit at any time during the 12 months prior to the...
Santa Clara County has not adopted a countywide tenant anti-harassment ordinance for unincorporated areas. Tenants rely on California Civil Code §1940.2 against forcible exclusion plus tort remedies for retaliation or harassment.
Cal. Civil Code § 1940.2
(a) It is unlawful for a landlord to do any of the following for the purpose of influencing a tenant to vacate a dwelling: (1) Engage in conduct that violates subdivision (a) of Section 484 of the Penal Code. (2) Engage in conduct that violates Section 518 of the Penal Code. (3) Use, or threaten to use, force, willful threats, or menacing conduct constituting a course of conduct that interferes...
California Government Code §12955, expanded by SB-329 in 2020, prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. Santa Clara County enforces statewide rules through state CRD; no separate county code exists.
Cal. Gov. Code § 12955
It shall be unlawful: (a) For the owner of any housing accommodation to discriminate against or harass any person because of the race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, veteran or military status, or genetic information of that person. (b) For the owner o...
The Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) administers federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers across the county. Landlords accepting vouchers must pass an HQS inspection and cannot refuse applicants based on voucher status.
5 cities in Santa Clara County have their own rental property rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
11 verified rules • Cash-for-Keys Agreements, Just Cause Eviction
3 verified rules • Just Cause Eviction, Rent Control
3 verified rules • Just Cause Eviction, Rent Control
3 verified rules • Just Cause Eviction, Rent Control
3 verified rules • Just Cause Eviction, Rent Control
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