Rental Property Rules
Pre-1978 federal Title X disclosure requirements for landlords and stricter state/local disclosure deadlines, including the EPA pamphlet rule for tenants.
9 locations
Local limits on how much landlords can raise rent each year, including which properties are covered and exemptions for newer buildings.
Protections requiring landlords to have a valid reason to evict tenants, such as nonpayment of rent, lease violations, or owner move-in.
Requirements for landlords to register rental properties with the city, including inspection programs, fees, and occupancy standards.
Mandatory periodic inspections of rental units (sometimes called RHHP, Rental Housing Inspection Program, or similar). Covers which units are subject, inspection frequency, fees, what inspectors check, and consequences of failed inspections.
Required tenant relocation payments for no-fault evictions and Ellis Act withdrawals — typical amounts, qualifying triggers, and how cities enforce payment.
Caps on how much landlords may collect as security deposits, return deadlines, itemized-deduction requirements, and tenant remedies for wrongfully withheld deposits.
Rules around buyout agreements where landlords pay tenants to vacate, including required disclosures, cooling-off periods, and city filing requirements.
Allowable no-fault eviction grounds (owner move-in, Ellis Act, substantial remodel) and the relocation/notice obligations that come with each.
Rules limiting landlord ability to pass utility, capital improvement, or seismic-retrofit costs through to rent-controlled tenants, and the petition process.
Cities like LA prohibit specific landlord conduct (lockouts, utility shutoffs, threats) — penalties, private right of action, and how to document violations.
Rules barring landlords from refusing to rent to applicants because of Section 8 vouchers, SSI, or other lawful income — protected categories and remedies.
Landlord obligations when accepting Housing Choice Vouchers, including HACLA inspection, lease addenda, and rent reasonableness.
Tenant right to re-occupy a unit after no-fault eviction (substantial remodel, owner move-in failure) at original rent — qualifying triggers and notice rules.
California statewide rent-cap and just-cause notices required on month-to-month leases, separate from local RSO disclosures, and how cities enforce them.
Status of pandemic-era eviction protections — what sunset, what carries forward as permanent rules, and tenant defenses still available for COVID-rent-debt.
Local preference policies giving residents of a Council District priority for affordable housing units developed in their district — eligibility and waitlist mechanics.
How tenants and landlords appeal Just Cause eviction determinations — administrative hearing procedures, evidence rules, and judicial review.
Landlord obligations to disclose known mold conditions before lease signing, plus tenant remedies when mold is discovered or made worse during a tenancy.