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.
Because unincorporated Santa Clara County has no rent stabilization scheme, capital improvement and operating cost pass-throughs are governed only by AB-1482's annual cap. Civil Code §1947.12 limits any single-year rent increase to 5 percent plus regional CPI, with an absolute ceiling of 10 percent, no matter how it is labeled. Landlords cannot recover capital costs through a separate surcharge, and may not double up two AB-1482 increases in a 12-month window. Cities with rent stabilization (San Jose ARO, Mountain View CSFRA, Los Gatos RDMHO) operate their own petition-based pass-through programs that override these defaults inside city limits.
Charges or increases above the 5%+CPI cap are excess rent recoverable by the tenant in small claims court, with treble damages and attorney fees available where the landlord acted in bad faith.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto does not require general residential rental registration, though landlords must comply with state disclosure requirements, business license rules f...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto has no local rent control ordinance, with rents governed by California AB 1482 statewide rent cap of 5 percent plus CPI (maximum 10 percent annuall...
See how Palo Alto's pass-through charges rules stack up against other locations.
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