Santa Ana's Rent Stabilization Ordinance limits landlord ability to pass through capital improvements, utility costs, and government fees on top of the 3% or CPI rent cap, requiring petitions and amortization over multi-year periods.
Beyond the base 3% or CPI annual rent increase, Santa Ana landlords seeking to recover qualifying capital improvements must petition the city, demonstrate the work was substantial and benefits the tenant, and amortize the surcharge over the useful life of the improvement. Routine maintenance, deferred upkeep, and cosmetic upgrades do not qualify. Pass-through surcharges are typically capped as a percentage of base rent and end once amortization is complete. Tenant-paid utilities cannot be unilaterally re-allocated mid-tenancy. Improper pass-throughs are recoverable by tenants with interest.
Imposing pass-through charges without city petition approval, recovering deferred maintenance, or exceeding amortization caps exposes landlords to refund of overcharges plus interest.
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See how Santa Ana's pass-through charges rules stack up against other locations.
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