Rent control rules in Bakersfield, CA — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Bakersfield has NO local rent control ordinance. There is no city rent board and the Bakersfield Municipal Code does not contain a rent stabilization chapter. Kern County also has no countywide rent control. The only rent cap protecting most Bakersfield tenants is California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), codified at Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12, which caps annual increases at 5% plus regional CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower.
Under Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12, a landlord may not increase rent over any 12-month period by more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living for the region in which the property is located, or 10%, whichever is lower, and no more than two increments are allowed in a 12-month window. The applicable CPI for Kern County uses the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area index. Exemptions include: housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the prior 15 years; deed-restricted affordable housing; dorms; single-family homes and condos owned by a non-corporate/non-REIT owner who provides the required AB 1482 disclosure; and owner-occupied duplexes. The law is operative through January 1, 2030 (§ 1947.12(j)). Bakersfield does not enforce AB 1482 — disputes go to small claims court or legal aid.
AB 1482 has no city enforcement mechanism in Bakersfield. Tenants charged an unlawful increase may sue in small claims court for restitution under Cal. Civil Code § 1947.12(h), recover unlawful overages, and assert an affirmative defense in any unlawful detainer based on the excess rent.
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