Rent control rules in Napa, CA — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
The City of Napa has not adopted a local rent control ordinance. Rent is governed by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, Civil Code Section 1947.12), which caps annual rent increases on covered units at the lower of 5% plus regional CPI or 10% per 12-month period. Single-family homes and condominiums owned by natural persons, plus housing built within the last 15 years, are exempt. The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code Section 1954.50) prohibits any local rent control on single-family homes and post-February 1, 1995 construction.
California's Tenant Protection Act of 2019, codified at Civil Code Section 1947.12, applies to Napa rentals because the city has not enacted a local rent stabilization ordinance. Covered multi-family rentals face an annual rent cap of 5% plus the regional CPI change, never to exceed 10% in any 12-month period. The applicable CPI for Napa County is the Bureau of Labor Statistics 'San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward' index; landlords should consult the California Department of Justice's annual AB 1482 maximum-increase table published each August. Exemptions under Section 1947.12(d) include single-family homes and condos individually owned (not by corporations, REITs, or LLCs with corporate members), duplexes where the owner occupies one unit, units constructed within the last 15 years (rolling), deed-restricted affordable housing, and certain hotels and dormitories. Landlords claiming exemption must serve a written notice in the form required by Section 1947.12(d)(5). The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code Sections 1954.50 to 1954.535) further preempts Napa from adopting vacancy control or rent control on single-family homes and units built after February 1, 1995. The City of Napa's Housing Division (1600 First Street) administers affordable-housing programs and refers AB 1482 disputes to Legal Aid of Napa Valley.
AB 1482 violations are enforced through private civil action in Napa County Superior Court. A tenant overcharged in violation of Civil Code Section 1947.12 may recover the excess rent paid, plus damages and attorney fees if the violation is willful. The City of Napa does not operate a local rent board, so the city has no administrative enforcement mechanism for AB 1482; complaints route to Legal Aid of Napa Valley or to the California Department of Justice housing complaints line.
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