Union City, CA Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Union City, CA, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Rent control status
- No binding cap; mediation program only
- Mediation trigger
- Rent increase over 7% in 12 months
- Unit registration
- Required for every rental unit
- Just-cause eviction
- Required under separate Chapter 5.50
- State constraint
- Costa-Hawkins limits local rent caps
Summary
Union City has no binding rent-cap ordinance; instead a Rent Review Ordinance triggers City mediation once an increase tops 7%, alongside a separate just-cause eviction law.
A. Request for Rent Review. A tenant may seek rent review when the proposed rent increase: (1) raises the rent to an amount more than seven percent than the base rent; or (2) follows a prior rent increase or rent increases imposed within the previous twelve-month period where the combined rent increases are more than seven percent than the base rent paid prior to the first rent increase of the twelve-month period. The tenant seeking rent review must submit the request in writing to the Director and the request must be received by the Director, or post marked (if submitted by mail), within fifteen calendar days of the tenant's receipt of the notice of rent increase. The request must include a copy of the landlord's notice of rent increase.
B. Conciliation and Mediation. The rent review shall consist of conciliation pursuant to subsection D of this section and, if required, mediation pursuant to subsection E of this section. After determining that a proposed rent increase meets the criteria for initiation of rent review set forth in subsection A of this section, the Director shall attempt to contact the landlord to initiate conciliation procedures pursuant to paragraph (D)(1) of this section within three business days.
C.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4940544; v16 updated 2026-06-23).
Full Breakdown
Union City Municipal Code § 5.55.040(A) lets a tenant request City conciliation and mediation once a rent increase exceeds 7% above base rent, or cumulative increases over 12 months exceed 7%; landlords must also register every unit under § 5.55.050(B). This is mediation, not a price cap. California's Costa-Hawkins Act (Civ. Code § 1954.50 et seq.) limits local rent caps. Separately, Chapter 5.50 bars terminating a tenancy without one of nine listed just-cause grounds under § 5.50.040 and requires notice of tenant rights and unit registration.
Violations & Fines
A rent increase given without the required notice of rent-review availability is void and unenforceable; a landlord who fails to appear for mediation without good cause also voids the increase, per § 5.55.040(D)-(E).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Union City have rent control?
Can a Union City landlord evict without cause?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union City
California rules heatmap·Compare Union City to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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Rent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle rent control.