Alameda, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Alameda Municipal Code Sec. 6-58.55
- New-tenancy filing deadline
- 30 days after tenancy begins
- Ownership-change filing deadline
- 30 days after close of escrow
- Rent-increase condition
- No increase allowed if unregistered (Sec. 6-58.65)
- First-offense fine
- $250 administrative citation
- Maximum civil penalty
- $10,000 per violation
Summary
Every landlord in Alameda must register each rental unit with the Rent Program Administrator, filing a new registration within 30 days of a tenancy's start and reporting any ownership change within 30 days of escrow closing. The Administrator uses these filings to set the Maximum Allowable Rent, and misreporting the rent actually charged is a separate violation.
A.The Landlord shall as provided in Regulations complete and submit to the Program Administrator a registration statement for each Rental Unit on a registration statement approved by the Program Administrator. In addition, except for those Rental Units exempt from rent control under State Law, a Landlord: (i) shall complete and submit to the Program Administrator within thirty (30) days of the inception of a new tenancy a registration statement concerning the new tenancy, and (ii) upon a change of ownership of the Rental Unit, shall complete and submit to the Program Administrator within thirty (30) days of the close of escrow the name and contact information for the new Landlord. ... C.It shall be unlawful to report to the Program Administrator an amount of Rent for a Rental Unit other than the actual amount paid by the Tenant for the use and occupancy of the Rental Unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 74).
Full Breakdown
55 (Rent Registry), part of the city's 2016 voter-approved rent control ordinance (Measure L1, Article XV of Chapter VI), every landlord must submit a registration statement for each rental unit to the Rent Program Administrator. For units not exempt from rent control under state law (Costa-Hawkins exempts single-family homes and post-February-1995 construction from the rent cap itself, though registration still applies), the landlord must additionally file a registration within 30 days of the start of a new tenancy and, on a change of ownership, report the new landlord's name and contact information within 30 days of the close of escrow.
8 and the city's implementing Rent Program Regulations. 145, may not take the Annual General Adjustment at all. 35 lists a dozen other filings the Rent Program Administrator can demand alongside registration, including notices of ownership transfer, temporary tenancies, and capital-improvement applications. 55(C).
Violations & Fines
Failing to register, or reporting a false rent amount, exposes a landlord to an administrative citation of $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second within a year, and $1,000 for a third, under Section 6-58.140. The city or a private party can also bring a civil action carrying penalties up to $10,000 per violation (or $2,500 per violation per day), plus an extra $5,000 where the tenant is a senior, has a disability, or lives with minor children; criminal prosecution as a misdemeanor is also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Alameda rental units must register?
What happens if a landlord skips registration?
Who administers Alameda's rent registry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda
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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle rental registration.