San Jose, CA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SJMC § 17.23.900
- Applies to
- Rent Stabilized Units only
- Filing interval
- Annually, unless City sets otherwise
- Late fee trigger
- 30 days past the due date
- Enforcing office
- Housing Department / Rent Stabilization Program
Summary
San Jose landlords of Rent Stabilized Units must register each unit annually with the Housing Department on a city-approved form, per Municipal Code Section 17.23.900; missing the deadline triggers a late fee.
A. Rent Registration. The procedures for registration shall be established in this Part and the Regulations. All registration requirements are subject to California Civil Code Section 1947.7, as may be amended. The Landlord shall complete and submit to the Director a registration for each Rent Stabilized Unit on a City approved form, annually unless some other interval is specified by the City in the Regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Under San Jose Municipal Code Section 17.23.900, landlords of Rent Stabilized Units, pre-September 7, 1979 multi-dwelling buildings and 30-day-plus guesthouse rooms covered by the Apartment Rent Ordinance, must file a registration for each unit with the Housing Department's Director on a city-approved form, annually unless the City sets a different interval by regulation. If requested, the landlord must give an adult tenant household member a copy of the filed registration within ten days. The landlord may redact information not pertaining to that unit, but not the landlord's own name and address. Missing the 30-day cure window after a registration or re-registration comes due triggers a late registration fee set by City Council resolution.
Violations & Fines
Filing a registration more than 30 days after it's due triggers a late registration fee set by City Council resolution; reporting a rent amount other than what the tenant household actually pays is also a violation of the Chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which San Jose rental units must register?
What happens if a landlord misses the registration deadline?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jose
California rules heatmap·Compare San Jose to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle rental registration.