California Tenant Protection Act

AB 1482 (Chiu), aka the CA Tenant Protection Act of 2019, was signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 8th, 2019 and will go into effect January 1st, 2020 as California's first statewide rent control law — albeit with numerous compromises including a somewhat weak version of eviction protections. 

AB 1482:

• Establishes a rent cap of 5% per year, plus each area's Consumer Price Index (inflation rate) -- not to exceed 10%, max.  
• Enacts "Just Cause" eviction protections; must permit tenant the opportunity to cure a violation prior to terminating the tenancy.  
• Applies to all rentals 15 years after construction.  (Modifies a part of Costa Hawkins by providing coverage to all units 16 years after construction — rather than the C-H fixed date of 1995 (1983 in Oakland; 1980 in Berkeley & San Francisco) 
• Applies to all rentals except multi-unit rentals in specified dormitories and deed-restricted affordable housing.  
• Applies to single-family home rentals only if 10 or more homes are owned by the same owner or corporation; otherwise, single-family home rentals are exempt.  
• For a continuing tenant, the rent amount on Jan 1, 2020, cannot exceed the rent that was in-place on March 15, 2019. 
• Only one rent increase in a 12-month period.
• Landlord must provide relocation payment equal to one month's rent if the tenant is evicted for other than a just cause fault by the tenant.  The eviction is voided if landlord does not pay the relocation assistance amount. 
• Establishes the "right of tenancy" when tenant has occupied its unit for a 12-month period, after which tenancy becomes month-to-month and can only be evicted for a "just cause."  
• Requires the landlord to provide a listing of tenant's rights in a signed lease addendum at the beginning of a tenancy.