California landlord law for coastal owners: AB 1482 rent cap, just-cause eviction, security-deposit limits (now 1× rent statewide), required disclosures, and habitability standards. State law is the floor — coastal cities like Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and Oakland layer their own rent boards and local tenant protections on top.
4 articles in this category.
California law requires landlords to provide alternative housing during tent fumigation. Here's what 'reasonable' lodging costs in 2026, which cities have stricter rules, and the one scenario where the tenant pays.
SB 329 made source of income a protected class in California. We break down what coastal landlords can and cannot do when a Section 8 applicant applies for your $7,000/month rental.
AB 12 caps security deposits at one month's rent effective July 1, 2024. Coastal landlords face unique compliance challenges with high-rent SFRs and STR conversions.
Ventura County's coastal zone ADU permits face unique CCC jurisdiction challenges in 2026. Master the entitlement pathway for compliant, value-add accessory units.
AB 1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus regional CPI, never above 10%, for most California rentals more than 15 years old — the 15-year window rolls forward each year. Coastal context matters: single-family homes and condos are exempt when the owner is not a corporation, REIT, or corporate-owned LLC and the required exemption notice is served verbatim in the lease. Miss the notice and the exemption is lost, and the unit defaults to the cap.
After 12 months of tenancy, AB 1482 requires just cause to end a tenancy. SB 567, effective April 1, 2024, tightened the no-fault grounds: an owner-move-in termination now requires the owner or a close relative to occupy within 90 days and stay at least 12 months, and a substantial-remodel termination needs permits in hand before notice. Santa Monica and Los Angeles require advance filing with the local rent board before such a notice is valid — state procedure alone is not enough on the coast.
Security-deposit limits changed in 2024. AB 12 capped deposits at one month’s rent for most rentals effective July 1, 2024; small owners — those with no more than two residential properties totaling four units or fewer — may still collect up to two months. Deposits collected above the cap before the change don’t have to be refunded mid-tenancy, but you can’t re-collect above the limit at renewal or re-rental. The 21-day itemized-return timeline is unchanged.