The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 — almost everyone calls it by its bill number, AB 1482 — was a turning point in California rental law. For the first time, the state imposed a rent cap and just-cause eviction rules that apply across the entire state, not just in the handful of cities with their own rent control. This guide explains how the rent cap is calculated, how just-cause eviction works, which units are exempt, and how AB 1482 fits together with stricter local ordinances and the older Costa-Hawkins Act.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. AB 1482’s exemptions are technical, local ordinances vary, and the regional rent cap changes every year. Before relying on a specific number or claiming an exemption, consult an attorney licensed by the State Bar of California.

What AB 1482 is and who it covers

AB 1482 added two key sections to the Civil Code: § 1947.12, the rent cap, and § 1946.2, the just-cause eviction rule. It took effect on January 1, 2020 and, under current law, is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2030 unless the Legislature extends it. The law applies to most residential rental housing in California, but with significant exemptions discussed below.

Importantly, AB 1482 is a statewide floor. It does not replace local rent control; it sets a baseline that applies everywhere there isn’t something stronger. Where a city has a stricter ordinance, that local law governs.

The rent cap formula under Civil Code § 1947.12

The cap is the heart of the law. For a covered unit, rent cannot increase in any 12-month period by more than 5% plus the percentage change in the regional Consumer Price Index (CPI), and never more than 10% total, whichever is lower. Written as a formula:

  • Maximum increase = 5% + regional CPI change, capped at 10%.

Two features make this tricky to state as a single number. First, the CPI figure is regional — California is divided into metropolitan areas, each with its own CPI, so the cap in one part of the state differs from another. Second, the figure is recalculated annually using the most recent CPI data, and the applicable rate changes during the year (commonly keyed to increases that take effect on or after a set date such as August 1). In recent years the cap has generally fallen in the range of roughly 6% to 9% depending on the region and the effective date. Because the regional CPI is the moving piece, always look up the current cap for your specific metropolitan area before calculating an increase — do not rely on a figure from a prior year.

A few rules round out the cap. A landlord generally may not raise the rent more than twice in any 12-month period, and even then the combined increases cannot exceed the annual cap. The cap measures increases against the rent in effect on the relevant lookback date. And the cap regulates only the amount of an increase — it does not, by itself, require just cause to raise rent within the cap.

Just-cause eviction under Civil Code § 1946.2

AB 1482’s second pillar requires “just cause” to terminate a tenancy once a tenant has continuously occupied the unit for 12 months (or where at least one tenant has occupied it for 24 months, in shared situations). Before that point, the just-cause requirement generally does not apply. Just cause divides into two categories.

At-fault just cause

These grounds are based on something the tenant did or failed to do, and include:

  • Failure to pay rent;
  • A material breach of a lease term after written notice and a chance to cure (where the breach is curable);
  • Maintaining, committing, or permitting a nuisance;
  • Criminal activity on the premises or directed at the owner or agent;
  • Using the unit for an unlawful purpose;
  • Refusing to sign a written extension or renewal on similar terms;
  • Refusing the landlord lawful entry under Civil Code § 1954;
  • Failing to vacate after giving the landlord written notice of intent to leave.

For curable lease violations, the landlord must first serve a notice giving the tenant the opportunity to fix the problem before serving a termination notice.

No-fault just cause and relocation assistance

No-fault grounds are not about the tenant’s conduct. They include:

  • The owner or a specified close relative moving into the unit (with conditions);
  • Withdrawal of the unit from the rental market;
  • Compliance with a government order or local ordinance that requires the tenant to vacate;
  • Substantial remodel or demolition of the unit.

For any no-fault termination, the landlord must provide relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent. This can be a direct payment — due within the statutory deadline, generally 15 calendar days of serving the notice — or a written waiver of the tenant’s final month’s rent, provided before that rent is due. If the landlord fails to provide the required relocation assistance, the termination notice is void.

Exemptions from AB 1482

AB 1482 does not cover every rental. The most common exemptions include:

  • New construction: housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years (a rolling exemption — a building constructed 15 years ago becomes covered as it ages past the window).
  • Single-family homes and condominiums — but only if the owner is not a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with at least one corporate member, and the owner gave the tenant the specific statutory exemption notice. Generic lease boilerplate does not satisfy this; the notice must use the language the statute requires.
  • Owner-occupied situations, such as a duplex where the owner lives in one unit, and single-room shared housing with the owner, under defined conditions.
  • Certain deed-restricted affordable housing and dorms.

For single-family and condo owners, the exemption depends entirely on giving proper notice. The required statement informs the tenant that the property meets the requirements of Civil Code §§ 1947.12(d)(5) and 1946.2(e)(8) and that the owner is not a REIT, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member. Miss the notice, and the unit is treated as covered.

How AB 1482 interacts with local rent control and Costa-Hawkins

Three layers of law can apply to the same unit, and they stack as follows.

Local rent control. Many California cities have their own rent ordinances that are stricter than AB 1482 — lower annual caps, broader just-cause coverage, or larger relocation payments. Where a local ordinance is stricter, it controls and AB 1482 does not weaken it. AB 1482 fills the gap only where local law is silent or less protective.

Costa-Hawkins. The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civ. Code §§ 1954.50 and following), from 1995, limits how far local rent control can reach. It exempts single-family homes and condominiums and any housing built after February 1, 1995 from local rent caps, and it guarantees vacancy decontrol — the right to set a new market rent when a unit is voluntarily vacated or after an at-fault eviction. A crucial point of confusion: a unit exempt from local rent control under Costa-Hawkins is not automatically exempt from AB 1482. The two laws have different scopes and dates, so a single-family home may still be covered by AB 1482 unless the owner qualifies for and properly notices the AB 1482 single-family exemption described above.

Notice rules for rent increases under AB 1482

The cap limits the size of an increase; separate rules govern how it must be announced. For a month-to-month tenancy, an increase of 10% or less in a 12-month period requires 30 days’ advance written notice, while a larger increase requires 90 days. Because AB 1482’s ceiling is itself 10%, covered increases almost always fall in the 30-day notice category. The notice must be served properly and cannot take effect before the period runs. If a landlord serves an increase above the lawful cap, the excess is unenforceable, and a tenant who paid it may be able to recover the overpayment. Keep every written increase notice so you can check it against the current regional cap.

What happens when AB 1482 sunsets

As written, AB 1482 is scheduled to expire on January 1, 2030. Unless the Legislature extends or replaces it, the statewide rent cap and statewide just-cause rule would no longer apply on that date — though local rent control ordinances and Costa-Hawkins would remain in force, and the Legislature has extended tenant-protection laws before. Tenants and landlords planning years ahead should watch for legislative action, but for now AB 1482 governs most tenancies across California and should be treated as the operative law.

Step-by-step: checking whether a rent increase is legal

  1. Identify the unit type. Is it an apartment, single-family home, condo, or owner-occupied unit? This determines which exemptions could apply.
  2. Check for a local ordinance. Does the city have its own rent control? If so, its cap and rules may govern and may be stricter than AB 1482.
  3. Check the age of the building. Was the certificate of occupancy issued within the last 15 years? If so, AB 1482 likely does not apply.
  4. Check for a valid exemption notice. For a single-family home or condo, did the owner give the required statutory exemption notice? Without it, the unit is covered regardless of ownership.
  5. Find the current cap for your region. If AB 1482 applies, look up the current 5% + regional CPI figure (capped at 10%) for your metropolitan area as of the increase’s effective date.
  6. Compare the increase. Add up all increases in the trailing 12 months. If the total exceeds the cap — or if there were more than two increases — the increase likely violates § 1947.12.
  7. Get advice if it’s close. Exemptions and effective dates are technical. If the numbers are near the line, consult an attorney before acting.

Banking and the rent cap

A common landlord question is whether unused increase capacity can be saved up and applied later — sometimes called “banking.” AB 1482 does not create a general right to bank increases beyond its core rule: each 12-month period has its own ceiling of 5% plus regional CPI, capped at 10%, and a landlord cannot lawfully impose a single increase that exceeds that period’s cap by stacking together years of foregone increases. A landlord who raised rent below the cap in one year does not earn the right to a double-sized jump the next. Local ordinances sometimes have their own, different banking rules, which is another reason to check the city’s law. When in doubt, treat each annual increase as independently capped, and calculate it against the rent currently in effect rather than against some hypothetical higher figure the landlord could have reached.

Frequently asked questions

What is the AB 1482 rent cap right now?

The formula is fixed at 5% plus regional CPI, capped at 10% total, but the exact percentage changes each year and by region. Recent caps have generally run in the rough range of 6% to 9%. Because the CPI portion is recalculated annually and differs across California’s metropolitan areas, look up the current figure for your specific region and the increase’s effective date rather than relying on a number from a prior year.

Does AB 1482 mean my landlord needs a reason to evict me?

If the just-cause rule applies and you have lived in the unit at least 12 months, yes — the landlord needs at-fault or no-fault just cause under Civil Code § 1946.2, and a no-fault termination requires relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent. Before 12 months, or if the unit is properly exempt, the just-cause rule generally does not apply.

My home is a single-family house. Am I exempt from AB 1482?

Only if the owner is not a corporation, REIT, or LLC with a corporate member and the owner gave you the specific statutory exemption notice. Without the proper notice, a single-family home is treated as covered by AB 1482 even though it may be exempt from local rent control under Costa-Hawkins.

My city has rent control. Does AB 1482 or the local law apply?

Whichever is stricter generally controls. Local ordinances often have lower caps and stronger eviction protections, in which case the local law governs. AB 1482 acts as a backstop where local law is silent or weaker.

How many times a year can my rent go up?

For a covered unit, generally no more than twice in a 12-month period, and the combined increases still cannot exceed the annual cap of 5% plus regional CPI (maximum 10%).

The required AB 1482 notices

AB 1482 requires landlords to put certain disclosures in writing, and missing them has consequences. For a covered unit, the landlord must give the tenant a written notice stating that the tenancy is subject to the Tenant Protection Act’s rent-cap and just-cause provisions; the statute even supplies the language. For an exempt single-family home or condominium, the landlord must give the specific exemption notice described earlier — the statement that the property meets the requirements of Civil Code §§ 1947.12(d)(5) and 1946.2(e)(8) and that the owner is not a REIT, corporation, or LLC with a corporate member. The exemption notice is not optional boilerplate: without it, the supposedly exempt single-family home is treated as covered, the rent cap applies, and just cause is required. Landlords claiming an exemption should make sure the notice is delivered correctly and retained, and tenants of single-family homes should check whether they ever received it — its absence may mean the unit is protected after all.

Enforcing AB 1482

AB 1482 does not run on its own; tenants and their advocates enforce it. A tenant who believes a rent increase exceeds the cap can raise the issue directly with the landlord, often by pointing to the current regional figure in writing, and decline to pay the unlawful excess. If a landlord tries to evict for nonpayment of an over-cap increase, the illegality of the increase can be a defense. A tenant facing a termination that lacks just cause, or a no-fault termination without the required relocation assistance, can challenge the notice on those grounds. Because these disputes often surface inside an eviction case, and because the exemptions and the regional cap are technical, tenants who think their rights under AB 1482 have been violated should gather their lease, rent records, and any notices and consult an attorney or a local tenant-defense resource promptly.

Talk to a California landlord-tenant attorney

Whether you are a tenant who suspects an illegal rent increase or a landlord trying to claim an exemption correctly, the details of AB 1482 reward getting them right and punish getting them wrong. A California attorney can confirm whether your unit is covered, calculate a lawful increase, and make sure any just-cause notice complies. For the broader picture, start with the landlord-tenant hero guide, and if your dispute is heading toward an eviction, read our guide to the California eviction (unlawful detainer) process. Our directory connects you with attorneys licensed by the State Bar of California across all 58 counties, free and with no obligation.