California housing & tenant law
California housing & tenant laws, explained
Rent control, eviction protections and ADU rules in California come from a stack of overlapping state laws and local ordinances. These guides explain each one in plain English — then ask GoCodebook how they apply to a specific property.
California Rent Control
How rent control works in California — statewide caps, local ordinances, and what's exempt.
Learn moreAB 1482 — Tenant Protection Act of 2019
Statewide rent caps and just-cause eviction protections for most California rentals.
Learn moreCosta-Hawkins Rental Housing Act
The state law that limits local rent control on newer units and vacant apartments.
Learn moreEllis Act
The law letting landlords exit the rental business and withdraw units from the market.
Learn moreSB 567 — Homelessness Prevention Act
The 2024 amendments that tightened AB 1482's just-cause and rent-cap rules.
Learn moreJust Cause Eviction (Civil Code § 1946.2)
When a landlord must have a valid reason to end a tenancy in California.
Learn moreStatewide Rent Cap (Civil Code § 1947.12)
How much rent can legally increase each year under California's statewide cap.
Learn moreCalifornia ADU Laws
State ADU and JADU rules that override many local restrictions on accessory dwelling units.
Learn moreHow to read these against your city
Almost every wrong answer in California housing law comes from mixing up which layer is speaking. Four rules keep it straight.
State law sets the floor
Statewide protections apply everywhere. A city may add to them, but it can't take them away — a tenant in a city with no local ordinance is still covered by state law.
A cap on cities isn't a rule for you
Language like "a city shall not require more than X" limits what the city may demand. It doesn't mean X is required. Read it as a ceiling on local regulation, not the standard itself.
Local ordinances layer on top
Rent stabilization, just-cause rules and ADU standards often exist locally as well. Where both apply, the more protective provision usually governs — but the interaction is specific to the ordinance.
Exemptions decide most outcomes
Whether a statute reaches a given property usually turns on build date, ownership and unit count. Costa-Hawkins and AB 1482's exemptions do more work than the headline rules do.
Where to start
The same statute reads differently depending on which side of it you're on.
Renting out a property
Start with the statewide rent cap and just-cause rules, then check whether your building is exempt and whether your city has its own stabilization ordinance.
Adding a unit or ADU
State ADU law limits what a city can require on size, setbacks, parking and review time. The local ordinance fills in the rest — and can't undercut the state floor.
Renting a home
Check whether your tenancy is covered by the statewide cap or a local ordinance, and what notice and cause your landlord needs before ending it.
Local rules live on each city page — state law here, the ordinance there.
Developing or repositioning a building?
These tenant-law pages cover the landlord–tenant layer. For the development side — density bonus math, streamlined approvals, demolition and replacement duties, impact fees, CEQA and affordable financing — the developer guides walk the underwriting angle, with every rule linked to the verbatim statute.
Common questions
Does the statewide rent cap apply to my building?
It depends on the building's age and ownership. California's statewide cap exempts newer construction on a rolling basis and certain single-family and owner-occupied situations, and units already under a stricter local rent-stabilization ordinance are governed by that ordinance instead. The exemption tests are where nearly every dispute lands, so check them against the specific property.
My city has rent control. Does state law still matter?
Yes. State law sets protections that apply regardless, constrains what local ordinances may cover, and governs anything the local ordinance is silent on. Local and state rules are read together — the local ordinance doesn't replace the state layer.
Can my city just say no to an ADU?
Not outright. State ADU law requires ministerial approval of qualifying units and caps what cities can impose on size, setbacks, parking and review timelines. Cities set local standards within those limits, so the practical answer is usually about which standards apply, not whether an ADU is allowed at all.
Where do I read the actual statute?
Each guide here links to the controlling code sections, and the Code Library holds the enacted text so you can read the operative language and its exemptions directly rather than relying on a summary.
These are general information, not legal advice — read the enacted text in the Code Library and confirm anything you rely on.