California Implementing Rent Control Measures
Sacramento, CA — Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation that is designed to limit rent increases and give protections to people who are evicted without cause.
Assembly Bill 1482 caps yearly rent increases at 5-percent (plus inflation). It only applies to apartments that are over 15 years old, and homes or condos that are over 15 years old and owned by large corporations. It has a sunset clause and will expire in 2030. It also prevents renters from evicting people who have been in a unit for over a year, and in compliance with the lease, unless the owner is moving in, tearing down, or taking the unit off the rental market.
The overall goal is to prevent big spikes in rent. Governor Gavin Newsom is praising the bill, stating that it will help families keep a roof over their heads and “provide California with important new tools to combat our state’s broader housing and affordability crisis.”
Republicans noted that California voters rejected a rent control ballot measure last year. Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron says, “Republicans have called for the elimination of mandates and burdensome, costly regulations that drive up the cost of housing. Democrats ignored those solutions and now we have yet another bill that will fail to deliver results.”
Opponents also argued that it could lead to more frequent rent increases and more apartments being turned into condominiums.
