State Law Information

Guidebook

California Tenants - A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities
Guidebook offers an overview of state law addressing key rental issues. The California Department of Real Estate published a major revision of the resource in October 2020.

Landlord - Tenant Issues
Information from the Office of the Attorney General about landlord-tenant protections under California state law. 


Legal Information

Information on Evictions
Information for tenants and landlords about self-help evictions. Resource by the California Courts, Judicial Branch

Fair Housing Information Presentation(PDF, 2MB)
Learn more about Fair Housing under California State law

California Courts Self-Help Center
A referral database of free and low cost legal service in California, as well as library of legal self-help resources.

LawHelpCA
Provides easy online access to basic legal resources and attorney information, run by the Legal Aid Association of California. They do not provide direct legal services.

 


Legislation

Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act
Civil Code Section 1954.50-1954.535 (Costa-Hawkins Act) places limits on municipal rent control ordinances and exempts certain units from rent control. "Exempt" units are still subject to requirements of local Ordinance 3250, including those concerning terminations of tenancy, registration, and the annual program fee. Please contact staff if you have further questions.

AB 1482 Tenant Protection Act of 2019
Read more about California’s statewide tenant protection legislation. 
View FAQs prepared by the San Francisco Rent Board

AB 1110 - Rent increase noticing (2019)
Increased the amount of notice a landlord must provide a tenant for a rent increase greater than 10 percent.

AB 291 Immigrant Tenant Protection Act(PDF, 51KB)
Read more about tenant protections from deportation threats.