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Rent Caps Security Deposits Application Fees Habitability Evictions Wildfire Protections

Note: This overview is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws, caps, and dollar amounts change. Verify current provisions with a licensed attorney or tenant rights organization before making decisions based on this information.

Rent Caps and Eviction Protections

Three laws govern rent increases and evictions here. Which applies depends on the property.

RSO annual cap

~3%

Statewide cap (AB 1482)

5% + CPI, max 10%

Roughly 624,000 units built before October 1, 1978. Annual increase cap set each year by the Rent Adjustment Commission (currently around 3%). RSO units also have just cause eviction protection. Check coverage here.

Extends just cause eviction protection to all rental units in the City of LA, including those outside the RSO. A landlord can't end a tenancy simply because a lease expires.

State-level cap: 5% + local CPI, max 10% per year for most properties 15+ years old. Exemptions: owner-occupied single-family homes and properties under 15 years old.

Also provides statewide just cause eviction for tenants in the unit 12+ months.

Security Deposits

Maximum deposit

1 month's rent

Return deadline

0

Since July 2024, deposits are capped at one month's rent for landlords owning 3+ properties. Those with 2 or fewer may charge up to 2 months.

After move-out, the landlord has 21 calendar days to return your deposit with an itemized statement. Deductions: unpaid rent, cleaning beyond normal wear, and damage you caused.

As of April 2025, landlords must offer a joint inspection before you leave, with both sides photographing the unit's condition.

Best practice: Photograph every room and any existing damage on day one. Email them to your landlord to protect against deposit disputes.

Application Fees

2026 maximum

$0

Receipt

Required

Under California law (AB 2493), landlords can't charge more than actual screening costs, up to the state cap. Covers credit and background checks only. A receipt is required, and if the unit is rented before processing, they must refund the fee.

Tenant reviewing lease documents and notes at a warm Los Angeles apartment table

Habitability Standards

Every California rental must meet habitability requirements. Your landlord is responsible for maintaining these.

  • Working plumbing (hot and cold water)
  • Heating system
  • Electrical lighting and wiring
  • Clean, sanitary building
  • Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Adequate trash receptacles
  • Floors, stairways, and railings in good repair; locking doors and windows
  • Refrigerator and stove (required starting 2026 under AB 628)

Step 1: Put the request in writing (email or text) with a clear description and photos.

Step 2: Give the landlord 30 days to fix it (less for urgent health/safety issues).

Step 3: If they don't respond, contact LAHD Code Enforcement at (866) 557-7368 or file online.

California law protects you from retaliation: your landlord can't raise rent or evict you for reporting habitability issues.

No-Fault Eviction Protections

If your landlord ends your tenancy through no fault of yours (owner move-in, renovation, withdrawal from market), they owe relocation assistance.

Standard relocation

$10,650 - $13,950

Qualifying tenants*

$22,450 - $26,550

*Higher amounts for seniors (62+), disabled tenants, and families with minor children in RSO units. Amounts as of 2025; adjusted periodically.

Wildfire Displacement Protections

After the January 2025 wildfires displaced roughly 180,000 LA County residents, temporary protections took effect.

Penal Code 396 prohibits raising rents more than 10% in disaster-declared areas, covering new listings and renewals. The LA City Council has also frozen rents and extended eviction protections in fire-affected areas.

Suspect price gouging? Report it to the LA City Attorney or the California AG hotline.

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