California landlord laws for 2027: a guide and checklist
Three bills signed September 30, 2026 change the rules for California rental housing in 2027. Here is what each one does, who it affects, and a checklist for getting ready.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide gives general information, not legal advice. Read the chaptered text of each bill before relying on a summary, and check how it applies to your property.
SB 1365: emergency rent limits reach all rental housing (January 1, 2027)
California’s price-gouging statute, Penal Code section 396, already limits rent increases of more than 10% after a declared state or local emergency, for 30 days or longer if the declaration is extended. Until now its definition of “housing” covered rentals with an initial lease term of one year or less. SB 1365 extends the rule to rental housing regardless of lease term. Several former exemptions become affirmative defenses that the landlord must prove, and the defense for increases tied to repairs or additions is narrowed to costs incurred in the year before the emergency. Violations are misdemeanors.
Who it affects: any residential landlord, and especially owners with longer leases, since those tenancies were previously outside the statute.
SB 1296: written pet policies (April 1, 2027)
New Civil Code section 1942.7.5 requires landlords to have a written pet policy or addendum, even if the policy is “no pets.” The policy must be accessible from the property’s website and online listings where the platform allows, provided with each rental application, and acknowledged on the application. If nondisclosure leads an applicant to withdraw, the applicant may request a refund of the application fee, which is due within seven business days.
Who it affects: essentially every residential landlord that takes applications.
AB 2689: over-income households in tax-credit housing (January 1, 2027)
In low-income housing tax credit properties where all units are income-restricted, AB 2689 makes it good cause not to renew a lease if the household’s income has exceeded 140% of area median income for two consecutive years and 30% of its monthly income exceeds the applicable HUD Fair Market Rent. The owner must give written notice within 30 days of a certification showing income over 140% of AMI, and a nonrenewal notice at least 90 days before the lease ends that cites the statute.
Who it affects: owners and managers of fully income-restricted tax-credit properties only.
How these fit with local rules in Richmond
These state laws sit alongside local ordinances. In Richmond, the Richmond Rent Ordinance (rent limits and just-cause rules administered by the Rent Program) and the statewide Tenant Protection Act continue to apply according to their own terms. Depending on the property, a local rule may be stricter or may not apply at all. Check each property under every layer.
Checklist
- List every residential property and unit, its lease terms, and whether it is covered by a local rent ordinance, the Tenant Protection Act, or neither.
- Before January 1, 2027: review rent-increase practices so that a sudden emergency declaration would not catch an increase above 10% in progress.
- Keep organized records of repair and improvement costs, with dates, to support the narrowed affirmative defense if an emergency is declared.
- Calendar emergency declarations that cover your properties, and their extensions.
- Before April 1, 2027: adopt a written pet policy or addendum for each property, even if it prohibits pets.
- Link the pet policy from the property website and each online listing where the platform permits.
- Add the pet policy to every application packet and add an applicant acknowledgment line.
- Set up a process to refund application fees within seven business days when a refund is properly requested.
- Tax-credit owners: build AB 2689’s 30-day over-income notice and 90-day nonrenewal notice into annual recertification procedures.
- Richmond owners: confirm Rent Program enrollment, registration, and fees are current, and file required notices with the Rent Program.
- Update lease and application templates, and train anyone who handles listings or applications.
- Have counsel review your forms before the effective dates.
Also from the 2026 session
The Governor vetoed AB 1997, which would have shortened housing-approval timelines. Other bills signed the same day are summarized in the notes for the week of October 5, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When do the new landlord laws take effect?
SB 1365 and AB 2689 take effect January 1, 2027. SB 1296’s pet-policy requirement is operative April 1, 2027.
Do I need a pet policy if I don’t allow pets?
Yes. Under SB 1296 a written policy is required even if it prohibits pets.
Does SB 1365 change the 10% emergency limit?
The 10% limit stays the same. What changes is coverage: it reaches rental housing regardless of lease term, and some exemptions become affirmative defenses.
Does AB 2689 apply to my building?
Only if it is a tax-credit property in which all units are income-restricted.
Talk with the office
Call (510) 255-1094, email daniel@buttlaw.com, or use the contact form. The office at 111 Park Place, Suite 204, in Point Richmond is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please do not send confidential details until the firm has confirmed in writing that it represents you.