California Overhauls Landlord-Tenant Laws for 2026
California has enacted sweeping new rental laws for 2026, significantly altering the landscape for landlords and tenants. The changes include enhanced eviction safeguards and new caps on rent increases for tenants. Landlords, meanwhile, face updated disclosure rules and stricter timelines for repairs, making legal compliance more critical than ever.
A significant expansion of "habitability" standards kicks in with Assembly Bill 628. For leases starting, renewing, or changing after January 1, 2026, landlords must provide a working stove and refrigerator. Landlords are also now responsible for the repair or replacement of recalled appliances within 30 days of a notice. The eviction landscape gains a new, specific defense under Assembly Bill 246. Tenants who can prove their inability to pay rent is due to a verifiable delay in receiving Social Security benefits may be protected from eviction for up to six months, although the rent is not forgiven. This protection is temporary and is set to expire in January 2029. Security deposit procedures are being modernized by Assembly Bill 414. If a tenant paid their security deposit or rent electronically, the landlord must also return the deposit electronically, unless both parties agree in writing to a different method. This aims to streamline the refund process, which must still be completed within the 21-day timeframe. Following recent wildfires and other emergencies, Senate Bill 610 clarifies landlord duties after a natural disaster. Landlords are now explicitly responsible for removing disaster-related debris. The law also requires them to halt rent during mandatory evacuations and give displaced tenants the right to return to the unit once it is repaired. The existing statewide rent increase cap, established by the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), remains in place. This law limits annual rent hikes to 5% plus a regional inflation rate, not to exceed 10% total. However, this law is set to expire in mid-2026, creating uncertainty for the latter half of the year. An attempt to impose stricter rent control, Assembly Bill 1157, failed to pass in the legislature. Authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, the bill would have lowered the statewide rent cap to a maximum of 5% and removed exemptions for single-family homes, but it stalled in committee in January 2026. Tenants will also have more control over ancillary costs due to Assembly Bill 1414. This law gives renters the right to opt out of bundled, third-party services like internet or satellite TV that are billed through the landlord.
