Los Angeles RSO + AB 1482 Overlay for Landlords (2026)
Los Angeles has two layered rent-control regimes: the City of LA Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) for older units, and California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) for most other units. LA County also has its Just Cause for All (JJA) ordinance for unincorporated areas. This guide pulls the LA-specific overlay together for 2026.
California state law (Civil Code 1947.12, AB 1482) caps annual rent increases statewide at the lower of 5% + CPI or 10%. The LA RSO and County JJA add stricter rules for covered units.
Where the local rule is stricter than state, local controls. Where the unit is exempt from local but covered by state, state controls.
The City of LA RSO covers: - Most multi-family rental units built before October 1, 1978. - Hotels and motels in residential use. - Mobile homes in mobile home parks within the city.
The RSO exempts: - Single-family homes (covered by AB 1482 instead). - Units built after October 1, 1978 (covered by AB 1482 instead). - Owner-occupied 2-4 unit buildings where the owner lives on site. - Certain government-subsidized units.
For RSO-covered units: - Annual rent increase capped at the LA RSO rate, set yearly by the LA Housing Department (typically 3-4 percent, with year-to-year variation). - Vacancy decontrol: a landlord can reset rent to market when a unit is voluntarily vacated. - Pass-through allowed for capital improvements with LAHD approval.
The RSO rate is much stricter than the AB 1482 cap.
RSO-covered units require just cause for termination. Grounds: - Non-payment of rent (with 3-day pay-or-quit per CCP 1161(2)). - Material breach of lease. - Nuisance. - Refusal to allow access. - Owner or relative move-in (with LAHD filing). - Substantial remodel. - Compliance with government order. - Withdrawal from rental market (Ellis Act, with LAHD filing).
The landlord must file a notice with LAHD for some grounds (owner move-in, Ellis Act, substantial remodel).
## Just Cause for All (JJA, AB 1482)
For LA City units NOT covered by RSO and for unincorporated LA County units, AB 1482 provides: - Annual rent cap at the lower of 5% + CPI or 10%. - Just cause termination after 12 months (or 24 months for multi-adult households). - Tenant relocation assistance equivalent to one month's rent for no-fault terminations.
Many LA single-family homes and post-1978 multi-family units fall into this regime.
## Tenant relocation assistance
For RSO-covered no-fault terminations (owner move-in, Ellis Act, substantial remodel), the landlord must pay tenant relocation assistance per LAMC 151.09(G): - Studio: $9,200 - 1 bedroom: $11,000 - 2 bedrooms: $13,000+ - Plus additional amounts for elderly, disabled, families with minors.
For AB 1482 no-fault terminations: one month's rent.
The amounts are set yearly. LAHD publishes the current schedule.
Treating LA like the rest of California. Statewide AB 1482 is the floor. LA RSO and JJA add stricter rules for covered units. Generic California templates miss the LA-specific just cause and relocation assistance.
Missing the LAHD filing for owner move-in. RSO requires LAHD notice for owner move-in terminations. Failure voids the termination.
Using state-law relocation assistance on RSO units. AB 1482 requires one month's rent. RSO requires significantly more (the LAMC 151.09(G) schedule). Underpaying exposes the landlord to suit.
Vacancy decontrol applied to AB 1482 units. Vacancy decontrol is RSO-specific. AB 1482 cap continues across tenancies on the same unit.
For a Los Angeles-specific lease that bundles California state law (Civ. Code 1950.5, AB 1482), LA RSO compliance, and JJA where applicable, see leasekit.io/templates/california-residential-lease for $29 one-time. The template flags LA-specific content for landlords with LA County units.