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AB-1157 • 2026

Tenancy: just cause termination: rent increases.

Tenancy: just cause termination: rent increases.

Education Housing
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Kalra
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how landlords will adjust to new rent limits, leaving this as an open question.

Tenancy Protection: Rent Increases

AB-1157 limits rent increases and restricts landlord's ability to terminate tenancies without just cause, while also removing certain exemptions for mobile homes.

What This Bill Does

  • Limits the amount a landlord can increase rent to either 2% plus inflation or 5%, whichever is lower.
  • Removes an exemption that allowed some properties to avoid rent control rules if those properties could be sold separately from other units, except for mobilehomes meeting certain criteria.
  • Extends protections against unfair eviction for tenants who have lived in their homes for at least a year, removing exemptions for certain types of property.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Landlords who own residential properties
  • Tenants living in rental homes for over a year

Terms To Know

Just cause termination
A legal reason that allows a landlord to end a tenant's lease.
Gross rental rate increase
The total amount by which rent can be raised in one year.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how landlords will adjust to the new rent limits.
  • Exemptions for mobile homes are still allowed if certain criteria are met.
  • Does not address how existing affordable housing units will handle initial rental rates after restrictions end.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2026-01-31 California Legislative Information

    Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.

  3. 2026-01-13 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, second hearing. Failed passage.

  4. 2026-01-13 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  5. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  6. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

    Measure version as amended on March 27 corrected.

  7. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 5.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  8. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Coauthors revised.

  9. 2025-04-01 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Coms. on H. & C.D. and JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  10. 2025-03-28 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  11. 2025-03-27 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.

  12. 2025-03-10 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and A.,E.,S., & T.

  13. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  14. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1157, as amended, Kalra.
Nuisance: motion pictures: enforcement.
Tenancy: just cause termination: rent increases.
(1) Existing law prohibits the owner of a residential real property from terminating a tenancy without just cause, as defined, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months. Among other residential real properties or residential circumstances, existing law exempts from these provisions a residential real property, including a mobilehome, that is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit if the owner meets specified criteria and the tenants have been provided a specified written notice of the exemption. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2030.
This bill would revise these provisions by removing the exemption for separately alienable residential real property
and, instead, only exempting a mobilehome if the above-described criteria are met. The bill would delete the January 1, 2030, repeal date, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely.
(2) Existing law prohibits an owner of residential real property, except as specified, from increasing over the course of any 12-month period the gross rental rate for a dwelling or a unit more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling or unit at any time during the 12 months prior to the effective date of the increase, as specified.
This bill would reduce the permissible gross rental rate increase under these provisions to the lesser of 2% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 5%.
Among other residential real properties, existing law exempts from these
provisions a residential real property that is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit, including a mobilehome, if the owner meets specified criteria and the tenants have been provided a specified written notice of the exemption.
This bill would revise these provisions by removing the exemption for separately alienable residential real property and, instead, only exempting a mobilehome if the above-described criteria are met.
Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2030.
This bill would delete the January 1, 2030, repeal date, thereby extending these provisions indefinitely.
(3) Notwithstanding the above-described gross rental rate increase prohibition, existing law, upon the expiration of rental restrictions, as defined, authorizes the owner of affordable housing units that meet
certain requirements to establish the initial rental rate for the unit, and also authorizes the owner of an assisted housing development who demonstrates compliance with certain requirements under penalty of perjury to establish the initial unassisted rental rate for units in the assisted housing development. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2030.
This bill would remove the January 1, 2030, repeal date, thereby extending the initial rental rate authorizations indefinitely. By extending provisions that require the owner of an assisted housing development to demonstrate compliance with specified requirements under penalty of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated program.
(4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making
that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law defines a nuisance as anything injurious to health, indecent or offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the free use of property, as specified. Under existing law, a nuisance includes the exhibition of a motion picture in which an intentional killing of, or cruelty to, a human being or an animal is shown if that action actually occurred in the production of the motion picture. Existing law authorizes the district attorney or the Attorney General to commence an action in equity to abate and prevent this nuisance and to perpetually enjoin the person conducting or maintaining it, as provided.
This bill would specify that this authorization also applies to the county counsel.

Current Bill Text

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