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SB-592 • 2026

Property tax: change in ownership: residential rental property.

Property tax: change in ownership: residential rental property.

Budget Education Elections Housing Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Smallwood-Cuevas
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how much property tax revenue will be lost or if there are additional costs for local tax officials in implementing this law.

Property Tax Changes for Residential Rental Property

The bill changes how property taxes are reassessed when residential rental properties change ownership under certain conditions involving tenant participation.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts transfers of real property containing dwelling units to nonprofit public benefit corporations, mutual benefit corporations, or limited equity housing cooperatives from reassessment if at least 51% of the tenants participate in the transaction through ownership interests.
  • Exempts transfers of such properties to community land trusts from reassessment if at least 51% of the tenants support it.
  • Requires community land trusts using this exemption to report it on ownership documents filed with county recorders.
  • Allows county counsel to request documentation, like Articles of Incorporation, from limited equity housing cooperatives claiming this exemption.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tenants who participate in the purchase of their rental properties through nonprofit or cooperative entities.
  • Community land trusts and other nonprofits involved in purchasing residential rental properties.
  • Local tax officials responsible for assessing property taxes.

Terms To Know

Change in ownership
A transfer of real estate that triggers a reassessment of property taxes under certain conditions.
Community land trust
An organization that acquires and holds title to land for the benefit of a community, often to provide affordable housing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much property tax revenue local agencies will lose due to these exemptions.
  • It is unclear if there are additional costs for local tax officials in implementing this law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  3. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  4. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  5. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 5.

  6. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  7. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Withdrawn from committee.

  8. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 872.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  9. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  10. 2025-04-04 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 23.

  11. 2025-04-03 California Legislative Information

    April 9 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  12. 2025-03-18 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 9.

  13. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on REV. & TAX. and JUD.

  14. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  15. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 592, as amended, Smallwood-Cuevas.
Property tax: change in ownership: residential rental property.
The California Constitution limits the maximum amount of any ad valorem tax on real property to 1% of the full cash value of the property, and defines “full cash value” for these purposes to mean the appraised value of real property when purchased, newly constructed, or a change in ownership has occurred, as provided. Existing property tax law requires the reassessment of real property upon a change in ownership and specifies what transfers of property do and do not constitute a change in ownership and excludes from a change in ownership, and hence from reassessment, certain transfers. Among these excluded transfers, existing property tax law provides that certain transfers of mobilehome parks to a nonprofit corporation, stock cooperative corporation, limited equity stock cooperative, or other entity formed by the tenants of a mobilehome park if specified conditions are met, including
that the individual tenants who were renting at least 51% of the spaces in the mobilehome park prior to the transfer participate in the transaction through the ownership of an aggregate of at least 51% of the voting stock of, or other ownership or membership interests in, the entity which acquires the park.
This bill would provide that a
transfers
transfer
of a real property containing dwelling units occupied by tenants to a
nonprofit public benefit corporation, nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, or limited equity housing cooperative,
limited-equity housing cooperative, as defined,
formed by the tenants of the real property for the purpose of purchasing the real property at which they reside, provided that the individual tenants who were renting at least 51% of the units in the real property before the transfer participate in the transaction through the ownership of an aggregate of at least 51% of the voting shares or membership interests in the entity that acquires the real property, as specified, is not a change in ownership. The bill would also provide that a
transfers
transfer
of a real property containing dwelling units occupied by tenants to a community land trust,
provided that at least 51% of the tenants who resided at the property at the time of transfer have signed a petition or other statement expressing support for the purchase of the real property by the community land trust,
as specified, is not a change in ownership.
The bill would exempt the petition from public disclosure.
The bill would require a community land trust utilizing the above-described exclusion to indicate that use on a preliminary change of ownership report or change in ownership statement filed with the county recorder. The bill would authorize the county counsel to require a limited-equity housing cooperative claiming the above-described exclusion to provide specified documentation, including the Articles of Incorporation of the limited-equity housing cooperative.
By adding to the duties of local tax officials with respect to the determination of whether a change in ownership has occurred for purposes of taxing real property, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing
constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation.
This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill.
This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Current Bill Text

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