In the fourth quarter of 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of housing-related legislation that included 18 individual bills. Within this package, there were a significant number of important changes aimed at addressing the statewide housing crisis through a variety of measures, including, among others mechanisms, upzoning, approval streamlining and tenant protections.

In the rental housing market, one of the more noteworthy bills from Governor Newsom’s recent signing spree is Assembly Bill 1482 – The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (“AB 1482”). AB 1482 creates a number of additional restrictions with which landlords must comply. Most importantly, it: (1) enacts a statewide rent increase cap; (2) greatly expands the number of tenants who can only be evicted strictly for “just cause;” and (3) heightens certain tenant noticing requirements. AB 1482, effective January 1, 2020, will expire January 1, 2030 unless extended.