Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act

The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act is a California law that limits how much landlords can increase rent on certain types of rental properties and restricts cities from implementing rent control on units built after 1995. It also allows landlords to remove certain units from the rental market through "just cause" eviction rules. Essentially, it provides a legal framework that balances landlords’ rights to set and adjust rents with protections for tenants, by setting statewide restrictions on rent control policies and vacancy decontrol (allowing rent increases to reset after a tenant leaves).