West Hollywood, CA — landlord and rental rules

6 rules across 5 topics, including the county and state rules that bind here. Last verified 2026-08-18.

Rent controlVacancy decontrolJust-cause evictionRental registrationOther

Rent control

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West Hollywood controls qualifying pre-July-1979 rentals
West Hollywoodhigh confidence

Verified on 2026-08-18 — 45 days ago.

West Hollywood's full RSO limits increases for multifamily residential rental units with a certificate of occupancy before 1 July 1979 and for certain older single-family and condominium tenancies.

The city's registered-address record and tenancy start date decide coverage; the RSO's eviction protections extend more broadly than the rent ceiling.

Exemptions

  • Most newer construction is outside the local rent ceiling.
  • Single-family homes and condominiums generally require a qualifying pre-1996 tenancy for the full local ceiling.
Construction
Built before 1980

Sources

AB 1482 caps increases at 5% plus CPI, to a 10% ceiling
Californiamedium confidence

Verified on 2026-08-01 — 62 days ago.

The Tenant Protection Act caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI, with a hard ceiling of 10%, on housing built more than 15 years ago.

The 15-year window rolls forward, so a building drifts into coverage with age rather than being fixed by its construction date at purchase.

Annual cap
10%
Construction
Built before 2011

In effect since 2020-01-01.

Sources

  • California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) — Cal. Civ. Code §1946.2, §1947.12

Vacancy decontrol

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Costa-Hawkins preserves vacancy decontrol
Californiamedium confidence

Verified on 2026-08-01 — 62 days ago.

Costa-Hawkins exempts post-1995 construction and single-family homes and condominiums from *local* rent control, and preserves the landlord's right to reset rent to market on vacancy.

It does not help at the affordable end, because affordable stock is old stock: the buildings a small investor can actually buy are usually the ones Costa-Hawkins does not exempt.

Vacancy decontrol
Yes — rent resets on vacancy
Construction
Built after 1995

Sources

  • Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act — Cal. Civ. Code §1954.50 et seq.

Just-cause eviction

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West Hollywood just-cause rules apply regardless of building age
West Hollywoodhigh confidence

Verified on 2026-08-18 — 45 days ago.

West Hollywood limits the permissible reasons for terminating or refusing to renew residential tenancies, including units outside the full pre-1979 rent-stabilization ceiling.

The eviction and harassment provisions reach residential tenancies regardless of building age, subject to the ordinance's stated exemptions.

Unit counts
1+ units

Sources

Rental registration

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West Hollywood registers controlled and most non-controlled rentals
West Hollywoodhigh confidence

Verified on 2026-08-18 — 45 days ago.

Owners register new tenancies and pay annual fees for rent-stabilized units; since 2023, most for-profit multifamily rentals built after July 1979 and rented single-family homes and condominiums also have registration duties.

Registration is broader than rent stabilization and includes most non-owner-occupied residential rental property.

Confirm initial building registration, current tenancy registration, and annual fee status in the Landlord Service Portal.

Unit counts
1+ units

In effect since 2023-01-01.

Sources

Other

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Insurance is a live underwriting problem, not a line item
Californiamedium confidence

Verified on 2026-08-01 — 62 days ago.

FAIR Plan policies are up 139% since 2021, habitability claims are now commonly excluded, and earthquake cover is excluded from every standard policy.

Get a bindable quote before removing contingencies. An insurance assumption carried over from another state is the single largest silent error in a California pro forma.

Fair plan increase since2021
139%