Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
3d ago

California Rent Control Bill Narrowly Advances in Assembly

Assembly Bill 1157, which seeks to tighten rent caps and expand tenant protections, passed the housing committee by a 7-5 vote but faces uncertain prospects in the Legislature.

Image
Assemblymember Ash Kalra speaks as California Faculty Association members picket on the first day of five-day strike outside SJSU in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

Overview

  • AB 1157 proposes lowering annual rent increase limits from 5–10% to 2–5% and extending caps to single-family rental homes and condos.
  • The bill would eliminate the 2030 sunset on the current rent control law, making the restrictions permanent while maintaining exemptions for homes less than 15 years old.
  • Tenant advocates argue the bill is essential to protect low-income renters from inflation, while opponents warn it could discourage new housing construction.
  • The legislation cleared the Assembly housing committee by a narrow 7-5 margin but was notably absent from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’s list of housing priorities.
  • AB 1157 is one of over 160 housing-related bills introduced this session, reflecting the urgency of California’s housing crisis.