AB 1482 & San Diego tenant rules for landlords Rent caps, just cause, relocation money. Is your building in line?
California and San Diego changed the rules for small buildings. A free check tells you what you can charge, what notices you need, and what a buyer would flag.
- Your allowable rent increase, per unit
- Notices and deposits checked
- Balcony inspection status
- Written summary in two business days
Get your free rules check
We review your rent roll and notices. Confidential.
The rules that matter most
What applies to a typical central San Diego building
Summary as of October 2026. Rules change; your review checks the current version.
| Rule | What it does | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| AB 1482 (state) | Caps rent increases at 5% + regional CPI (10% max) per 12 months; just cause required after 12 months | Your allowable increase per unit, and whether past increases were within the cap |
| San Diego Tenant Protection Ordinance (city) | Just cause from day one; relocation money for no-fault terminations (2 months, or 3 for seniors 62+ and disabled tenants) | Your notices and the cost of any planned move-out or remodel |
| SB 567 (state) | Tighter rules for owner move-in and substantial-remodel terminations | Whether a planned remodel qualifies |
| AB 12 (state) | Security deposits generally capped at one month's rent | Deposits held and how they're documented |
| SB 721 (state) | Inspections of elevated wooden balconies, decks and stairs on 3+ unit buildings | Whether your inspection is on file and what it found |
General information, not legal advice. For a specific notice or eviction, talk with a landlord-tenant attorney.
Thamis GallanisBroker-Manager · CA DRE 01011756Who you'll talk to
You talk to the broker, not a call center.
Thamis Gallanis has spent 28 years in San Diego real estate: selling buildings, managing them, and advising the families who own them. Before that, he worked as a Resolutions and Receivership Specialist with the FDIC, taking over the real estate of failed banks and deciding, asset by asset, what to fix, what to hold and what to sell.
That job taught him to look at a building the way a lender or a buyer will, and to give owners a straight answer. Sometimes the right answer is to sell. Sometimes it is to fix the management and keep collecting rent. He'll tell you which.
- 28 yearsSan Diego sales, management and leasing
- FDICReceivership and asset-disposition background
- Broker-ManagerCA DRE 01011756
- North Park office4326 Oregon St, Unit 10
Questions owners ask us
Does AB 1482 apply to my building?
AB 1482, the Tenant Protection Act, covers most apartment buildings more than 15 years old, which includes nearly all central San Diego small buildings. Some properties, such as certain owner-occupied duplexes and single-family homes with the required notice, are exempt.
How much can I raise the rent this year?
Under AB 1482, increases over any 12 months are limited to 5% plus the regional inflation rate, with a 10% maximum. The allowable figure resets each August 1 based on the CPI. We'll tell you the current number for your units.
What does San Diego's Tenant Protection Ordinance add?
The city ordinance, in effect since 2023, requires a just-cause reason to end a tenancy from the start of the tenancy, not after 12 months, and requires relocation assistance for no-fault terminations: generally two months' rent, or three months for tenants who are 62 or older or disabled.
How much security deposit can I collect?
Since July 1, 2024, most landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit. Small landlords who meet specific conditions may collect up to two months.
What is the SB 721 balcony inspection?
Buildings with three or more units and elevated wooden balconies, decks or stairs must have them inspected by a qualified professional on a set schedule. Buyers and insurers now ask for the report.
Talk it through with the broker
No obligation, no sign in the yard, no word to your tenants.