A legislative proposal to broaden the scope of rent control in California has been halted.  

SB 466 by Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, sought to modify the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which sets parameters for the implementation of local rent control ordinances by cities and counties. 

The bill initially aimed to enable local governments to apply rent control to a wider array of housing types, including single-family homes, condominiums, and apartments older than 15 years. 

In 2023, the California Apartment Association played a pivotal role in stopping the progress of Sen. Wahab’s proposal. This week, the bill’s inability to obtain a legislative hearing before the deadline rendered it dead. 

Despite the cessation of SB 466, challenges to the Costa-Hawkins Act remain at play. Notably, the “Justice for Renters Act,” an initiative that’s qualified for the fall 2024 ballot, seeks to fully repeal Costa-Hawkins. If successful, this measure would allow local governments to apply rent control to all types of housing, regardless of age, and would eliminate vacancy decontrol, a vital component of the Costa-Hawkins Act that currently allows landlords to reset rents to market rates when a unit becomes vacant. 

CAA calls on rental property owners and industry stakeholders to help defeat the “Justice for Renters Act” and uphold Costa-Hawkins. For more information and updates on the campaign against the Justice for Renters Act and other initiatives affecting the rental housing industry, visit SaveCostaHawkins.com. 

To contribute financially to the campaign against the Justice for Renters Act and other measures detrimental to the rental housing industry, please consider supporting the CAA’s Issues Committee.