The California Apartment Association is working to stop legislation that would impose new costs, compliance requirements, and restrictions on rental housing providers. Due to CAA’s opposition, a number of these bills will not advance this legislative session.

CAA filed opposition letters and created coalitions opposing all five measures outlined below, which range from mandates that developers subsidize grocery stores in certain areas to bans on tenant-lending products and limits on tenant screening practices.

AB 1674 would have required housing developers building in or near a “food desert” to either set aside space for a grocery store or contribute to a fund supporting one nearby. A food desert is defined as a census tract with low-income earners where a grocery store is not located nearby (one-half mile in an urban area or more than 10 miles in a rural area). CAA and the California Building Industry Association argued in a March 23 coalition letter that the proposal would create additional barriers, costs, and uncertainty for housing production. The author has announced he will not move forward with the bill this year.

AB 1963 would have required housing providers to accept “portable tenant screening reports” and would have banned application fees when those reports are used. A portable tenant screening report is defined as a consumer report prepared by a tenant screening company that a tenant-applicant purchases and provides to a landlord. The report can be used by the tenant-applicant multiple times within 45 days. In a March 25 coalition letter organized by CAA, the association and its partner organizations argued the measure would restrict housing providers’ ability to independently verify applicant information — a core risk-management function. The author has announced she will not move forward with the bill.

AB 2616 would require landlords to allow tenants to install portable cooling devices and would have established an 82-degree indoor temperature standard. The association’s opposition letter argued that the bill’s provisions directly contradict each other: one section assigns cost and responsibility to tenants, while another would make temperature compliance a landlord obligation under the substandard housing code. The bill was pulled from the assigned committee by the author and will likely not advance this year. CAA is monitoring the measure and will provide updates.

AB 2350 would prohibit a tenant from applying for a consumer loan to pay the rent. In an April 2 letter, CAA argued that restricting access to regulated credit options could increase housing instability, leaving tenants who cannot secure short-term financing vulnerable to late fees, damaged credit, or eviction. CAA urged amendments to target predatory practices — such as interest rate caps and disclosure requirements — rather than banning these loans outright. The author has indicated she will work with CAA to address the association’s concerns.

And finally, CAA continues to oppose AB 1725, which would require some rental housing providers to disclose nearby oil wells, maintain methane gas alarms, and submit compliance certifications for properties on or within 300 feet of oil well sites. CAA has created a coalition letter and has argued that the responsibility for oil well-related hazards should rest with the operators and agencies that oversee those sites, not neighboring property owners. The author has indicated to CAA that she understands CAA’s concerns and will work to address them.

CAA will continue to monitor these and other legislative proposals affecting rental housing providers this session. Watch for updates.