Rialto Rent Stabilization and Control Lawyer

The costs of renting apartments and private homes have increased dramatically the past several years in California and throughout the country. This nationwide increase in rent prices was one of several factors that prompted the state legislature to pass the California Tenant Protection Act.  It caps rent increases based on local cost of living and provides various other protections for renters against unscrupulous actions from landlords.

However, not every landlord will abide by the laws applicable to them at all times, as any experienced habitability attorney could tell you. If your landlord is violating state law by charging you too much for rent or trying to improperly evict you, a Rialto rent stabilization and control lawyer from our firm could help you enforce your rights to protect your entire family’s best interests.

What Legal Protections Do Residents Have Against Unfair Rent Increases?

Under the California Tenant Protection Act, landlords statewide are prohibited from increasing a unit’s rent more than two times within any continuous 12-month period. Furthermore, rent increases themselves are limited. They may be capped at either five percent of the previous rent plus the percentage increase in consumer price index for the area—which is the increase in cost of living as determined by federal labor statistics—or at 10 percent of the lowest rent the landlord charged during the previous 12 months for that unit, whichever is lower.

However, these protections do not apply to apartment complexes, condominium complexes, or single-family homes constructed less than 15 years ago. You should also be aware that neither the city of Rialto nor San Bernardino County has any local rent controls that would preempt or expand upon these state-level rent stabilization and control measures. One of our attorneys could explain in more detail during a free initial consultation.

Understanding Just Cause for Eviction

Another very important thing for you to understand about rent control and housing laws is that withholding rent from your landlord is never a good way to resolve disagreements over unlawful rent increases, habitability issues, or anything else. State law specifies refusal to pay rent as just cause for a landlord to evict you, regardless of what they were or were not doing beforehand to ensure your unit was habitable in accordance with the law.

However, if your landlord is trying to evict you for just cause, they cannot do so until they have a court order affirming their right to evict you. In the meantime, they cannot lock you out of your apartment, remove your personal possessions, or do anything else to interfere with your daily life. Retaliation against you based on an attempt to enforce rent control protections is also illegal and can potentially serve as grounds for legal action against your landlord, which a rent stabilization and control attorney from our Rialto office could help you proactively pursue.

Contact a Rialto Rent Stabilization and Control Attorney for Help

Rent prices are a constant source of anxiety for Californians and people across the country. Discovering that your landlord intends to significantly increase your rent if you stay in the same apartment after your current lease ends only adds to this anxiety. However, thanks to recent legislative efforts, you have more rent protections under state law now than ever before, and understanding those protections could be crucial to maintaining your financial and personal security.

A Rialto rent stabilization and control lawyer from our team could help make sure your landlord complies with state law and, if needed, hold them accountable for a lack of compliance. Call today to discuss your options.