Frequently Asked Questions

CalRHA is the statewide association for California's rental housing industry. We represent 14,000+ members who together own or manage more than 805,000 rental units, from single-home owners to the state's largest property management companies. Our mission is to advocate in the best interest of rental housing and collectively address industry needs.

CalRHA is the state charter of the National Apartment Association. Members in good standing of CalRHA or any of its local affiliates are automatically NAA members and are entitled to NAA benefits. See NAA Info & Benefits for details.

CalRHA works with nine local associations across California:

• Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA)
• Apartment Association of Orange County (AAOC)
• Berkeley Property Owners Association (BPOA)
• East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA)
• Nor Cal Rental Property Association (NCRPA)
• North Valley Property Owners Association (NVPOA)
• Southern California Rental Housing Association (SoCalRHA)
• Santa Barbara Rental Property Association (SBRPA)
• Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute (SPOSFI)

Local affiliates handle city and county issues, local education and services in their territories, while CalRHA leads on statewide issues.

CalRHA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from the rental housing industry. Meet the current board on our Board of Directors page.

Yes. CalRHA encourages and supports fair housing laws. It is illegal to discriminate in housing because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.

It depends on where your property is. If your property is inside one of our nine local affiliates' territories, join that affiliate; you'll be represented by CalRHA and NAA through it. If your property is outside those territories, you join CalRHA directly.

To check, use NAA's Find an Affiliate tool: enter your property's ZIP code and it will tell you which association to join. If the result is CalRHA, you're in the right place.

Rental properties of any size, from a single rental home to large multifamily communities, located in areas not served by an NAA-affiliated local association can join CalRHA as a Property or Independent Rental Owner member. Companies that provide products or services to the rental housing industry can partner with us as Supplier Partners.

Annual dues for Property or Independent Rental Owner members are:

Example: a 10-unit property in a year when the assessment applies would pay $150 + $22.50 + $20.00 = $192.50.

You may also add an optional per-unit CalRHA Advocacy Contribution (the amount may vary year to year).

*Assessment fees are part of dues when applicable, may be implemented in any calendar year, are not voluntary, and are subject to change.

Yes. If you have multiple properties, please complete a separate application for each property.

Start on our Become a Member page and choose Join as Property or Independent Rental Owner. All CalRHA membership applications are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.

No. Membership dues and application fees are non-refundable.

Membership is annual. Renewal invoices are issued each membership year, and you can view and pay them anytime by logging in to your account.

We'd love to talk. Email info@cal-rha.org and we'll walk you through Supplier Partner options. Current partners are listed in our Supplier Directory.

• A statewide voice in Sacramento on legislation that affects your rental business
• Automatic NAA membership and its national benefits, including advocacy, research and the NAA Member Savings Program
• Access to the Click & Lease California lease program
• Discounted industry webinars and professional designation programs
• Industry updates, the CalRHA Digital Magazine, videos and webinar recordings
• Listing in the PMC Directory for management companies

Yes. CalRHA memberships are company-based, so if your company is a member, so are you. Create your own account to use your company's membership benefits.

Yes. Anyone can create a non-member account to register for events and purchase items.

After you log in, you can update your profile, register for events, and view and pay invoices. Members can also use Member Compass for member-only information.

Go to the Login page and use the "Forgot password" link to receive a reset email. If you don't receive it within a few minutes, check your spam folder or email info@cal-rha.org.

Log in and edit your profile. If you don't have permission to edit your company's record, ask your company's primary contact or email info@cal-rha.org.

Thousands of bills are introduced in the California Legislature each year. CalRHA and its political affairs firm review them to identify every bill that affects rental housing, then work to stop harmful bills in committee or amend them to reduce their impact on housing providers. CalRHA also supports candidates for the Legislature and statewide office who understand the industry. Learn more on our Advocacy page.

Federal: NAA, in partnership with the National Multifamily Housing Council, maintains full-time legislative staff in Washington, D.C. CalRHA volunteers serve on NAA's Legislative Committee and stay in contact with California's members of Congress.

Local: City and county ordinances are handled by our local affiliates, with CalRHA's support.

Members are the industry's most effective advocates. Personal contact between members and legislators is the most important tool we have. You can:

• Sign up for industry updates so you receive our Calls to Action
• Respond to Calls to Action by contacting your legislators when a key bill is moving
• Support the Legal Fund or the PAC

CalRHA was a leader in the coalitions that defeated Proposition 10 (2018) and Proposition 21 (2020), and the industry also defeated Proposition 33 in 2024 — all attempts to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and expand rent control. See also Significant CA Lawsuits.

• Rent Control Initiatives & Laws — funds the fight against state and local rent control measures.
• Candidate PAC — contributes to the campaigns of candidates likely to support CalRHA's legislative priorities and funds participation in legislator events.
• Legal Defense Fund — pays for legal action when advocacy alone can't resolve an issue.

All three are on our Donate page.

CalRHA members serving on the PAC Committee decide which candidates receive support. Contributions don't guarantee a candidate's vote on any issue, but they create opportunities for meaningful dialogue about our industry and needed policy reforms.

Diplomacy through advocacy isn't always enough. Some situations can only be resolved through the threat of legal action, and litigation is expensive. Ongoing contributions from members let us act quickly when it matters. Learn more on the Legal Fund page.

Political contributions, including PAC contributions, are not tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

Through our affiliation with the NAA Education Institute (NAAEI), you can earn nationally recognized designations such as CAM (Certified Apartment Manager), CAMT (Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician), NALP (National Apartment Leasing Professional) and CAPS (Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor). Courses and continuing education are available through Visto, powered by Grace Hill and NAAEI. See our Education page or contact your local affiliate.

Webinar Wednesdays is a premium multifamily webinar series offered through our partnership with Multifamily Insiders. Topics include leasing and marketing, customer service, resident retention, leadership and career advancement. You save $10 on every webinar, applied automatically at checkout, and a portion of each fee supports CalRHA. Browse upcoming sessions on our Events page.

Yes. Recordings and presentation materials, including our wildfire recovery and insurance sessions, are on the CalRHA Webinars page. More videos are on CalRHA Videos.

Go to the Events page, choose an event and click Register. Logging in first makes checkout faster and applies any member pricing.

CalRHA doesn't provide general lease agreements, applications or addendums. For those, members use Click & Lease, the California-specific online leasing program offered through Blue Moon Software and NAA — the most widely used lease program in the state. You can also check with your local affiliate or legal counsel. Our Forms page has a limited set of notices.

No. Information and forms from CalRHA are for general information only and are not legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult your own attorney before using any form or acting on a specific situation.

California's insurance market keeps changing. Our Insurance Referrals page lists insurance partners who work with rental property owners and management companies.

Read the latest on our News page and in the CalRHA Digital Magazine. Consumer Price Index data is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CalRHA is a trade association for rental housing providers and can't intervene in individual landlord-tenant disputes. We recommend contacting your local housing authority or a legal aid organization in your area.

Phone: (916) 656-5959
Email: info@cal-rha.org
Mail: 1121 L Street, Suite 105, Sacramento, CA 95814

Please note: we return calls and messages that relate to membership, Click & Lease, or CalRHA-sanctioned business.