President's Message: October 2026

By Adam Pearce, President, California Rental Housing Association

September 30, was the deadline for the Governor to sign or veto bills introduced in the 2025-2026 legislative session. This is a good time to look back at what we accomplished together, what worked, what didn't, and formulate strategies for the year ahead.

Thanks to your engagement throughout the legislative session, we stopped a wide range of bills that would have added new costs, mandates, and legal exposure for rental housing providers. Among the major wins:

• AB 1157 (Kalra): Would have lowered the statewide rent cap to 2% plus inflation or 5%, whichever is lower, removed the exemption for most single-family homes and condos, and eliminated the law's 2030 expiration date.
• SB 493 (Becker): Would have broadened government "emergency" powers to impose price controls and eviction restrictions.
• SB 436: Would have given tenants an extra 14 days after the first of the month to pay rent, forcing housing providers to extend credit while their own expenses stayed due.
• AB 1248: Began as a ban on most fees outside of rent, then evolved to restrict ratio utility billing systems (RUBS).
• AB 2064: Would have made criminal history a protected class, making it hard if not impossible to screen tenant applicants and employees.
• SB 1155 (Smallwood-Cuevas, Wahab) and SB 1243 (Durazo): Would have blocked evictions and suspended late fees tied to federal shutdowns and immigration enforcement.
• AB 2616 (McKinnor): Would have imposed air conditioning and cooling requirements tied to an 82°F indoor temperature.
• AB 2609 (Caloza): Would have capped rent for tenants with pets at 1% of monthly rent, and pet deposits at 15% of one month's rent.
• AB 1963 (McKinnor): Would have forced acceptance of reusable screening reports with burdensome disclosures.
• AB 2350 (McKinnor): Would have banned flexible rent payment tools that renters rely on.
• AB 1611 (Haney): Would have eliminated 1031 exchange tax deferral for rental housing investors.

Every one of these bills carried real costs and risks for housing providers. Every one was stopped through your sustained and strategic advocacy. I want to thank every one of you for your tremendous support and commitment.

Unfortunately, not every harmful bill was stopped. The Governor signed SB 1296 (Durazo), requiring disclosure of pet policies, and SB 1365 (Allen), expanding prohibitions on price gouging, despite our request for a veto. We'll be working to help members understand and comply with both new laws.

As one legislative session closes, another one will soon open. CalRHA is developing our legislative priorities for 2027 based on what you’ve told us are your biggest challenges. It goes without saying that rent control and AB 1482 top that list.

We are forming a dedicated task force that will shape the policies and strategies for the next phase when AB 1482 expires at the end of 2029, but policy and strategy alone is not enough.

We need your advocacy, engagement, and support to help address these challenges and protect the interests of our industry. I urge each of you to donate to our PAC. Every dollar counts for the fights ahead.

Thank you for standing with us through another hard-fought session.

Sincerely,
Adam Pearce
President of the Board
California Rental Housing Association