Why is getting the rent control status of your unit correct so important? 

Navigating the world of rental property management comes with a maze of legal responsibilities—and one of the most critical factors to understand is whether your property is subject to rent control. For landlords, this isn’t just a legal technicality. Rent control can significantly impact how much you can charge for rent, when and how you can increase it, and even your ability to evict tenants. Failing to understand your property’s rent control status can lead to costly legal missteps, compliance issues, and potential tenant disputes. 

Not Knowing A Units Just Cause Status Can Be Costly

Failing to understand whether a rental unit is subject to Just Cause for Eviction protections can lead to serious legal and financial consequences for owners and managers. Attempting to evict a tenant without proper cause in regulated areas can result in lawsuits, hefty penalties, and damage to a landlord’s reputation. As tenant protection laws expand and evolve, staying compliant becomes more complex — and ignorance of the law offers no protection. Uncertainty around a unit’s status can also delay or derail property sales, as buyers seek assurance that all tenant issues are resolved. For landlords, this makes legal guidance not just helpful, but essential to avoiding costly mistakes and safeguarding their investments.

Why Rent Control Status Matters in Automated Legal Workflows

Joiner’s real estate management platform streamlines critical landlord functions—automating everything from rent increase notices and notices of entry to cure-or-quit and pay-or-quit notices. Each of these documents is generated with built-in legal disclosures tailored to your property’s specific requirements. One key factor that shapes these legal templates? Rent control status. Whether or not a unit is subject to rent control directly impacts what language and requirements must be included in the notices you serve. That’s why accurately identifying rent control status isn’t just important—it’s essential for compliance and avoiding legal risk.

Disclaimer & Legal Guidance

This post is designed to help you assess whether your rental unit falls under rent control by summarizing key aspects of applicable laws. However, it is not a substitute for legal advice. Because rent control regulations vary widely by city and sometimes county —and because a unit not covered by a local ordinance may still fall under California’s statewide rent control and just cause eviction laws (see this post) —it’s important to consult the relevant local statutes or seek advice from a qualified attorney to make a definitive determination.

Joiner partners with BrightWork Law PC, a firm known for delivering efficient, cost-effective legal counsel tailored to the needs of property owners and managers across California. If you are not sure about the status of your unit we recommend that you contact BrightWork or any other law firm.

San Diego Rent Control and Just Cause Ordinance Applicability 

San Diego, California has implemented a rent stabilization and just cause for eviction ordinance that went into effect on June 24, 2024, which can be found here. 

In San Diego the rent control measure covers “any dwelling or unit that is intended for human habitation, including any dwelling or unit in a mobilehome park”  except for the following: 

• Transient and tourist hotel occupancy for periods of less than 30 days; 
• Short-term residential occupancy, as defined in and subject to Chapter 5, Article 10, Division 1 of this Code, as may be amended; 
• Certain types of government managed or owned low income housing. 
• Mobilehomes subject to the California Mobilehome Residency Law. 
• Nonprofit hospitals, religious facility, extended care facilities, licensed residential care facilities for the elderly, adult residential facilities,, or non- profit transitional housing.
• Dormitories owned and operated by an institution of higher education or an institution offering instruction to any grade from kindergarten through 12; 
• Residential rental property in which the tenant shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the landlord who maintains their principal residence at the residential rental property;
•  Single-family residence occupied by the landlord as the landlord’s principal place of residence, including a residence in which the landlord-occupant rents or leases no more than two bedrooms, two accessory dwelling units, or two junior accessory dwelling units, and a mobilehome.
• A property containing two separate dwelling units within a single structure in which the landlord occupies one of the dwelling units as the landlord’s principal place of residence at the beginning of the tenancy, so long as the landlord continues in occupancy.
• Housing that has been issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years, unless the housing is a mobilehome. 
• Residential rental property, including a mobilehome, that is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit, provided that the tenant has received proper notice and the landlord is not a REIT, corporation, or limited liability with a corporate member (except for certain mobilehomes).