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 Cause Costly Legal Mistakes

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.

The City of Hayward, California has implemented both a just cause for eviction and a rent control ordinance. 

Hayward, California – Rent Control Covered Units

The rent control ordinance covers all rental units except: 

• A mobile home or mobile home space.
• Accommodations in any hospital, extended care facility, convalescent home, nonprofit home for the aged, or dormitory owned and operated by either an educational institution or a private organization which offers spaces in rooms for Rent in conjunction with the providing of services such as meals, cleaning services, and social programs.
• Accommodations in motels, hotels, inns, tourist houses, rooming houses, and boarding houses; provided that such accommodations are not occupied by the same Tenant for thirty (30) or more continuous days.
• Rental Units in a nonprofit cooperative that are owned, occupied, and controlled by a majority of the residents.
• Rental Units whose Rents are controlled, regulated (other than by this ordinance), or subsidized by any governmental unit, agency or authority for term specified in written agreement with governmental unit, agency or authority – this exception expires upon the subsidy or contract ending. 
• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) where the owner lives in the primary residence on the property.
• Rental Units located in a structure for which a certificate of occupancy is first issued after July 1, 1979.
• Single dwelling unit properties or a subdivided interest in a subdivision. 
• A condominium unit that has been sold separately by the subdivider to a bona fide purchaser for value.
• Rental Units exempt from Rent control pursuant to the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. 

Hayward, California – Just Cause Covered Units

Hayward’s just cause ordinance applies to all rental units except the following: 

• A mobile home or mobile home space.
• Accommodations in any hospital, extended care facility, convalescent home, nonprofit home for the aged, or dormitory owned and operated by either an educational institution or a private organization which offers spaces in rooms for Rent in conjunction with the providing of services such as meals, cleaning services, and social programs.
• Accommodations in motels, hotels, inns, tourist houses, rooming houses, and boarding houses; provided that such accommodations are not occupied by the same Tenant for thirty (30) or more continuous days.
• Rental Units in a nonprofit cooperative that are owned, occupied, and controlled by a majority of the residents.
• Rental Units in a nonprofit facility that has the primary purpose of providing short term treatment, assistance, or therapy for alcohol, drug, or other substance abuse and the housing is provided incident to the recovery program, and where the client has been informed in writing of the temporary or transitional nature of the housing at its inception.
• Rental Units in a nonprofit facility which provides a structured living environment that has the primary purpose of helping homeless persons obtain the skills necessary for independent living in permanent housing and where occupancy is restricted to a limited and specific period of time of not more than twenty-four (24) months and where the client has been informed in writing of the temporary or transitional nature of the housing at its inception.
• Rental Units in a residential Property where the owner of record occupies a unit in the same Property as his or her principal residence and regularly shares in the use of kitchen or bath facilities with the Tenants of such Rental Units.