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.
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.
Inglewood, California – Units Covered by Rent Control
Inglewood, California has implemented a rent control and just cause for eviction ordinance (Ord. No. 24-03) which can be found here. As a result, covered units cannot raise rents more than the amount authorized by such ordinance, has a limited set of reasons that an eviction may occur, and requires the payment of relocation fees for certain evictions.
Answering the question of what units are covered by local rent ordinances is often difficult and this article is intended to help you understand what types of units are covered in Inglewood, California. It should be noted that even if not covered by the local ordinance a unit may still be covered by California law (see California Rent Control and Just Cause Covered Units).
The Inglewood ordinance covers all “Dwelling Units” which are defined as “a structure or the part of a structure with facilities for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating that is used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one person who maintains a household or by two or more persons who maintain a common household” except for the following:
- Certain types of transient and tourist hotel occupancies.
- Hospitals, religious facilities, extended care facilities, licensed residential care facilities for the elderly, or adult residential facilities (such as rehabilitation facilities).
- Dormitories owned and operated by a school or institute of higher education.
- Government owned or operated housing or government contracted low income housing.
- Owner-occupied residences with less than one unit or alienable separate units if the owners are natural persons and the tenants have been provided notice that the rental unit is exempt from the articles.
- Housing issued a certificate of occupancy within the last fifteen years.