City of Burbank
Potential Local Rent Cap Study

Thank you for providing your feedback!

In September 2024, the City completed a comprehensive public outreach and community meeting series designed to hear from Burbank residents like you and get your thoughts on a potential local rent cap on rental units in Burbank.

Tuesday, October 15 Burbank City Council
Meeting Documents

  1. Pivotal Strategies Potential Local Rent Cap Study Presentation

  2. Appendix - Potential Local Rent Cap Study - Additional Open-Ended Comments

  3. FM3 Rent Cap Issues Survey Presentation at October 15 meeting

  4. FM3 Rent Cap Issues Survey Full Report

Thank you for sharing your thoughts

The City hosted several in-person and virtual community meetings to better understand your priorities and thoughts on a potential local rent cap in Burbank.

What Was Covered:

  • Existing protection under the California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482)

  • Tenant protections put in place during the last 18 months

  • Potential ideas for a local rent cap

  • Enforcement and administration of any potential rent cap

Each meeting provided the same information to ensure Burbank residents had multiple scheduling options to attend a meeting.

Meeting dates, times & locations

Thank you to everybody who joined our in-person and virtual community meetings or provided their feedback online. Recordings of our virtual meetings are available below.

Saturday, September 7
9:00 AM

In-Person
The Joslyn Adult Center
1301 W. Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA 91506

Monday, September 9
12:00 PM

Virtual

Watch Recording

Thursday, September 12
6:00 PM

In-Person
Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport
2500 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505

Meeting is in the City Ballroom located behind the hotel guest check-in desk.

Tuesday, September 17
6:00 PM

Virtual

Watch Recording

Wednesday, September 25
6:00 PM

In-Person
The Hotel Burbank
150 E. Angeleno Ave.
Burbank, CA 91502

Meeting is located in the Grand Ballroom located past the hotel guest check-in desk.

Want to learn more?

What is the California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482)?

California Assembly Bill (AB) 1482, or the California Tenant Protection Act, went into effect on January 1, 2020. This State law limits rent increases and provides eviction protections and relocation assistance for statewide tenants.

  • AB 1482 eviction protections only apply to a California tenant after they have continuously and lawfully lived in the unit for at least 12 months, or in the case of multiple tenants either all of the tenants have occupied the unit for at least 12 months or at least one tenant has occupied the unit for at least 24 months.

    An owner of a rental unit shall not terminate a tenancy without providing a just cause statement, which must be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy.

    Further, the law distinguishes between at-fault and no-fault evictions, and in the case of no-fault eviction the law requires an owner of a rental unit to assist a tenant to relocate by providing relocation assistance or rent waiver equal to one month of the tenant’s rent that was in effect when the notice to terminate the tenancy was issued.

  • Annual rent increases are limited to no more than 5% plus the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the region in which a residential rental unit is located, or 10%, whichever is less. Annual rent increases for tenants living continuously in a residential rental unit for at least 12 months can occur in no more than two increments provided the overall rent increase does not exceed the state mandated rent cap. These State law limits don’t apply to units that are subject to a local rent control provision imposing a lower rent cap.

  • California Senate Bill (SB) 567 went into effect on April 1, 2024, and expires on January 1, 2030. SB 567 amends certain provisions related to just cause evictions contained in AB 1482 and provides remedies to tenants for any violations of AB 1482’s just cause eviction and rent cap provisions. SB 567 does not make any changes to the state mandated rent cap contained in AB 1482.

  • California tenants are protected by state just cause provisions, unless they live in one of the following unit(s):

    • A residential rental unit that is  protected under just cause for termination provision of a local ordinance adopted on or before September 1, 2019.

    • A residential rental unit that is subject to just cause for termination provision of a local ordinance adopted or amended after September 1, 2019, that is more protective than the state law.

    • A single-family, owner-occupied residence that is a mobile home or an owner-occupied, single-family residence where the owner rents no more than two bedrooms or units, including accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units.

    • A residential rental unit where tenant shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the owner, and the owner lives at the property as their principal residence.

    • A residential rental unit provided by a nonprofit hospital, religious facility, extended care facility, licensed extended care facility for the elderly or an adult residential facility.

    • A transient and tourist hotel occupancy

    • A residential rental unit that is part of a duplex, wherein the owner occupies one of the units as primary residency for the entire duration of the tenancy.

    • Dormitories owned and operated by certain educational institutions

    • A residential rental unit that has been issued their certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years, unless the unit is a mobile home

    • A single-family home/condo/mobile home where the owner is not a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or a limited liability company in which at least one member is a corporation, and the owner provides the tenant with a written notice of exemption as detailed in the state law

    • Affordable residential rental unit that is restricted by a deed, regulatory restrictions, or other recorded document limiting the affordability to very-low, low, or moderate-income households or the unit is subject to an agreement that provides housing subsidies for affordable housing for persons and families of very low, low, or moderate income

The following properties are exempt from both state-mandated rent cap and just cause provisions:

A residential rental unit that has been issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years.

Affordable residential rental unit that is restricted by a deed, regulatory restrictions, or other recorded document limiting the affordability to very-low, low, or moderate-income households or the unit is subject to an agreement that provides housing subsidies for affordable housing for persons and families of very low, low, or moderate income.

Dormitories owned and operated by certain educational institutions.

A single-family home/condo/mobile home where the owner is not a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or a limited liability company in which at least one member is a corporation, and the owner provides the tenant with a written notice of exemption as detailed in the state law.

What Has the City Done So Far for Rent Stabilization?

At the January 31, 2023, Council meeting, staff presented a first-step report on tenant protections and rent caps that included information on Assembly Bill (AB) 1482, also known as the California Tenant Protection Act (effective January 1, 2020). Council direction that evening included a Study Session on AB 1482 and a second step report on tenant protections that includes successful strategies in other cities (including programs, policies, education, outreach, and other programmatic components). Council also requested a community outreach plan to follow the second step report.

  • The AB 1482 Study Session was held on August 8, 2023.  At the end of the study session, Council provided short-term, medium-term, and long-term direction to staff on next steps. Further, the Council directed staff to hold an Ad Hoc meeting with landlords and tenants to develop possible solutions for several concerns raised during the study session and gather information that could supplement the second step report. The Landlord Tenant Ad Hoc Roundtable Meeting was held on January 18, 2024, and staff presented a report to Council summarizing the feedback on February 13, 2024.

  • Short-term direction included the development of a Tenant Protection Urgency Ordinance to provide further just cause protections beyond what is included in AB 1482. Subsequently, on September 12, 2023, Council approved Urgency Ordinance No. 23-3999, prohibiting the termination of certain residential tenancies without just cause in the City of Burbank and increasing the relocation assistance for certain terminations.

  • Medium-term direction was a synopsis of landlord tenant strategies and associated regulations adopted by eight different jurisdictions identified by the Council under four categories: Cap on Rent Increases, Tenant Protection Measures, Access to Legal/Professional Resources, and Enforcement Mechanisms.

    On April 23, 2024 (Item 5), staff presented a synopsis of landlord tenant strategies for eight jurisdictions including the cities of Bell Gardens, Beverly Hills, Claremont, Culver City, Glendale, Long Beach, Pasadena, and Los Angeles County.

    After deliberation, the Council directed staff to return with a proposed amended Urgency Ordinance No. 23-3999, that provides increase relocation assistance for all forms of no-fault just cause evictions as outlined in California Civil Code section 1946.2, with an exemption from the increased relocation assistance requirement for “mom and pop” landlords, and to include provisions on anti-retaliation. 

    During the annual budget cycle, the City Council passed a motion directing City staff to explore a potential cap on rent increases along with a cost analysis for any proposal, alongside comprehensive community outreach efforts. On June 25, 2024 (Item 9), the Council approved to conduct a communitywide survey for a potential local rent cap in the city.

    On July 16, 2024, (Item 6) the City Council introduced an ordinance amending Chapter 4 (Residential Tenant Protections) of Title 5 (Police and Public Safety) by increasing relocation assistance for all no-fault just cause evictions and adding anti-retaliation tenant protections. The ordinance was adopted by the City Council on July 30, 2024.

  • The long-term direction is to review the purview, limitations, and assistance provided by the Landlord-Tenant Commission.