San Leandro Lawmakers Give the First Thumbs Up To a Draconian Rent Control Ordinance

If it's not broke, why fix it?

The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482) was a balanced piece of legislation that addressed the needs of both tenants and landlords. The law caps rent increases on many rental properties at 5% plus inflation, with a maximum allowable annual increase of 10%. AB 1482 also exempts certain properties like single-family homes and condos, new construction (under 15 years old), and owner-occupied duplexes if specific conditions are met.

Seems like a reasonable compromise, right? Especially in San Leandro, which is a good middle-ground for budget-conscious renters in the Bay Area, offering better value than Silicon Valley or San Francisco. The San Leandro Rent Review Board, tasked with airing out landlord-tenant disputes, is hard-pressed to argue that high rents are an endemic problem; its own annual report points out that there were no cases or hearings on this last year. In fact, the city has seen a decrease in cases since the adoption of AB 1482. This proves that the current law on the books is already effective in keeping San Leandros housed.

San Leandro, then, is an unlikely home to some of the most restrictive rent control anywhere. On Monday, January 12, the City Council approved the first reading of the draft Residential Stabilization Ordinance, with a second reading scheduled to occur on Monday, February 2.

Here's what San Leandro housing providers can expect:.

  • Annual rent increases will be capped at 65% of CPI or 3%, whichever is lower

  • While the ordinance will not take effect until January 1, 2027, the bae rent once it takes effect will be July 1, 2025.

  • The banking of allowable rent increases will be prohibited.

Read the full draft ordinance here →

For more information about the nascent ordinance, the city shared with us the slide deck with a 360-degree view.

A second reading of the ordinance is normally a formality, but we’ll see if there are any changes once the final iteration is off the press in early February. When we first began our legal careers three decades ago, there were only three rent control ordinances, namely San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. Now there are dozens sprinkled throughout the Bay Area, and we’ll add this to the ever-expanding list.

The city has committed to engaging in an outreach campaign to tenants and landlords explaining the new regulatory regime, and this will be a topic of discussion in our February 19th webinar. We hope to see you there for a rousing discussion about a number of changes that 2026 will usher in.