TL;DR
Sacramento's Tenant Protection and Relief Act (2019) covers pre-February-1995 multi-unit rentals with a cap mirroring AB 1482 (5% + CPI, max 10%). Just-cause applies from day one of tenancy under the TPRA, not after 12 months. Units outside the TPRA may still be reached by AB 1482.
Who falls under the TPRA
The TPRA covers multi-unit residential rentals in buildings with COs issued on or before February 1, 1995. The rule mirrors Santa Ana's CO threshold (same 1995 cutoff). Exempt: post-1995 construction, single-family homes, individually-owned condos, hotels, dorms, and government-owned subsidized housing under separate frameworks.
The rent cap
The TPRA cap is the lesser of 5% + local CPI or 10% — effectively the same as AB 1482's formula. Where the TPRA differs is the just-cause framework, the procedural overlays, and the day-one applicability.
Just cause from day one
The biggest practical difference between the TPRA and AB 1482: just-cause eviction rules apply from the start of the tenancy, not after 12 months. AB 1482 gives owners a 12-month window where no-cause termination is still possible; the TPRA closes that window on day one for covered units.
First-year owners get this wrong
An owner who acquires a TPRA-covered unit and serves a 30-day "for convenience" notice in the first six months of tenancy has served an invalid notice. The TPRA requires a statutory just cause regardless of tenure on covered units.
Habitability and STR rules
Sacramento enforces state §1941.1 habitability standards through Community Development. No REAP-style escrow exists. STR permits are required for short-term rentals citywide, with restrictions in residential zones. TOT remittance is required.
Practical compliance for a Sacramento owner
- Verify the building's CO date — pre-February-1995 means TPRA coverage.
- For covered units: maintain just-cause documentation from day one of every tenancy.
- Track rent increases against the TPRA/AB 1482 cap — pull the current CPI before any notice.
- For SFRs and post-1995 units, AB 1482 may still apply; the §1946.2(e) exemption notice is the relevant document.
Common questions — Sacramento landlord laws
Does Sacramento have rent control?
Yes, the Tenant Protection and Relief Act. Cap mirrors AB 1482: 5% + local CPI, max 10%.
What does the TPRA cover?
Multi-unit residential rentals with COs issued on or before February 1, 1995.
What is different from AB 1482?
Just-cause applies from day one, not after 12 months. Some procedural overlays. Otherwise the rent cap math is the same.
Do I have to register?
No general long-term registry under the TPRA. STR permits required for short-term rentals.
What if my unit is outside the TPRA?
It may still be AB 1482-covered at the state level. SFRs and individual-condo carve-outs require the §1946.2(e) exemption notice.
CA Landlord Laws