Chino, a growing city in San Bernardino County's western Inland Empire, has no local rent control ordinance. California's AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act) is the primary protection available to eligible renters.·Updated May 2026
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Key Takeaways
Most pre-2011 rentals (15+ year rolling rule); single-family homes and condos are exempt under Costa-Hawkins
5% + Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CPI, maximum 10% per year (approximately 8.8% for 2025 in the Inland Empire region)
After 12 months of tenancy, landlords must have a legally recognized at-fault or no-fault reason to evict
Chino sits in the western Inland Empire, bordered by Chino Hills, Ontario, and Montclair in San Bernardino County. Once defined by its dairy industry, the city has transformed into a dense suburban community of roughly 90,000 residents, with a significant share of households renting in apartment complexes, townhomes, and single-family rentals. Proximity to the 60, 71, and 10 freeways has made Chino an attractive bedroom community for workers commuting to Los Angeles, Orange County, and the broader Inland Empire job market—and that demand has put persistent upward pressure on rents.
Chino has never enacted a local rent control ordinance, and California's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits what any city can do on that front. However, California's statewide AB 1482—the Tenant Protection Act of 2019—does provide meaningful protections for many Chino renters: a cap on annual rent increases and a requirement that landlords show just cause before evicting a tenant who has lived in a unit for at least 12 months.
This article explains exactly which Chino rentals AB 1482 covers, how the rent cap is calculated using the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro CPI, what counts as just cause for eviction, and where Chino renters can find free or low-cost legal help.
2. Who Is Covered by Rent Control in Chino?
AB 1482 applies to residential rental units in Chino whose certificate of occupancy was issued 15 or more years ago. Because the rule is a rolling 15-year window, units built before approximately 2011 are generally covered as of 2026. The 12-month tenancy threshold must also be met—a tenant must have lived in the unit for at least 12 months before the rent cap and just-cause eviction protections kick in.
The following categories of Chino rentals are exempt from AB 1482:
Single-family homes and condominiums — exempt under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), unless the owner is a real estate investment trust (REIT), a corporation, or an LLC in which at least one member is a corporation. Owners of exempt SFH and condo units must provide written notice of the exemption in the lease.
Units built within the last 15 years — any Chino unit with a certificate of occupancy issued after approximately 2011 is not covered; this cutoff advances each year.
Owner-occupied duplexes — if the owner lives in the other unit of a two-unit building, both units are exempt.
Government-subsidized affordable housing — units subject to deed restrictions or operating agreements that already impose stricter rent limits (e.g., Section 8 project-based housing) have their own regulatory framework.
Transient occupancy — hotels, motels, and short-term rentals are not covered.
Commercial properties — AB 1482 is residential only.
If you are unsure whether your Chino rental qualifies, use RentCheckMe's address lookup tool or contact Inland Counties Legal Services for a free assessment.
3. Maximum Allowable Rent Increases
For covered units in Chino, AB 1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus the local Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a hard ceiling of 10% per year. Chino falls within the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan statistical area for CPI purposes. Based on recent CPI data for that region, the effective cap for 2025 is approximately 8.8% (5% + roughly 3.8% CPI), though the exact figure is recalculated each year using April-to-April CPI measurements published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Additional rules governing rent increases under AB 1482 in Chino:
12-month waiting period: A landlord cannot impose any AB 1482-capped increase until the tenant has lived in the unit for at least 12 months.
No more than two increases per year: Landlords may raise rent up to twice in any 12-month period, but the combined total cannot exceed the annual cap.
No banking of unused increases: If a landlord skips an increase in a given year, they cannot carry that unused percentage forward and stack it onto a future year's cap.
Notice requirements: Increases of 10% or less require at least 30 days' written notice; increases above 10% (which are not permitted under AB 1482 for covered units) would require 90 days.
Tenants in Chino who believe their landlord has exceeded the AB 1482 cap should document the increase in writing and contact Inland Counties Legal Services or Tenants Together for guidance on challenging an unlawful rent hike.
4. Just Cause Eviction Protections
Once a Chino tenant has lived in a covered unit for 12 months (or if any tenant in the household has lived there for 24 months), the landlord must have a legally recognized just cause reason to terminate the tenancy. AB 1482 divides just cause into two categories:
At-Fault Just Cause — the tenant has done something that justifies eviction:
Nonpayment of rent
Material breach of the lease after written notice to cure
Maintaining a nuisance or causing substantial damage to the unit
Committing criminal activity on the property
Subletting without the landlord's permission in violation of the lease
Refusing the landlord lawful entry after proper notice
Using the unit for an unlawful purpose
Failing to vacate after a lawful lease expiration when the tenant did not accept a written renewal offer with similar terms
No-Fault Just Cause — the landlord has a legitimate reason unrelated to tenant behavior:
Owner or qualifying family member move-in
Withdrawal of the unit from the rental market under the Ellis Act
Substantial remodel requiring the unit to be vacant for 30+ days (tenant has right of first refusal to return)
Demolition of the unit with proper permits
Government order requiring the tenant to vacate
Relocation Assistance: For any no-fault eviction, the landlord must pay the displaced Chino tenant one month's rent as relocation assistance, or waive the final month of rent. This payment is required before or concurrent with the notice to vacate. Failure to pay relocation assistance can be used as a defense against an unlawful detainer action.
5. Local Rules and Special Protections
Chino has no local rent control ordinance. The city has never passed rent stabilization rules of its own, and under California's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), Chino—like most California cities without a pre-1995 ordinance—is significantly constrained in what local rent protections it could enact even if it wanted to. Costa-Hawkins prohibits cities from imposing rent control on units built after February 1, 1995, single-family homes, or condominiums, which covers the majority of Chino's newer rental stock.
In practice, this means that Chino renters have no local rent board to file complaints with, no local mediation program for rent disputes, and no city-administered tenant assistance hotline focused specifically on landlord-tenant matters. AB 1482 is self-enforcing: the state does not proactively audit landlords, so tenants must identify violations themselves and take action—typically by raising the issue in response to an unlawful detainer filing or by filing a civil claim.
The City of Chino's Housing Division (chinoca.org/housing) and the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (hacsb.com) provide programs related to affordable housing, Section 8 vouchers, and housing assistance, but neither administers rent control or mediates rent disputes under AB 1482. San Bernardino County Human Services (hss.sbcounty.gov) may be able to connect renters facing housing instability with emergency rental assistance resources.
Chino renters who believe their landlord has violated AB 1482 should document everything in writing and reach out to Inland Counties Legal Services, which serves San Bernardino County residents at no cost to qualifying low-income tenants.
6. Using RentCheckMe with Official Resources
Start by using RentCheckMe's address lookup tool to quickly verify whether your Chino rental unit is covered by AB 1482. Enter your address and get a plain-language summary of which protections apply to your specific unit based on its age and type.
If you need legal help or more information, the following organizations serve Chino renters:
Inland Counties Legal Services — free civil legal aid for low-income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including landlord-tenant matters, eviction defense, and AB 1482 violations.
Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization; provides know-your-rights resources, referrals, and tenant organizing support.
San Bernardino County Bar Association — lawyer referral service; can connect tenants with attorneys who handle landlord-tenant law in San Bernardino County.
Housing Is Key — California's official housing assistance portal for renters and landlords; call 833-430-2122 for rental assistance programs and housing counseling.
Inland Counties Legal Services — Free civil legal aid for low-income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including eviction defense and AB 1482 tenant protections.
Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization offering know-your-rights guides, referrals, and tenant organizing resources.
Housing Is Key — California's official housing assistance portal; call 833-430-2122 for rental assistance programs and housing counseling statewide.
San Bernardino County Bar Association — Lawyer referral service connecting San Bernardino County residents with attorneys who practice landlord-tenant and housing law.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Rent control and tenant protection laws change frequently, and individual circumstances vary. If you have a specific landlord-tenant dispute or legal question about AB 1482 as it applies to your Chino rental, consult a licensed California attorney or contact a qualified legal aid organization in San Bernardino County.
Check Your Address
Find out if your home is covered by rent control or tenant protections.
No. Chino has no local rent control ordinance. The only rent increase protections available to Chino renters come from California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which caps annual increases at 5% plus the local CPI (maximum 10%) for eligible units. California's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits what local governments can enact, which is one reason Chino—like most Inland Empire cities—has never passed a local ordinance.
How much can my landlord raise my rent in Chino?
If your unit is covered by AB 1482, your landlord can raise your rent by no more than 5% plus the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area CPI, with a hard cap of 10% in any 12-month period. For 2025, that works out to approximately 8.8%. The cap does not apply until you have lived in the unit for at least 12 months, and landlords cannot stack unused increases from prior years.
Does AB 1482 apply to my rental in Chino?
AB 1482 covers most Chino rental units whose certificate of occupancy was issued 15 or more years ago—generally units built before 2011 as of 2026. Key exemptions include single-family homes and condos (unless owned by a corporation or REIT), units built within the last 15 years, and owner-occupied duplexes. Use RentCheckMe's address lookup at rentcheckme.com to check your specific unit, or contact Inland Counties Legal Services at inlandlegal.org for a free eligibility assessment.
Can my landlord evict me without cause in Chino?
If you have lived in a covered unit for at least 12 months, AB 1482 requires your landlord to have a legally recognized just cause reason to evict you—either an at-fault reason (like nonpayment of rent or a lease violation) or a no-fault reason (like owner move-in or Ellis Act withdrawal). For no-fault evictions, the landlord must also pay you one month's rent as relocation assistance. Chino has no additional local eviction protections beyond AB 1482.
Where can I get help with a rent dispute in Chino?
Chino has no local rent board or mediation program, so tenants generally need to seek outside help. Inland Counties Legal Services (inlandlegal.org) provides free legal aid to qualifying low-income residents of San Bernardino County and handles eviction defense and AB 1482 issues. You can also call Housing Is Key at 833-430-2122 or visit housingiskey.com for rental assistance and housing counseling, or contact the San Bernardino County Bar Association (sbcba.org) for a lawyer referral.
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