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Palm Springs, located in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, is a desert resort city known for its mid-century modern architecture and large retiree and seasonal renter population. Rapid rent increases in the late 1970s prompted the city to act, and in 1980 Palm Springs adopted its City of Palm Springs Rent Control Ordinance. The ordinance has been amended over the years — most significantly by Measure H in 1990 and Measure KK in 1994 — to refine coverage, introduce vacancy decontrol, and strengthen landlord registration requirements.
The ordinance establishes rent stabilization for qualifying residential units built before April 1, 1979, using 1979 as the base year for rent calculations. Annual rent increases are limited to 75% of the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and landlords must maintain the same level of services they provided in 1979. Oversight is handled by the Palm Springs Rent Review Commission, a five-member body that hears hardship petitions, interprets the ordinance, and makes recommendations to the City Council.
Many Palm Springs rental units — particularly those built after April 1, 1979, single-family homes, and condominiums — fall outside the local ordinance. Those units may still be protected by California's AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which caps annual rent increases at 5% plus local CPI (maximum 10%) and requires just-cause justification for evictions in eligible buildings statewide.
The Palm Springs Rent Control Ordinance covers residential rental units that meet all of the following criteria:
Units exempt from the local ordinance include:
Vacancy decontrol: Since December 17, 1994 (following Measure KK), landlords may set new rental rates without restriction when a covered unit becomes vacant — with the exception of units in mobile home parks, which retain rent control protections upon vacancy.
AB 1482 backstop: If your unit is exempt from the local ordinance — because it was built after April 1, 1979, or is a single-family home or condominium — you may still qualify for protections under California's AB 1482, which applies to multifamily buildings at least 15 years old that are not otherwise exempt. AB 1482 caps increases at 5% plus local CPI (max 10%) and requires just cause for eviction.
For units covered by the Palm Springs Rent Control Ordinance, annual rent increases are governed by the following rules:
Annual adjustment: The allowable increase percentage is recalculated each year based on the Los Angeles-area CPI published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tenants and landlords should check with the Palm Springs Rent Review Commission for the current year's allowable percentage before any increase is applied.
Hardship petitions: If a landlord believes the CPI-based cap prevents a fair return on investment, they may petition the Rent Review Commission for a higher increase. The Commission evaluates the landlord's financials and determines whether a greater increase is justified.
Landlord registration requirement: Landlords must register covered units with the city and pay annual registration fees. Rent increases are prohibited for any unit that is not properly registered.
Pass-throughs: The ordinance does not include an explicit capital improvement pass-through mechanism outside the hardship petition process.
The Palm Springs Rent Control Ordinance includes eviction control provisions that restrict a landlord's ability to remove tenants from covered units without a legally recognized reason. Permissible grounds for eviction under the ordinance generally include:
At-fault reasons (tenant-caused):
No-fault reasons (landlord-caused):
Relocation assistance: The ordinance contemplates relocation assistance in certain no-fault eviction scenarios; tenants facing no-fault evictions should contact the Rent Review Commission to confirm current requirements.
Interaction with AB 1482: Units not covered by the local ordinance but subject to AB 1482 are also protected from no-fault evictions without just cause. AB 1482 requires relocation assistance equal to one month's rent for no-fault terminations.
Palm Springs Rent Review Commission
The Rent Review Commission is a five-member body appointed by the City Council. It meets as needed (rather than on a fixed monthly schedule) to:
Landlord registration: All landlords with covered units must register annually with the city and pay the applicable registration fee. Failure to register prohibits the landlord from lawfully imposing any rent increase. Tenants may report unregistered landlords to the city.
How to file a petition: Both landlords and tenants may file petitions with the Rent Review Commission. Contact the City of Palm Springs Community & Economic Development Department to obtain petition forms, learn about filing deadlines, and find out when the next Commission hearing is scheduled.
Service level protections: Landlords are required to maintain the same level of services (parking, laundry, landscaping, utilities included in rent, etc.) as were provided in 1979. Any documented reduction in services gives tenants grounds to petition for a corresponding rent decrease.
Anti-harassment: While the ordinance does not contain a standalone anti-harassment chapter, tenants who experience landlord harassment in connection with rent or eviction matters may file complaints with the city and may have remedies under California Civil Code Section 1940.2 and other state law protections.
Use RentCheckMe's address checker to instantly look up whether your Palm Springs address falls under the local Rent Control Ordinance or California's AB 1482 statewide protections.
Palm Springs Rent Review Commission is your primary contact for questions about rent increases, registration, petitions, and eviction protections under the local ordinance. Reach the Commission through the City of Palm Springs Community & Economic Development Department at palmspringsca.gov.
Additional resources:
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Rent control laws and local ordinances are subject to change; the Palm Springs Rent Control Ordinance has been amended multiple times since its 1980 adoption. For guidance specific to your unit, contact the Palm Springs Rent Review Commission, a qualified tenant rights attorney, or a local legal aid organization such as Inland Counties Legal Services.
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