Pico Rivera, a working-class city of roughly 63,000 in southeastern Los Angeles County, has no local rent control ordinance — California's AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) is the only rent cap law protecting eligible renters here.·Updated May 2026
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Key Takeaways
Most pre-2011 multi-family rentals; single-family homes and condos are exempt under Costa-Hawkins
5% + LA Metro CPI, max 10% per year — approximately 8.8% for 2025
After 12 months of tenancy, landlords must have a valid just-cause reason to evict under AB 1482
Pico Rivera sits at the confluence of the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo rivers in the southeast San Gabriel Valley, bordered by Whittier, Downey, and Montebello. The city is a predominantly Latino, blue-collar community where renters make up a significant share of households — roughly 40% of Pico Rivera residents are renters, many of them in older apartment complexes built in the 1960s through 1980s along Rosemead Boulevard, Mines Avenue, and Beverly Boulevard.
Unlike neighboring cities such as Los Angeles or Inglewood, Pico Rivera has never enacted a local rent stabilization ordinance. The closest legal protection available to most Pico Rivera renters is California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which limits annual rent increases and requires landlords to have just cause before evicting tenants who have lived in a unit for at least 12 months. Because AB 1482 is a statewide law — not a local ordinance — there is no Pico Rivera rent board, no local registration system, and no city agency dedicated to enforcing it. Tenants must largely self-enforce their rights or seek outside legal aid.
This article explains exactly which Pico Rivera rental units qualify for AB 1482 protections, how the rent cap is calculated using the Los Angeles metro CPI, what just-cause eviction means in practice, and where to find help if your landlord is not complying with the law.
2. Who Is Covered by Rent Control in Pico Rivera?
AB 1482 applies to residential rental units in Pico Rivera that meet both of the following conditions: (1) the unit's certificate of occupancy was issued at least 15 years ago — meaning, as of 2026, units generally built before 2011 are covered — and (2) the unit is not otherwise exempt under state law. The 15-year threshold rolls forward each year, so units built in 2012 will become covered in 2027, and so on.
A significant number of Pico Rivera's rental stock — older apartment buildings along its commercial corridors and residential streets — falls within this window. However, many units are carved out by exemptions. The following types of rentals are not covered by AB 1482:
Single-family homes and condominiums — excluded statewide by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, regardless of age, unless the landlord is a real estate investment trust (REIT), a corporation, or an LLC in which at least one member is a corporation (in those cases, SFHs may be covered)
Units built within the last 15 years — any Pico Rivera rental with a certificate of occupancy issued in 2011 or later (as of 2026) is exempt until it ages into eligibility
Owner-occupied duplexes — where the landlord lives in one of the two units on the property
Government-subsidized affordable housing — units in HUD-regulated, Section 8 project-based, or other programs with their own stricter rent rules
Transient and hotel accommodations — including short-term rentals and motels
Commercial properties — AB 1482 covers only residential rentals
If you are unsure whether your unit qualifies, use the address lookup tool at RentCheckMe to check your unit's status.
3. Maximum Allowable Rent Increases
For Pico Rivera rentals covered by AB 1482, landlords may raise rent by no more than 5% plus the percentage change in the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a hard maximum of 10% per year, regardless of how high CPI climbs. Pico Rivera falls squarely within the Los Angeles metro CPI region tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For 2025, the applicable LA metro CPI figure produced a combined cap of approximately 8.8% (5% + ~3.8% CPI). This percentage is recalculated annually, so the exact cap changes each year based on local inflation data. Landlords must use the CPI figure for the 12-month period ending in April of the year in which the increase takes effect.
Additional rules tenants should know:
12-month waiting period: A landlord cannot raise rent under AB 1482 until a tenant has lived in the unit for at least 12 months. Before that threshold, there is no cap.
One increase per 12-month period: Landlords may not stack multiple increases within a single 12-month window to exceed the cap.
No banking of unused increases: If a landlord skips a year's increase, they cannot carry that unused percentage forward and add it to a future year's increase.
Written notice required: Rent increases of 10% or less require 30 days' written notice; increases above 10% (which are illegal under AB 1482 for covered units) would require 90 days.
Because there is no local rent board in Pico Rivera, it is the tenant's responsibility to track whether an increase exceeds the legal cap and to challenge unlawful increases through Small Claims Court or with the help of a legal aid organization.
4. Just Cause Eviction Protections
Once a Pico Rivera tenant covered by AB 1482 has continuously resided in a rental unit for 12 months (or, if there are multiple adult tenants, once at least one tenant has been in the unit for 24 months), the landlord must have a legally recognized just cause reason to terminate the tenancy or refuse to renew the lease.
At-Fault Just Cause
At-fault reasons place the basis for eviction on the tenant's conduct. No relocation assistance is owed for at-fault evictions. Valid at-fault reasons include:
Nonpayment of rent
Material breach of a lease term (after written notice and opportunity to cure)
Maintaining a nuisance or causing substantial damage to the property
Criminal activity on or near the property
Refusal to allow lawful entry by the landlord after proper notice
Subletting or assigning the lease without the landlord's permission
Using the unit for an unauthorized purpose
No-Fault Just Cause
No-fault evictions occur when the tenant has done nothing wrong, but the landlord has a lawful reason to reclaim the unit. For these evictions, the landlord must pay the tenant relocation assistance equal to one month's rent. Valid no-fault reasons include:
Owner move-in: The landlord, their spouse, domestic partner, children, or parents intend to occupy the unit as a primary residence
Ellis Act withdrawal: The landlord is taking the entire building off the rental market
Substantial remodel: The landlord is undertaking permitted work requiring the unit to be vacant for at least 30 days (note: this cannot be used as a pretext for tenant displacement)
Demolition: The building is being demolished pursuant to a local permit
Because Pico Rivera has no rent board, tenants who believe they have received an unlawful eviction notice — for example, a no-cause termination after 12 months of tenancy — should immediately contact a legal aid organization or the Housing Rights Center for advice before vacating.
5. Local Rules and Special Protections
Pico Rivera has no local rent control ordinance, no rent stabilization program, and no city rent board. The City of Pico Rivera has not enacted any tenant protection laws beyond what California state law already provides. AB 1482 is the ceiling as well as the floor for rent protections in this city.
This situation is partly shaped by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (California Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), a state law that prohibits cities from enacting rent control on single-family homes, condominiums, and any units built after February 1, 1995. Because a large portion of Pico Rivera's newer rental stock would be categorically exempt under Costa-Hawkins, any local ordinance the city council might consider would have limited reach and would be legally constrained in what it could achieve.
In the absence of a local ordinance, Pico Rivera renters should be aware of the following practical realities:
There is no local hotline or rent board to call if your landlord raises rent illegally — you must reach out to county-level or statewide resources.
AB 1482 is self-enforcing: your landlord is legally required to comply, but you may need to assert your rights proactively, including in court.
The City of Pico Rivera's Housing Division (pico-rivera.org/housing) can provide information on code enforcement and housing programs, but it does not adjudicate rent disputes.
Los Angeles County operates tenant assistance programs and outreach through the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) that Pico Rivera residents can access.
If the California legislature were to repeal or significantly amend Costa-Hawkins — something that has been attempted through ballot initiative twice (Proposition 10 in 2018 and Proposition 21 in 2020, both defeated) — Pico Rivera would then have the legal authority to enact broader local protections. Until then, AB 1482 remains the only rent cap law in effect here.
6. Using RentCheckMe with Official Resources
Start by verifying whether your specific unit is covered by AB 1482 using the RentCheckMe address lookup tool. Enter your Pico Rivera address to see whether your rental meets the 15-year building age threshold and is not otherwise exempt.
If you need legal advice or assistance with a rent dispute, the following organizations serve Pico Rivera tenants:
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) — lafla.org — Free civil legal services for low-income residents of Los Angeles County, including tenant rights and eviction defense. LAFLA has multiple offices in the LA area.
Bet Tzedek Legal Services — bettzedek.org — Free legal aid for LA County residents, with a strong housing and tenant rights practice.
Housing Rights Center — housingrightscenter.org — Provides free tenant counseling, discrimination complaint assistance, and know-your-rights workshops for Southern California renters.
Tenants Together — tenantstogether.org — California's statewide renter advocacy organization; offers a tenant hotline and resources for understanding AB 1482 rights.
Housing Is Key (State of California) — housingiskey.com — Call 833-430-2122 for information on rent relief programs, eviction protections, and referrals to local assistance.
City of Pico Rivera Housing Division — pico-rivera.org/housing — For code enforcement issues, substandard housing complaints, and city housing programs.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Rent control laws, CPI figures, and AB 1482 regulations are subject to change. The 2025 CPI cap figures cited here are estimates based on available data and may differ from the official annual calculation. Every rental situation is different — if you have a specific dispute with your landlord or questions about whether AB 1482 applies to your unit, consult a licensed California attorney or contact a free legal aid organization in Los Angeles County.
Check Your Address
Find out if your home is covered by rent control or tenant protections.
No. Pico Rivera has never enacted a local rent stabilization or rent control ordinance. The only rent increase protection available to Pico Rivera renters is California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which caps annual increases at 5% plus the LA metro CPI (maximum 10%) for qualifying units. There is no Pico Rivera rent board or local enforcement agency.
How much can my landlord raise my rent in Pico Rivera?
If your unit is covered by AB 1482, your landlord may raise rent by no more than 5% plus the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CPI, with a hard cap of 10% per year. For 2025, that translates to approximately 8.8%. This cap only applies after you have lived in the unit for 12 months, and your landlord cannot raise rent more than once in any 12-month period.
Does AB 1482 apply to my rental in Pico Rivera?
AB 1482 covers most Pico Rivera apartments and multi-family units that received their certificate of occupancy before 2011 (as of 2026 — the cutoff rolls forward one year each year). Single-family homes and condos are generally exempt under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or LLC with a corporate member. Owner-occupied duplexes and units built in the last 15 years are also exempt. Use the RentCheckMe address lookup at rentcheckme.com to check your specific unit.
Can my landlord evict me without cause in Pico Rivera?
Once you have lived in a covered unit for 12 months, your landlord must have a legally recognized just-cause reason under AB 1482 to evict you or decline to renew your lease. Just-cause reasons include nonpayment of rent, lease violations, owner move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, substantial remodel, and demolition. For no-fault evictions, the landlord must pay one month's rent as relocation assistance. If you receive a no-cause eviction notice after 12 months, contact the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (lafla.org) or the Housing Rights Center immediately.
Where can I get help with a rent dispute in Pico Rivera?
Because Pico Rivera has no local rent board, tenants must turn to county and statewide resources. The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (lafla.org) and Bet Tzedek Legal Services (bettzedek.org) offer free legal help for income-qualifying LA County residents. The Housing Rights Center (housingrightscenter.org) provides free counseling for Southern California renters. You can also call the California Housing Is Key hotline at 833-430-2122 for referrals and information.
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