Rialto, a working-class city of roughly 110,000 in San Bernardino County's western Inland Empire, has no local rent control ordinance — California's AB 1482 is the only rent protection available to eligible tenants.·Updated May 2026
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Key Takeaways
Most pre-2011 multi-unit rentals; single-family homes, condos, and units built in the last 15 years are exempt
5% + Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CPI, maximum 10% per year (approximately 8.8% for 2025)
After 12 months of tenancy, landlords must have a legally recognized just-cause reason to evict
Rialto sits along the I-10 corridor in western San Bernardino County, sandwiched between Fontana to the west and San Bernardino to the east. The city has grown steadily as a logistics and warehouse hub, drawing working families priced out of Los Angeles and Orange counties. A significant share of Rialto residents are renters, and the local rental market has seen above-average rent increases driven by Inland Empire-wide demand that accelerated sharply during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rialto has never enacted a local rent control ordinance, and California's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits the city's ability to do so. The primary protection for Rialto renters is California's statewide AB 1482 — the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 — which caps annual rent increases and requires landlords to provide a just-cause reason before evicting tenants who have lived in their unit for 12 months or more.
This article explains which Rialto rental units qualify for AB 1482 protections, how the rent cap is calculated using the local Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CPI, what eviction rules apply, and where to find free legal help in San Bernardino County.
2. Who Is Covered by Rent Control in Rialto?
AB 1482 covers most residential rental units in Rialto whose certificate of occupancy was issued 15 or more years ago. Because the 15-year lookback rolls forward each year, units completed before 2011 are generally covered as of 2026. A tenant must also have lived in the unit for at least 12 months before the rent cap and just-cause eviction rules apply.
The following types of units are exempt from AB 1482 protections:
Single-family homes and condominiums — excluded by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, provided the landlord has delivered the required AB 1482 exemption notice in writing
Units built within the last 15 years — any unit with a certificate of occupancy issued in 2011 or later (as of 2026) is exempt until the 15-year window passes
Owner-occupied duplexes — where the owner resides in the other unit of a two-unit property
Single-family homes owned by corporate entities or real estate investment trusts (REITs) — these do not receive the SFH exemption; AB 1482 can apply
Government-subsidized affordable housing — units with deed restrictions or rental assistance contracts that already impose stricter rent limits (e.g., Section 8 project-based units)
Transient and tourist housing — hotels, motels, and short-term rentals
Dormitories — on-campus housing operated by schools or colleges
If you are unsure whether your Rialto unit qualifies, use the address lookup tool at RentCheckMe to check coverage based on your specific property.
3. Maximum Allowable Rent Increases
For covered units, AB 1482 limits how much a landlord can raise rent in any 12-month period. The formula is 5% plus the percentage change in the local Consumer Price Index, with a hard ceiling of 10%. Rialto falls within the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan CPI region, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For rent increases taking effect in 2025, the applicable CPI figure for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario region is approximately 3.8%, making the allowable cap roughly 8.8% (5% + 3.8%), though landlords must verify the exact figure at the time they issue any notice. The cap resets each year based on the most recently published CPI data.
Additional rules that apply in Rialto under AB 1482:
A landlord cannot raise rent until a tenant has lived in the unit for 12 consecutive months.
Landlords are limited to two rent increases per 12-month period, and the combined total cannot exceed the annual cap.
Unused increase amounts cannot be banked or rolled over to future years — if a landlord raises rent by only 3% one year, they cannot add the unused 5.8% to the following year's increase.
Any rent increase must be preceded by proper written notice: 30 days for increases of 10% or less, 90 days for increases above 10% (though AB 1482 would bar increases above 10% for covered units).
4. Just Cause Eviction Protections
Once a tenant in a covered Rialto unit has resided there for 12 months (or if any occupant has lived there 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
These reasons are tied to tenant behavior. No relocation assistance is owed.
Nonpayment of rent
Material breach of the lease after written notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure
Maintaining a nuisance or causing substantial damage to the unit
Committing criminal activity on the property or against neighbors or management
Subletting without the landlord's permission when the lease prohibits it
Refusing to sign a substantially similar renewal lease after the landlord makes a written request
Failing to vacate after providing the landlord with written notice of intent to move
No-Fault Just Cause
These reasons are not tied to tenant wrongdoing. The landlord must pay the tenant one month's rent as relocation assistance (or waive the final month of rent) before the tenant vacates.
Owner move-in — the landlord or a qualifying family member intends to occupy the unit as their primary residence
Withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act) — the landlord is going out of the rental business entirely for that property
Substantial remodel — work requiring permits that cannot safely be completed with a tenant in place, lasting more than 30 days
Demolition — the landlord has obtained all required permits to demolish the unit
Landlords who use a no-fault reason and do not follow through (e.g., an owner who claims owner move-in but then re-rents the unit within 12 months) may be liable to the displaced tenant for actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees.
5. Local Rules and Special Protections
Rialto has no local rent control ordinance. The city has never passed rent stabilization rules, and there is no Rialto rent board, no local rent registry, and no city-administered hearing process for rent disputes. AB 1482 is the only rent protection available to qualifying tenants, and because it is a state law rather than a local ordinance, it is self-enforced — meaning tenants must recognize a violation and take action themselves, typically through a demand letter, small claims court, or a civil lawsuit.
One structural reason Rialto has not enacted local rent control is the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (California Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), which bars California cities from applying rent control to single-family homes, condominiums, and any unit built after February 1, 1995. Given that a large share of Rialto's rental stock consists of single-family homes and newer construction, local rent control would cover a relatively narrow slice of the market even if the city council pursued it.
For housing code issues — such as habitability problems, code violations, or substandard conditions — tenants can contact the Rialto Code Enforcement Division through the city's housing department at rialtoca.gov/housing. The city also works with the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) to administer housing voucher programs for income-qualified residents. Neither program regulates rent levels or handles landlord-tenant disputes directly.
6. Using RentCheckMe with Official Resources
Start by verifying whether your specific Rialto address is covered by AB 1482 using the RentCheckMe address lookup tool at rentcheckme.com. Enter your address to get a plain-language summary of your unit's likely coverage status.
If you believe your landlord has violated AB 1482 — by raising rent above the cap, evicting you without just cause, or failing to pay required relocation assistance — the following organizations can help:
Inland Counties Legal Services — free civil legal aid for low-income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including landlord-tenant matters. inlandlegal.org
San Bernardino County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service — can connect you with a local attorney for an initial consultation. sbcba.org
Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization; offers a tenant rights hotline and educational resources. tenantstogether.org
Housing Is Key — California's statewide housing assistance program for rent relief and eviction prevention. Call 833-430-2122 or visit housingiskey.com
Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) — administers Section 8 vouchers and affordable housing programs for San Bernardino County residents. hacsb.com
7. Resources for Rialto Tenants
Inland Counties Legal Services — Free civil legal services for low-income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including landlord-tenant disputes and eviction defense.
San Bernardino County Bar Association — Lawyer referral service connecting San Bernardino County residents with attorneys for housing and landlord-tenant matters.
Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization offering a tenant rights hotline, local chapter connections, and AB 1482 guidance.
Housing Is Key — California state program for rent relief and eviction prevention assistance. Hotline: 833-430-2122.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Rent control laws, CPI figures, and AB 1482 interpretations change over time, and the specific facts of your tenancy — unit type, age, lease terms, and landlord ownership structure — affect whether these protections apply to you. If you have a specific legal question or are facing eviction, contact a licensed attorney or 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. Rialto has never enacted a local rent control or rent stabilization ordinance. There is no Rialto rent board and no city-level rent registry. The only rent increase protections available to Rialto tenants come from California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), and only for qualifying units.
How much can my landlord raise my rent in Rialto?
For units covered by AB 1482, your landlord can raise rent by no more than 5% plus the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area CPI, with a hard cap of 10% per year. For 2025, that works out to roughly 8.8%. If your unit is a single-family home, condo, or was built after 2010, AB 1482 likely does not apply and your landlord is not bound by a statutory cap.
Does AB 1482 apply to my rental in Rialto?
AB 1482 generally covers multi-unit residential buildings in Rialto where the certificate of occupancy was issued 15 or more years ago — meaning most units completed before 2011 as of 2026. Single-family homes and condos are exempt under Costa-Hawkins unless they are owned by a corporation or REIT. You must also have lived in the unit for at least 12 months before the protections kick in. Use the RentCheckMe address lookup at rentcheckme.com to check your specific unit.
Can my landlord evict me without cause in Rialto?
If your unit is covered by AB 1482 and you have lived there for 12 or more months, your landlord must provide a legally recognized just-cause reason to evict you. Just-cause reasons include nonpayment of rent, lease violations, owner move-in, and substantial remodel. For no-fault evictions, the landlord must pay one month's rent as relocation assistance. If your unit is exempt from AB 1482 — such as a newer building or single-family home — state just-cause rules do not apply.
Where can I get help with a rent dispute in Rialto?
Inland Counties Legal Services (inlandlegal.org) provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents of San Bernardino County, including landlord-tenant cases. Tenants Together (tenantstogether.org) offers a statewide renter hotline and AB 1482 resources. You can also call California's Housing Is Key line at 833-430-2122 or use the RentCheckMe tool at rentcheckme.com to understand your coverage before reaching out to an attorney.
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