Rent Control in San Bernardino

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1. Overview of Rent Control in San Bernardino

San Bernardino sits at the heart of the Inland Empire in San Bernardino County, roughly 60 miles east of Los Angeles. As one of California's larger inland cities with a population of approximately 222,000, San Bernardino has a notably high renter share — well over half of households rent rather than own. The city's housing market is shaped by its working-class character, proximity to major logistics and distribution employers, and historically lower rents compared to coastal metros, though the post-2020 rent surge hit Inland Empire renters hard.

San Bernardino has never enacted a local rent control ordinance. The city's renters are protected exclusively by California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which imposes an annual rent increase cap and just cause eviction requirements on eligible units. Because AB 1482 is a state law rather than a local ordinance, no San Bernardino city board or agency administers it — enforcement is largely self-driven by tenants, with support from legal aid organizations.

This guide explains which San Bernardino rentals are covered by AB 1482, how much your landlord can legally raise your rent, what justification is required to evict you, and where to find free or low-cost help if your rights are being violated.

2. Who Is Covered by Rent Control in San Bernardino?

AB 1482 covers residential rental units in buildings whose certificate of occupancy was issued 15 or more years ago. Because the rule rolls forward each year, units that received their certificate of occupancy before 2011 are generally covered as of 2026. Tenants must also have lived in the unit for at least 12 months before the rent cap and just cause protections fully apply.

Many San Bernardino rentals — particularly the city's large stock of older apartment complexes and duplexes built in the 1970s through 1990s — fall squarely within AB 1482 coverage. However, several common rental types are exempt:

• Single-family homes and condominiums — exempt under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), unless the owner is a corporation, LLC, or real estate investment trust (REIT), in which case AB 1482 does apply
• 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 mark passes
• Owner-occupied duplexes — where the owner lives in one of the two units
• Government-subsidized affordable housing — units subject to deed restrictions or regulatory agreements with stricter affordability rules are exempt from AB 1482's rent cap
• Transient and hotel accommodations — short-term rentals, hotels, and similar transient housing
• Commercial properties

If you are unsure whether your specific unit is covered, use the RentCheckMe address lookup at rentcheckme.com or contact Inland Counties Legal Services for a free assessment.

3. Maximum Allowable Rent Increases

Under AB 1482, landlords of covered units may raise rent by no more than 5% plus the local Consumer Price Index (CPI) percentage, with an absolute maximum of 10% per year. For San Bernardino, the applicable CPI region is the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area CPI, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For 2025, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CPI sits at approximately 3.8%, making the allowable rent increase cap roughly 8.8% (5% + 3.8%). This cap applies per 12-month period. Landlords must wait until a tenant has resided in the unit for at least 12 continuous months before implementing any AB 1482 rent increase.

A few additional rules renters should know:

• No banking of unused increases — a landlord who skips an increase in one year cannot carry it forward and stack it on a future year's increase
• Only one increase per 12-month period — landlords cannot split an annual increase into multiple smaller increases within the same year to circumvent the cap
• Written notice required — increases of 10% or less require 30 days' written notice; increases of more than 10% (which would be illegal under AB 1482 for covered units) would require 90 days' notice under general California law

If your landlord has raised rent above the allowable cap on a covered unit, that increase is unlawful. Document the increase in writing and contact a legal aid organization immediately.

4. Just Cause Eviction Protections

Once a tenant has lived in a covered San Bernardino rental for 12 months (or once one tenant on a lease has lived there 24 months if there are multiple co-tenants), a landlord must have legally recognized just cause to terminate the tenancy or refuse to renew a lease. There are two categories of just cause under AB 1482:

At-Fault Just Cause

These are reasons based on the tenant's conduct. No relocation assistance is owed to the tenant when eviction is based on at-fault just cause.

• Nonpayment of rent
• Material breach of the lease (after written notice and opportunity to cure)
• Maintaining a nuisance or causing substantial damage to the unit
• Criminal activity on the premises or against other residents or the landlord
• Subletting in violation of the lease
• Refusal to allow lawful entry after proper notice
• Failure to vacate after a lawful lease termination (e.g., end of fixed-term tenancy where the tenant was properly notified at move-in that the tenancy would not be renewed)

No-Fault Just Cause

These are reasons unrelated to the tenant's conduct. The landlord must pay the tenant one month's rent as relocation assistance (or waive the last month's rent) for any no-fault eviction under AB 1482.

• Owner or qualified family member move-in — the landlord or a spouse, parent, child, or grandparent intends to occupy the unit as a primary residence
• Withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act) — the landlord is taking the property off the rental market entirely
• Substantial remodel — work requiring permits that cannot safely be done with a tenant in place and will take at least 30 days
• Demolition of the unit

Landlords attempting a no-fault eviction must provide the required written notice, state the just cause reason, and pay relocation assistance before or at the time of the notice. If your landlord has served you with an eviction notice without stating a valid just cause reason, contact legal aid right away — you may have grounds to contest the eviction.

5. Local Rules and Special Protections

San Bernardino has no local rent control ordinance. The San Bernardino City Council has not enacted any supplemental tenant protections beyond what California state law provides. This means there is no local rent board, no local registration requirement for landlords, and no city-administered complaint process for rent overcharges — AB 1482 is the only rent protection available to eligible renters in the city.

One reason San Bernardino and many other California cities have not enacted local rent control is the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), which prohibits cities from applying rent control to single-family homes, condominiums, and any unit built after February 1, 1995. Given that a large share of San Bernardino's rental housing stock consists of single-family homes and newer construction, even a local ordinance would cover a limited share of the market.

San Bernardino does have city-administered housing programs that may be relevant to renters in financial distress. The City of San Bernardino Housing Division administers community development programs and can provide referrals to rental assistance resources. The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and other affordable housing programs serving city residents. San Bernardino County Human Services also administers emergency rental assistance and other safety-net programs for eligible low-income residents.

Because AB 1482 is self-enforced — meaning there is no agency that proactively audits rent increases or investigates landlord violations — San Bernardino renters need to be proactive. If you believe your landlord has violated AB 1482, your primary options are to negotiate directly with the landlord, file a complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, or pursue a civil claim with assistance from legal aid.

6. Using RentCheckMe with Official Resources

Start by verifying whether your specific San Bernardino rental is covered by AB 1482 using the RentCheckMe address lookup at rentcheckme.com. Enter your address to get a plain-language summary of which protections apply to your unit.

The following organizations provide free or low-cost assistance to San Bernardino renters:

• Inland Counties Legal Services — inlandlegal.org — Free civil legal services for low-income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including tenant rights, eviction defense, and rent dispute assistance. One of the most important local resources for Inland Empire renters.
• San Bernardino County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service — sbcba.org — Referrals to local attorneys including tenant-side landlord-tenant specialists; reduced-fee consultations available.
• City of San Bernardino Housing Division — sbcity.org/housing — City housing programs, rental assistance referrals, and community development resources.
• Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) — hacsb.com — Section 8 vouchers and affordable housing programs for eligible San Bernardino County residents.
• Tenants Together — tenantstogether.org — California's statewide renter advocacy organization; provides tenant rights education, a renter hotline, and organizing support.
• Housing Is Key — housingiskey.com — California's statewide rental assistance and eviction prevention hotline: 833-430-2122. Free support in multiple languages.

7. Resources for San Bernardino Tenants

• Inland Counties Legal Services — Free civil legal services for low-income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including eviction defense and tenant rights.
• City of San Bernardino Housing Division — City-administered housing programs, rental assistance referrals, and community development resources.
• Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino — Administers Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and affordable housing programs for eligible San Bernardino County residents.
• Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization offering tenant rights education, a renter hotline, and organizing support.
• Housing Is Key — California's statewide rental assistance and eviction prevention program. Hotline: 833-430-2122.

8. Important Disclaimer

This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Rent control laws, CPI figures, and AB 1482 exemptions change over time, and individual circumstances vary. If you have a specific legal question about your tenancy, rent increase, or eviction, consult a licensed California attorney or contact a legal aid organization in San Bernardino County.

Frequently Asked Questions