Union City, in southern Alameda County along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, has no local rent control ordinance — California's AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act) is the sole rent and eviction protection available to eligible renters here.·Updated May 2026
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Key Takeaways
Most multi-unit rentals built before 2011; single-family homes and condos are exempt under Costa-Hawkins
5% + Bay Area CPI, maximum 10% per year (approximately 8.8% for 2025)
Required after 12 months of tenancy under AB 1482; no local ordinance extends this
Union City sits in southern Alameda County between Fremont and Hayward, roughly 30 miles southeast of San Francisco. With a population of about 75,000, the city is known for its diverse, working-class communities — particularly large Filipino and South Asian populations — and its position as a commuter hub served by BART's Fremont line. Renters make up a significant share of Union City households, and many live in apartment complexes built during the city's rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s.
Union City has never enacted a local rent control ordinance, and under California's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, the city's options for doing so remain sharply limited. The primary protection available to Union City renters is California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which caps annual rent increases and requires landlords to have just cause before evicting a tenant who has lived in a unit for 12 months or more. While meaningful, AB 1482 leaves out a substantial portion of the rental market — including single-family homes, condos, and newer apartments.
This article explains exactly which Union City rentals AB 1482 covers, how the rent cap is calculated using Bay Area CPI data, what just-cause eviction protections look like in practice, and where Union City tenants can turn for free legal help.
2. Who Is Covered by Rent Control in Union City?
AB 1482 applies to residential rental units in Union City that meet two conditions: (1) the building received its certificate of occupancy at least 15 years ago, and (2) the unit is not otherwise exempt. Because the 15-year rule rolls forward each year, units completed through the end of 2010 are generally covered as of 2026; a building that received its certificate of occupancy in 2012 will not be covered until 2027.
Many of Union City's older apartment complexes — particularly the large multi-family buildings along Decoto Road, Alvarado-Niles Road, and near the BART station — likely fall within AB 1482's reach, assuming they are not exempt for another reason.
Units NOT covered by AB 1482 in Union City:
Single-family homes and condominiums — exempt under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), unless the owner has received an exemption notice and the tenant moved in after January 1, 2020
Buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued within the last 15 years (generally post-2010 as of 2026) — new construction is exempt for 15 years from the date of the certificate
Owner-occupied duplexes where the owner lives in one of the two units
Single-family homes owned by a real estate investment trust (REIT), corporation, or LLC with a corporate member — these are exempt even though individual-owner SFH exemptions differ
Dormitories owned and operated by a school or college
Transient and tourist hotels and other short-term lodging
Government-subsidized affordable housing subject to deed restrictions or contracts with their own rent rules (e.g., Section 8 project-based units, tax credit properties)
If you are unsure whether your unit is covered, use the RentCheckMe address lookup at rentcheckme.com or contact Bay Area Legal Aid.
3. Maximum Allowable Rent Increases
For Union City rentals covered by AB 1482, the maximum allowable rent increase in any 12-month period is 5% plus the percentage change in the Bay Area Consumer Price Index (CPI), with an absolute cap of 10% per year. Union City falls within the San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward metropolitan area, so the relevant CPI figure is the Bay Area All-Items CPI published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For increases taking effect in 2025, the Bay Area CPI increase was approximately 3.8%, making the effective cap roughly 8.8% (5% + 3.8%). The cap resets each year as the BLS publishes updated figures; landlords must use the CPI figure for the period ending the month before the intended increase date.
Key rules on timing and frequency:
A landlord cannot raise rent at all during the first 12 months of a new tenancy.
After 12 months, increases are limited to once every 12 months.
Landlords may not give two separate increases in a 12-month period that together exceed the cap — splitting one increase into two notices does not circumvent the formula.
Unused increases do not carry over or accumulate from year to year. If a landlord skips an increase one year, they cannot add that unused headroom to a future year's cap.
Landlords must provide at least 30 days' written notice for increases of 10% or less, and 90 days' written notice for any increase above 10% (which would be unlawful under AB 1482 for covered units). If you receive a notice that appears to exceed the cap, document the date, calculate the allowable percentage yourself using the current Bay Area CPI, and contact a legal aid organization promptly.
4. Just Cause Eviction Protections
Once a tenant has lived in an AB 1482-covered unit in Union City for 12 months (or if any member of the household has lived there for 24 months), the landlord must have a legally recognized just cause to evict. There is no local ordinance that expands these protections further.
At-fault just cause reasons (tenant has done something wrong):
Nonpayment of rent
Material breach of the lease that the tenant has not cured after written notice
Maintaining, committing, or permitting a nuisance
Committing or permitting waste of the property
Unauthorized subletting or assignment of the unit
Criminal activity on the premises or directed at the landlord or other residents
Refusing the landlord lawful entry to the unit
Using the unit for an unlawful purpose
Failure to vacate after a valid notice to quit following a legal non-renewal of a fixed-term lease
No-fault just cause reasons (tenant has not done anything wrong):
Owner or qualified family member move-in — the landlord or a close family member intends to occupy the unit as a primary residence
Withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act) — the landlord is taking the entire building off the rental market
Substantial remodel — work requires a permit and the unit must be vacant for at least 30 days
Demolition of the unit
Relocation assistance for no-fault evictions: When a landlord terminates a tenancy for a no-fault reason under AB 1482, the tenant is entitled to one month's rent in relocation assistance, paid before or at the time the tenant vacates. Alternatively, the landlord may waive the final month's rent instead of paying the assistance directly. Failure to provide this assistance can be a defense against the eviction.
Tenants in units not covered by AB 1482 — such as single-family homes or newer buildings — have no just-cause protection and can generally be evicted at the end of a lease term with proper notice under California's baseline landlord-tenant law.
5. Local Rules and Special Protections
Union City has no local rent control ordinance. The City Council has not passed any rent stabilization measure, and under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (California Civil Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535), any such ordinance would be prohibited from covering single-family homes, condominiums, or units built after February 1, 1995. This means that even if Union City were to adopt a local ordinance, it could only apply to a narrow slice of the city's older multi-family housing stock — and it still has not done so.
As a result, AB 1482 is the only rent and eviction protection that applies in Union City, and unlike cities with local rent boards (such as Oakland or San Jose), there is no Union City agency that administers rent complaints, processes petitions for rent adjustments, or maintains a landlord registration list. Tenants must self-enforce their AB 1482 rights — typically by documenting illegal increases in writing, responding to notices, and seeking help from legal aid organizations or the courts if a landlord does not comply.
Union City does maintain a Housing Division through the Community Development Department that administers the city's affordable housing programs, including Below Market Rate (BMR) units, and can connect residents with some housing-related resources. The city also participates in the Alameda County HOME Consortium for housing assistance funding. However, neither the city nor the county operates a rent board or tenant mediation service for private-market disputes. For housing assistance inquiries, contact the Union City Housing Division at unioncity.org/housing.
6. Using RentCheckMe with Official Resources
Use the RentCheckMe address lookup to quickly check whether your Union City rental address is likely covered by AB 1482, based on building age and unit type. This is the fastest way to understand your baseline protections before contacting an attorney or advocate.
Local and regional resources for Union City tenants:
Bay Area Legal Aid — Free civil legal services for low-income renters throughout the Bay Area, including Alameda County. Bay Area Legal Aid handles eviction defense, unlawful rent increase disputes, and habitability issues.
Centro Legal de la Raza — Free legal services for low-income Latino and immigrant communities in the Bay Area. Given Union City's large Latino population, Centro Legal is a particularly relevant resource for many residents facing housing instability.
Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization; offers a free tenant rights hotline and educational resources on AB 1482 statewide protections.
Alameda County Bar Association — Lawyer referral service and access to pro bono legal resources for Alameda County residents.
Alameda County Housing Authority (HACA) — Administers Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other rental assistance programs for Alameda County, including Union City residents.
Housing Is Key — California's statewide housing resource hub. Call 833-430-2122 for information on renter protections, rental assistance programs, and referrals.
7. Resources for Union City Tenants
Bay Area Legal Aid — Free civil legal services for low-income Bay Area residents, including eviction defense and rent dispute assistance in Alameda County.
Centro Legal de la Raza — Free legal services for low-income Latino and immigrant communities in the Bay Area, with housing law expertise.
Tenants Together — California's statewide renter advocacy organization; offers tenant rights education, a hotline, and organizing support.
Housing Is Key — California's official statewide housing resource hub; call 833-430-2122 for renter protections information and referrals.
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 interpretations can change; the information here reflects conditions as of May 2026. Every rental situation is different, and whether AB 1482 or any other protection applies to your specific unit depends on facts that an attorney or qualified housing counselor should evaluate. If you are facing an eviction, a large rent increase, or another housing dispute, contact a licensed attorney or a free legal aid organization in Alameda County as soon as possible.
Check Your Address
Find out if your home is covered by rent control or tenant protections.
No. Union City has never enacted a local rent control ordinance, and the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits what any California city can regulate under local rent control. The only rent increase and eviction protections available to Union City renters come from California's statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), which covers qualifying older multi-family units but excludes single-family homes, condos, and newer buildings.
How much can my landlord raise my rent in Union City?
If your unit is covered by AB 1482, your landlord can raise rent by a maximum of 5% plus the Bay Area Consumer Price Index percentage, with a hard cap of 10% per year. For 2025, the Bay Area CPI increase was approximately 3.8%, making the effective cap about 8.8%. Your landlord cannot raise rent at all during your first 12 months of tenancy, and unused increase amounts do not roll over to future years.
Does AB 1482 apply to my rental in Union City?
AB 1482 applies to most multi-family rental units in Union City where the building received its certificate of occupancy at least 15 years ago — meaning units completed through 2010 are generally covered as of 2026. Key exemptions include single-family homes, condominiums, owner-occupied duplexes, and any building completed after that 15-year rolling cutoff. Use the RentCheckMe address lookup at rentcheckme.com or contact Bay Area Legal Aid to confirm your unit's status.
Can my landlord evict me without cause in Union City?
If your unit is covered by AB 1482 and you have lived there for at least 12 months, your landlord must have a legally recognized just cause — such as nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, an owner move-in, or an Ellis Act withdrawal — before serving an eviction notice. For no-fault evictions, you are entitled to one month's rent in relocation assistance. Tenants in exempt units (single-family homes, condos, newer buildings) do not have just-cause protection and can be terminated at the end of a lease with proper notice.
Where can I get help with a rent dispute in Union City?
Union City has no local rent board, so tenants must seek help from outside organizations. Bay Area Legal Aid (baylegal.org) provides free legal services to low-income Alameda County renters and handles rent increase disputes and eviction defense. Centro Legal de la Raza (centrolegal.org) offers free legal help for Latino and immigrant residents. You can also call Housing Is Key at 833-430-2122 or visit housingiskey.com for statewide renter resources and referrals.
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