Facts & resources
Rent control in Santa Monica, in plain terms.
How many homes it protects, how the rules work, and where to go for help.
By the numbers
How it works
Typically, units which were built before 1979 are rent-controlled in Santa Monica. So if you live in an older building, it's very likely that you have the great gift of rent control. When a building is under rent control it means that the rent can only be raised by a maximum each year, which is determined by the rent control charter laws. It also means that the tenants inside are protected by a variety of laws, including "just cause evictions," which means that you can't simply be asked to leave because a landlord decides they'd rather have a different tenant. These kinds of protections do not exist everywhere, and Santa Monica and its current and future residents are lucky to have them.