Sacramento, Calif. — The California Apartment Association (CAA) recently concluded its 2024 Year-End Legislative Report, an extensive seminar detailing new regulations that will affect rental housing providers beginning in 2025. This initial session will be followed by a second webinar on December 18, aimed at providing landlords with compliance tools, updated forms, and essential resources to navigate these legislative changes.
Throughout the event, CAA executive vice president of state public affairs, Debra Carlton, shared insights into the vast legislative activities that have transpired over the year. “With over 3,000 bills introduced by the legislature, more than 1,000 bills received the governor’s approval. Additionally, there were 189 bills vetoed,” Carlton explained.
Although not every bill required intense scrutiny, the association took a strategic position on 126 bills, lobbying for 70 of these, which were forwarded to the governor. Carlton noted the meticulous process involved in determining CAA’s advocacy approach.
The webinar also included discussions facilitated by other prominent CAA members, including Whitney Prout, executive vice president of legal affairs, and Embert P. Madison Jr., state advocacy and compliance counsel. Each shared their perspectives on the upcoming legal shifts and their potential impacts on property management.
Several significant laws were highlighted during the webinar. Among them, AB 2801 will require landlords to document security deposit deductions with photographs throughout the tenancy, which must then be shared with tenants using specified delivery methods. In addition, AB 2747 mandates that larger property owners offer tenants the option to report positive rent payments to consumer reporting agencies.
Other measures include AB 2493, introducing specific provisions landlords must follow when charging application screening fees, and SB 611 that prohibits fees for delivering notices or accepting rent paid by check. Additionally, SB 1051 mandates landlords to change locks at their expense within 24 hours when requested by tenants documented as survivors of domestic violence, stalking, or human trafficking.
In terms of measures facing opposition, CAA effectively halted several proposed legislations. For instance, AB 2187, which would have set up a tenant-centric Office of Tenant Rights and Protections, was opposed on the grounds of creating an unbalanced approach and additional taxpayer costs. Other contested proposals included AB 2384, which would have required emergency phones at all public pools, and AB 2216, concerning pet policies in rental properties.
Moreover, the association expressed concerns over AB 1786, which proposed the indefinite extension of emergency states based on climate conditions, posing potentially severe implications for rental housing providers.
Looking ahead, Prout announced detailed coverage of these topics in the upcoming webinar, which promises a deeper dive into compliance strategies.
To prepare for these changes, the December 18 Year-End Compliance Review webinar will become an essential resource. It offers live sessions and on-demand access with compliance guidance explicitly tailored for housing providers facing operational challenges in the new legislative landscape. The session is free to CAA members, with a nominal fee of $10 for on-demand access.
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