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Anaheim, CA · Orange County’s largest city (~346,000) · No local rent stabilization ordinance — AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) applies exclusively

Anaheim rent control 2026 No local RSO. AB 1482 applies: 2026 cap ≈ 8% (5% + ~3% LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI, below 10% ceiling). Orange County has zero local RSOs.

The City of Anaheim, California — Orange County’s largest city (approximately 346,000 residents) and home to the Disneyland Resort — has no local rent stabilization ordinance (RSO) or rent control law. Anaheim is governed exclusively by California’s statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019, Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12), effective January 1, 2020. For 2026 with the LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA Consumer Price Index running approximately 3%, the AB 1482 maximum annual rent increase for a covered Anaheim unit is approximately 8% (5% + 3% CPI, below the 10% absolute ceiling). No Orange County city has enacted a local RSO — Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fullerton, and all 34 OC municipalities are AB-1482-only. The contrast with neighboring Long Beach (in LA County, approximately 15 miles to the northwest via the 605 freeway) is striking: Long Beach’s TPFRA RSO caps pre-1995 buildings at approximately 3% while Anaheim’s pre-2011 buildings face approximately 8% — a 5pp gap across a county line. Just-cause eviction under AB 1482 §1946.2 applies to covered Anaheim units after 12 months of tenancy.

Anaheim’s 2026 cap: AB 1482 formula

Under California Civil Code §1947.12(a)(1), the maximum annual rent increase for a covered Anaheim residential rental unit is the lesser of:

  1. 5.0% plus the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area for the 12-month period ending on April 1 of the year prior to the increase (or the most recently published 12-month period ending before the effective date of the increase); OR
  2. 10.0% absolute ceiling.

For 2026, LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI (April 2025 – April 2026, or the closest published window) is running approximately 3.0%. Calculation: 5% + 3% = 8%, below the 10% ceiling. Anaheim’s 2026 AB 1482 rent-cap is approximately 8%.

An important geographic note: the MSA name explicitly includes “Anaheim” — the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim MSA is the BLS CPI measurement region that covers all of Los Angeles County and Orange County. Anaheim being named in the MSA title reflects only that Anaheim’s economic activity is captured within this CPI geographic unit; it does not mean Anaheim gets a different CPI percentage than other cities in the region. Every OC and LA County city without a local RSO uses the same approximately 3% LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI for 2026, producing the same ~8% AB 1482 cap.

Anaheim’s ~8% AB 1482 cap contrasts with every nearby jurisdiction that has a local RSO:

  • Long Beach TPFRA (LBMC §8.99.010) — ~3% for 2026. ~15 miles northwest via the 605 and 91 freeways.
  • LA City RSO (LAMC §151) — ~3% for 2026. Applies within LA city limits only.
  • Inglewood RSO (IMC §8-420) — ~3% for 2026.
  • Pasadena Charter Art. XVIII (Measure H) — ~2.25% for 2026. ~25 miles northwest via the 57 and 210 freeways.
  • Santa Ana (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent south.
  • Garden Grove (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent southwest.
  • Fullerton (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent north.
  • Buena Park (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent northwest.

Which Anaheim units does AB 1482 cover?

AB 1482 covers Anaheim residential rental units unless the unit falls into one of the statutory exemptions in Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(d):

  • Newly constructed units (15-year rolling exemption). Units in buildings that received their certificate of occupancy within the prior 15 years are exempt. For 2026 increases, buildings completed in or after approximately 2011 are exempt. The window is rolling: a 2012-built Anaheim building becomes AB-1482-covered in 2027. Anaheim has seen multi-family residential development near transit corridors and the Platinum Triangle (Anaheim Canyon, the ARTIC transit hub area), making this exemption relevant to a portion of newer Anaheim rental stock.
  • Single-family homes and condominiums with a timely HHBO exemption notice. A detached SFR or condominium is exempt if the landlord provided the tenant with written notice of the AB 1482 exemption (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(d)(5)(B)) at commencement of tenancy or before January 1, 2020. A SFR or condo landlord who failed to provide this notice before the statutory deadline is NOT exempt from the cap.
  • Owner-occupied duplexes. Duplexes where the owner occupies one unit as their principal residence are exempt from the AB 1482 rent-cap.
  • Affordable housing with recorded covenants. Units regulated by LIHTC, Section 8 Project-Based, BMR, or RAD affordability agreements are exempt. Anaheim has a significant Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program administered through the Anaheim Housing Authority — units subsidized through the HCV program have separate rent-reasonableness requirements regardless of AB 1482.
  • Hotels, motels, and short-term transient accommodations under 30 days are not residential tenancies subject to AB 1482. The Anaheim Resort District and surrounding areas contain many hotel-adjacent housing arrangements; operators should verify the 30-day threshold for any units marketed to theme-park or convention-center workers.
  • Dormitories operated by accredited educational institutions are not residential rental units subject to AB 1482.

Anaheim Resort District context: housing demand and AB 1482

Anaheim’s rental market is materially shaped by the Anaheim Resort District, which includes Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, the Anaheim Convention Center, and Angel Stadium — together one of the largest tourism employment clusters in Southern California. The tourism economy concentrates lower-wage service employment in Anaheim while the broader Orange County housing market maintains elevated rents, creating housing affordability pressure on working-class Anaheim renters.

Despite this structural affordability pressure, Anaheim has consistently declined to enact a local RSO. The Anaheim City Council has been resistant to rent control proposals, citing concerns about housing supply and investment disincentives. As a result, the only rent-cap protection for Anaheim tenants in covered units is AB 1482’s statewide ~8% cap — higher than every LA County RSO jurisdiction and identical to all other OC cities.

For Anaheim tenants who are also Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher participants, the Anaheim Housing Authority administers the HCV program separately from AB 1482. HCV-covered units are subject to HUD rent-reasonableness determinations and HAP contract terms that may be more or less restrictive than the AB 1482 cap depending on the specific payment standard. HCV tenants in Anaheim should consult the Anaheim Housing Authority for rent-increase questions, which are governed by HUD regulations rather than AB 1482 alone.

Notice requirements for Anaheim rent increases

California Civil Code §827(b) governs the notice period for all Anaheim residential rent increases:

  • Increases of less than 10%: 30 calendar days’ written notice (§827(b)(2)(A)). Anaheim’s AB 1482 cap of ~8% falls below 10%, so most 2026 Anaheim increases qualify for the 30-day rule.
  • Increases of 10% or more: 90 calendar days’ written notice (§827(b)(3)). The AB 1482 cap of ~8% is below 10%, but landlords must watch for the cumulative trigger: if cumulative increases within the prior 12 months equal or exceed 10% (e.g., a prior 5% increase plus a new 5% increase in the same 12-month period), the 90-day rule applies even if neither notice alone reaches 10%.
  • Mailing addition: Add 5 calendar days for mail service under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §1013.

Under AB 1482 §1947.13, Anaheim landlords in covered multi-unit buildings must provide the tenant with the prescribed notice of tenant rights at commencement of tenancy and when serving any rent increase notice. A rent increase notice that exceeds the AB 1482 cap is unenforceable for the over-cap portion under Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h)(2). Because Anaheim has no local RSO, there is no Anaheim-specific notice citation requirement beyond the statewide §827(b) and §1947.13 requirements.

Just-cause eviction in Anaheim

AB 1482 §1946.2 imposes just-cause eviction requirements on covered Anaheim rental units after the tenant has continuously occupied for 12 months. The 11 enumerated just causes are:

  1. Non-payment of rent
  2. Material breach of a lease or rental agreement term not cured after written notice
  3. Maintaining a nuisance or causing substantial damage to the unit or building
  4. Refusal to permit the landlord lawful entry after proper notice
  5. Sub-letting the unit in violation of the lease without consent
  6. Refusal to execute a written lease at expiration on similar terms
  7. Criminal activity on the property
  8. Owner-move-in or qualifying family member occupancy (90-day notice + relocation assistance at 12+ months’ tenancy)
  9. Withdrawal of the unit from the residential rental market (Ellis Act)
  10. Substantial rehabilitation requiring the unit to be vacated
  11. Demolition of the building

Because Anaheim has no local RSO, §1946.2 is the only just-cause framework for Anaheim tenants — there is no Anaheim-specific expansion of these protections, no local relocation-assistance formula beyond §1946.2 defaults, and no local administrative body for just-cause disputes. Orange County Superior Court is the venue for all unlawful detainer and tenant-protection claims in Anaheim.

Cross-boundary comparison: Anaheim and Long Beach in 2026

The most instructive cross-boundary comparison for Anaheim tenants and landlords is with Long Beach — an adjacent large city (approximately 15 miles northwest via the 605 and 91 freeways) that has a local RSO at approximately 3%. Because Long Beach is in LA County, its Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq., Measure LL 2020) applies to pre-1995 buildings at ~3%, while Anaheim’s pre-2011 buildings face ~8%.

Illustrative comparison (same vintage building, different counties):

  • 1985-built Anaheim apartment building (pre-2011, pre-1995): covered by AB 1482 at approximately 8% for 2026. No local RSO. A tenant paying $2,000/month could face a $160/month increase in one notice.
  • 1985-built Long Beach apartment building (same vintage): covered by Long Beach TPFRA at approximately 3% for 2026. The same tenant paying $2,000/month would face at most a $60/month increase — $100/month lower than the Anaheim tenant in an identical building.

This 5pp cross-county-line cap gap is one of the largest adjacent-jurisdiction rent-cap differentials in Southern California, comparable to the East Palo Alto/Palo Alto gap (6.6pp across Highway 101 in the Bay Area). The gap exists purely because of which side of the LA/OC county line a building sits on — not building age, condition, or any landlord or tenant characteristic.

All adjacent Anaheim cities are AB-1482-only:

  • Fullerton — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • Garden Grove — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • Stanton — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • Buena Park — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • La Palma — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • Placentia — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • Orange (city) — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO
  • Santa Ana — ~8% for 2026, no local RSO

An Anaheim portfolio is therefore entirely within a single AB 1482 enforcement framework: no cross-boundary RSO complications, no multiple cap formulas, no multiple administrative filing requirements.

Penalties for AB 1482 violations in Anaheim

An over-cap rent increase in Anaheim triggers civil liability under Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h):

  • Rent rollback to the lawful AB 1482 rate. The over-cap portion is unenforceable under §1947.12(h)(2).
  • Refund of unlawfully-collected rent with 10% per annum statutory interest under Cal. Civ. Code §3289(b).
  • Treble damages for willful violations — up to three times the unlawfully-collected rent under §1947.12(h)(3), not less than $250 per violation.
  • Attorney fees to a prevailing tenant under §1947.12(i).
  • Affirmative defense in unlawful detainer: a tenant may raise an over-cap rent increase as a defense to an eviction action for non-payment.

The three-year limitation period applies under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §338. Civil claims are filed in Orange County Superior Court (Central Justice Center in Santa Ana or the North Justice Center in Fullerton, both of which serve Anaheim addresses). There is no local Anaheim rent board or administrative enforcement mechanism for AB 1482 overcharges. RentCeiling’s compliance log (Pro plan) timestamps every rent calculation against the AB 1482 rule-set in effect at the time, creating an exportable audit trail for disputes.

Frequently asked questions

Does Anaheim have rent control in 2026?

No local rent control ordinance. Anaheim — Orange County’s largest city — is governed exclusively by California’s statewide AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12). The 2026 cap for covered Anaheim units is approximately 8% (5% + ~3% LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI). No Orange County city has enacted a local RSO. All Anaheim units in buildings completed before approximately 2011 and not otherwise exempt face the ~8% AB 1482 cap for 2026.

What is the maximum rent increase in Anaheim for 2026?

Approximately 8% under AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) for covered units. Formula: lesser of 5% + LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI or 10%. With LA CPI at ~3% for 2026, the calculation is 5% + 3% = 8%. Units in buildings completed in or after approximately 2011 (15-year rolling exemption at §1947.12(d)(4)(A)) have no statutory rent cap. SFRs with proper HHBO notices also have no cap.

Why does the AB 1482 formula reference “Anaheim” by name in the MSA title?

The formula references the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is the BLS-designated CPI measurement region covering all of LA County and Orange County. Anaheim is one of the three anchor cities in the MSA name because Anaheim is Orange County’s largest city. But being named in the MSA title has no effect on Anaheim’s cap relative to other cities — every LA and OC city without a local RSO uses the same LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI figure (approximately 3% for 2026) and arrives at the same approximately 8% AB 1482 cap.

Is there a Disneyland or resort-area exemption from AB 1482?

No. AB 1482 does not include any Anaheim-specific or tourism-area exemption. The standard AB 1482 exemptions apply: the 15-year rolling new-construction exemption (§1947.12(d)(4)(A)); the SFR/condo HHBO-notice exemption (§1947.12(d)(5)); owner-occupied duplexes; deed-restricted affordable housing; and short-term accommodations under 30 days. The short-term-accommodation exemption is relevant near the Resort District — any unit marketed on a nightly or weekly basis and occupied for under 30 consecutive days is not a residential tenancy subject to AB 1482. But standard multi-month leases in the resort area are fully subject to AB 1482’s cap and just-cause requirements.

How does Anaheim’s cap compare to Long Beach?

Long Beach’s Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq., Measure LL 2020) caps pre-1995 multi-unit buildings at approximately 3% for 2026. Anaheim’s pre-2011 multi-unit buildings face approximately 8% under AB 1482 — a 5pp gap between two large Southern California cities approximately 15 miles apart via the 605 and 91 freeways. The gap exists solely because Long Beach is in LA County (which contains over a dozen RSO jurisdictions) and Anaheim is in Orange County (which has zero RSO jurisdictions). A 1985-built apartment building in Long Beach faces a ~3% cap; an identical 1985-built building in Anaheim faces ~8%.

What notice period applies to Anaheim rent increases?

At least 30 calendar days under Cal. Civ. Code §827(b)(2)(A) for increases under 10%. Anaheim’s ~8% AB 1482 cap falls below 10%, so most 2026 Anaheim notices require 30 days (plus 5 days for mail service under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §1013 = 35 effective days). Watch for the cumulative 10% trigger: if a prior increase plus a new increase within the same 12-month period total 10% or more, the 90-day rule applies to the second notice. The notice must include the AB 1482 §1947.13 tenant-rights disclosure.

Will Anaheim ever enact a local rent control ordinance?

Any future Anaheim RSO would be constrained by Costa-Hawkins (Cal. Civ. Code §1954.52(a)(1)): only pre-February 1, 1995 buildings could be covered at a local rate lower than AB 1482’s statewide cap. Post-1995 buildings are preempted from local rent-cap ordinances. California voters have rejected statewide Costa-Hawkins repeal twice: Proposition 10 (November 2018, 61% No) and Proposition 21 (November 2020, 60% No). As of 2026, the Anaheim City Council has not indicated a plan to pursue a local RSO. Any council-adopted RSO would also be subject to a potential voter referendum under California’s referendum right, making voter-approved RSOs structurally more durable than council-adopted ones.

Calculate your Anaheim AB 1482 increase and generate the notice

RentCeiling’s AB 1482 calculator applies the lesser-of formula (5% + LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI, capped at 10%), checks your building’s age against the 15-year rolling exemption, and generates a Cal. Civ. Code §827(b)-compliant rent increase notice with the correct AB 1482 citation and the §1947.13 tenant-rights disclosure. Every calculation is timestamped and logged for audit purposes.

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