RentCeiling

Home › California › Long Beach rent control 2026

Long Beach, CA · Local Rent Stabilization Ordinance — Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq., Measure LL November 2020)

Long Beach rent control 2026 Local RSO (~3% for 2026). No banking. Measure LL universal just-cause. Pre-1995 CoC coverage.

The City of Long Beach, California — the second-largest city in Los Angeles County (~466,000 population) — has a local Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) under the Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (TPFRA), codified at Long Beach Municipal Code §8.99.010 et seq. Long Beach voters approved Measure LL at the November 3, 2020 general election, establishing the permanent rent stabilization framework. For 2026, the TPFRA annual rent increase cap is approximately 3%, based on a formula anchored to the LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA Consumer Price Index capped at 3%. The RSO covers multi-unit buildings that received their first certificate of occupancy on or before February 1, 1995 (Costa-Hawkins aligned). The TPFRA does not permit banking — unused annual allowances are permanently forfeited. Measure LL’s universal just-cause eviction protections apply broadly across Long Beach rentals. Units in buildings constructed after February 1, 1995 are governed by California’s statewide AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) at the higher cap of approximately 8% for 2026. The LA City RSO does NOT apply in Long Beach — it applies only within the incorporated limits of the City of Los Angeles; Long Beach has its own separate RSO administered by the Long Beach Rental Housing Division.

Long Beach’s 2026 cap: the TPFRA formula

The Long Beach Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq.) sets the annual maximum rent increase at the lower of:

  1. The annual 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 applicable measurement period published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OR
  2. 3.0% absolute ceiling.

For 2026, with LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI running approximately 3%, the TPFRA formula resolves at its ceiling: approximately 3%. In a year where regional CPI falls below 3% — for instance, if the SF-Oakland-Hayward MSA CPI ran ~1.7% in 2026 as it did — the Long Beach cap would track CPI below 3%, not hold at 3%. The 3% ceiling is a maximum, not a minimum. This makes Long Beach’s RSO cap CPI-sensitive in both directions: lower in low-inflation years, capped at 3% in higher inflation years.

This contrasts with the LA City RSO (LAMC §151), which historically used a fixed allowable annual increase set by the Los Angeles City Council (currently approximately 3% for 2026 through June 30, 2026 under Ordinance No. 188558). Both land at approximately 3% for 2026, but via different formula structures: Long Beach is formula-driven (CPI-capped); LA City RSO is Council-published annually.

Long Beach’s ~3% TPFRA cap for 2026 is significantly lower than the AB 1482 statewide cap of approximately 8% for 2026 (5% + ~3% LA CPI, below the 10% ceiling, under Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(a)(1)) that governs Long Beach units exempt from TPFRA coverage — primarily buildings with first CoC after February 1, 1995.

Which Long Beach units does the TPFRA cover?

The TPFRA (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq.) covers residential rental units in multi-unit buildings that received their first certificate of occupancy on or before February 1, 1995. This cutoff date derives directly from the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Cal. Civ. Code §1954.52(a)(1)), which prohibits California local governments from applying rent-control price ceilings to units that first received a CoC on or after February 1, 1995. Any Long Beach ordinance purporting to cap rents on post-1995 buildings would be preempted by Costa-Hawkins.

Units excluded from TPFRA rent-cap coverage:

  • Buildings with first CoC after February 1, 1995. These fall under AB 1482 exclusively. For 2026, the AB 1482 cap is approximately 8% (5% + ~3% LA CPI). A Long Beach apartment building completed in 2000 is subject to the ~8% AB 1482 cap, not the ~3% TPFRA cap.
  • Single-family homes and condominiums, which Costa-Hawkins §1954.52(a)(2)-(3) exempts from local rent-cap ordinances. SFRs and condos in Long Beach are governed by AB 1482 at ~8% if the tenant received the written exemption notice (§1947.12(d)(5)(B)) before or at the start of tenancy. SFRs where the HHBO notice was not served remain nominally subject to the AB 1482 cap at the lower rate.
  • Government-subsidized affordable housing regulated by a recorded affordability covenant (LIHTC, Section 8 Project-Based, BMR, RAD programs) is generally exempt from the TPFRA rent-cap framework.
  • Hotels, motels, and short-term transient accommodations under 30 days are not residential tenancies subject to the TPFRA.
  • Units newly constructed within the prior 15 years are exempt from AB 1482 (but not from the TPFRA, which uses the February 1, 1995 absolute date rather than the AB 1482 rolling-window approach). A 2010-built Long Beach building would be exempt from AB 1482 through ~2025 but remains outside the TPFRA’s coverage in any event (first CoC after 1995).

For any specific Long Beach address, landlords and tenants should contact the Long Beach Rental Housing Division to confirm the building’s first-CoC date and whether the unit is covered under the TPFRA or governed exclusively by AB 1482.

Banking: the forfeit model

The Long Beach TPFRA RSO uses a no-banking (forfeit) model. Each year’s TPFRA allowance is a use-it-or-forfeit-it entitlement. A Long Beach landlord who does not implement the annual RSO allowance in a given cycle permanently forfeits the right to collect that differential. The forfeited amount cannot be carried forward to a future year or stacked onto a later rent increase notice.

This places Long Beach in the permanent-forfeit band alongside:

  • LA City RSO (LAMC §151.06.A explicit forfeiture clause) — ~3% for 2026
  • Santa Monica Charter §1805(d) — named forfeit provision, ~0.8% for 2026
  • Culver City CCTPO (CCMC §15.09) — ~3% for 2026, no banking
  • Inglewood RSO (IMC §8-420 et seq.) — ~3% for 2026, no banking
  • Beverly Hills BHMC Chapter 4 — ~3% for 2026, no banking
  • Hayward HMC Chapter 12 (RRSO) — 5.0% flat, no banking, permanent forfeit
  • California AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) — no banking provision at all; ~8% statewide

Three-year catch-up scenario (Long Beach, $2,000 base rent, 2023–2025 skipped): A Long Beach TPFRA landlord who skipped all three years of RSO allowances recovers $0 of the skipped differential. The 2026 notice can implement at most the current year’s ~3% TPFRA allowance (~$60 increase on $2,000). The 2023, 2024, and 2025 allowances are permanently forfeited. This contrasts with Berkeley BMC §13.76.110(C) (unlimited accumulation — a Berkeley landlord could serve all three years’ accumulated increases in one notice), Mountain View CSFRA §1707(c) (10% per-notice ceiling — banked amounts collectible up to 10%), and San Francisco Rent Board Rules §4.12 (stacked-ceiling banking with 7%/year and 10%/notice limits).

Notice requirements for Long Beach rent increases

California Civil Code §827(b) governs the notice period for all Long Beach residential rent increases, both TPFRA-covered and AB-1482-governed:

  • Increases of less than 10%: 30 calendar days’ written notice (§827(b)(2)(A)). All TPFRA-compliant Long Beach increases (~3% for 2026) qualify for the 30-day rule.
  • Increases of 10% or more: 90 calendar days’ written notice (§827(b)(3)). Long Beach’s TPFRA cap of ~3% means 90-day notices are not required for RSO-compliant increases. However, a landlord serving a notice on a post-1995 AB 1482 unit at or near the ~8% cap should verify whether the 10% threshold triggers — a cumulative 10%-or-more increase within the prior 12 months triggers the 90-day rule even if no single notice exceeds 10% (the “cumulative trigger” trap at §827(b)).
  • Mailing addition: Add 5 calendar days when serving by U.S. mail under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §1013 (effective 35 days for a 30-day notice served by mail).

A Long Beach rent increase notice for a covered TPFRA unit should include: (1) citation to LBMC §8.99.010 et seq. and the TPFRA annual allowance; (2) the new rent amount and effective date; (3) the AB 1482 §1947.13 notice of tenant rights for covered multi-unit buildings; and (4) confirmation that the proposed increase does not exceed the current year’s published TPFRA RSO allowance. A Long Beach rent increase that exceeds the TPFRA cap is unenforceable for the over-cap portion (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h)(2)) and exposes the landlord to administrative penalties through the Long Beach Rental Housing Division.

Just-cause eviction in Long Beach

Long Beach’s Measure LL (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq.) includes universal just-cause eviction protections that apply broadly across Long Beach rentals, including units not covered by the TPFRA rent-cap framework (such as post-1995 buildings and single-family homes with established tenancies). A Long Beach tenant who has established tenancy cannot be evicted without a qualifying statutory reason under the TPFRA or under AB 1482 §1946.2 (whichever applies).

Enumerated just causes under the Long Beach TPFRA include:

  • Non-payment of rent
  • Material breach of a lease or rental agreement term not cured after proper notice
  • Maintaining a nuisance or causing substantial damage to the unit
  • Refusal to execute a written lease at expiration on similar terms
  • Criminal activity on the premises
  • Owner-move-in (owner or qualifying family member intends to occupy as primary residence) — typically with relocation assistance
  • Withdrawal of the unit from the residential rental market under Ellis Act procedures
  • Government order requiring vacation of the premises
  • Substantial rehabilitation requiring vacation
  • Demolition of the building

Because Measure LL was voter-approved, these just-cause provisions are entrenched in the Long Beach Municipal Code in a manner that makes them more resistant to Council-only weakening than a standard Council ordinance. A subsequent voter action would be required to materially weaken Measure LL’s just-cause protections.

For units not covered by the TPFRA rent-cap (post-1995 multi-unit buildings and SFRs), AB 1482 §1946.2 provides a parallel just-cause framework once the tenant has continuously occupied for 12 months (or all adult tenants for 12 months, or 24 months from commencement, whichever is first). The §1946.2 just-cause framework includes 11 enumerated causes and relocation assistance requirements for owner-occupancy and no-fault terminations.

Long Beach vs. neighbors: cap comparison for 2026

Long Beach’s ~3% TPFRA RSO cap for 2026 places it at the lower end of the Southern California rent-control spectrum, alongside other large LA County RSO cities. Its position is especially notable in relation to adjacent Orange County cities, where no local RSO exists:

  • Long Beach TPFRA (LBMC §8.99.010) — ~3% for 2026. Pre-1995 CoC coverage. Measure LL (November 2020).
  • LA City RSO (LAMC §151) — ~3% for 2026. Pre-October 1, 1978 CoC coverage (oldest cutoff in the LA County cluster). DOES NOT apply in Long Beach.
  • Inglewood RSO (IMC §8-420) — ~3% for 2026. Pre-1995 CoC. Measure II (November 2020).
  • Compton (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO. Immediately north of Long Beach on I-710.
  • Lakewood (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO. Immediately northeast of Long Beach.
  • Signal Hill (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO. Independent incorporated city within Long Beach boundaries.
  • Carson (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO. West of Long Beach.
  • Seal Beach, OC (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO. Directly south across the LA-OC county line.
  • Huntington Beach, OC (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO.
  • Anaheim, OC (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. No local RSO. Orange County’s largest city.

The 5pp cap gap between Long Beach’s ~3% TPFRA and Orange County cities’ ~8% AB 1482 is among the largest county-line rent-cap differentials in Southern California. A pre-1995 Long Beach apartment building faces a cap that is 5 percentage points lower than a pre-2011 Anaheim or Huntington Beach building of identical vintage — solely because of which side of the LA/Orange County line the building sits on. A landlord portfolio spanning Long Beach pre-1995 units and adjacent OC units faces two entirely different cap structures, notice requirements, and enforcement regimes.

Penalties for exceeding Long Beach’s TPFRA cap

A Long Beach landlord who charges rent above the lawful TPFRA annual allowance faces multiple enforcement mechanisms:

  • Administrative remedies through the Long Beach Rental Housing Division, including mandatory rent rollback to the lawful TPFRA rate and administrative penalties.
  • Civil liability in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The over-cap portion of a Long Beach rent increase notice is unenforceable under Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h)(2). Tenants may seek refund of unlawfully-collected rent with interest at 10% per annum (Cal. Civ. Code §3289(b)).
  • Treble damages for willful overcharges under Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h)(3) — up to three times the unlawfully-collected rent, 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 unlawful detainer (eviction) action filed for non-payment of the unlawfully demanded rent.

The three-year statute of limitations under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §338 applies to civil overcharge claims. Tenants with Long Beach RSO complaints should initiate contact with the Long Beach Rental Housing Division before or alongside a civil action. RentCeiling’s compliance log (Pro plan) timestamps every rent calculation against the TPFRA rule-set in effect at the time of the notice, creating an exportable audit trail for tenant disputes.

Frequently asked questions

Does Long Beach have rent control?

Yes. Long Beach has the Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (TPFRA) under LBMC §8.99.010 et seq., established by Measure LL (November 2020). The TPFRA caps annual rent increases at approximately 3% for 2026 for covered multi-unit residential units in buildings with a first CoC on or before February 1, 1995. Units in post-1995 buildings are governed by AB 1482 at ~8% for 2026. The LA City RSO does not apply in Long Beach.

What is Long Beach’s rent increase limit for 2026?

Approximately 3% for 2026 under the Long Beach TPFRA (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq.). The formula is the lesser of 100% of LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI or 3%. With LA CPI at ~3% for 2026, the cap resolves at its 3% ceiling. Units not covered by the TPFRA (post-1995 buildings, SFRs with HHBO notice) are subject to AB 1482’s statewide cap of approximately 8% for 2026.

Is the Long Beach RSO the same as the LA City RSO?

No. These are two separate ordinances administered by two separate cities. The LA City RSO (LAMC §151) applies only within the incorporated limits of the City of Los Angeles — it does NOT cover Long Beach even though both cities are in Los Angeles County. The Long Beach TPFRA (LBMC §8.99.010 et seq., Measure LL 2020) applies only within Long Beach city limits. A landlord with units in both cities must comply with two different ordinances, two different administering bodies (LAHD for LA City; Long Beach Rental Housing Division for Long Beach), and two different published annual cap figures, even though both land at approximately 3% for 2026.

Can Long Beach landlords bank unused increases?

No. The Long Beach TPFRA uses a forfeit model — unused annual allowances are permanently lost. A landlord who skipped increases in 2023, 2024, and 2025 recovers $0 in 2026; the current year’s cap of approximately 3% applies only to the existing base rent. This is the same forfeit model used by the LA City RSO, Santa Monica Charter, Culver City CCTPO, Inglewood RSO, Beverly Hills BHMC, and California’s statewide AB 1482 (which has no banking provision at all). It contrasts with Berkeley’s unlimited accumulation banking, SF’s stacked-ceiling model, and Mountain View’s 10%-per-notice ceiling model.

What notice period is required for a Long Beach rent increase?

At least 30 calendar days under Cal. Civ. Code §827(b)(2)(A) for increases under 10%. Long Beach’s ~3% TPFRA cap is well under 10%, so all TPFRA-compliant increases qualify for the 30-day rule. Add 5 days for mail service under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §1013 (effective 35 days when served by U.S. mail). The notice must cite LBMC §8.99.010 et seq., state the new rent amount and effective date, and include the AB 1482 §1947.13 tenant-rights disclosure.

What is Measure LL and how does it affect Long Beach rent control?

Measure LL was a voter-approved initiative on the November 3, 2020 Long Beach general election ballot. Its passage established the permanent Tenant Protections and Fair Rent Act (TPFRA) in the Long Beach Municipal Code (§8.99.010 et seq.), codifying both the annual rent increase cap (~3%) and universal just-cause eviction protections. Because Measure LL was voter-approved, its core protections are entrenched against Council-only weakening — a return to the voters would be required to materially amend or repeal Measure LL’s tenant protections. This parallels the political durability of Santa Monica’s Charter Article XVIII (1979 voter initiative), Berkeley’s BMC Chapter 13.76 (1980 voter initiative), Mountain View’s CSFRA (Measure V 2016), Richmond’s Chapter 11.100 (Measure L 2016), and Pasadena’s Charter Article XVIII (Measure H 2022).

How does Long Beach’s cap compare to surrounding Orange County cities?

The contrast is substantial. Long Beach’s TPFRA caps covered units at approximately 3% for 2026. All of Orange County has no local rent stabilization ordinances — every OC city (including Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Seal Beach) is governed exclusively by AB 1482 at approximately 8% for 2026 (5% + ~3% LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI). A pre-1995 apartment building in Long Beach faces a cap that is approximately 5 percentage points lower than an identical pre-2011 building across the county line in Seal Beach or Huntington Beach. Orange County has no plans to enact local RSOs; any future attempt would be constrained by Costa-Hawkins’ February 1, 1995 first-CoC preemption boundary.

Calculate your Long Beach TPFRA increase and generate the notice

RentCeiling’s Long Beach calculator applies the TPFRA formula (lesser of LA CPI or 3%), checks your building’s first-CoC against the February 1, 1995 cutoff, and generates a §827(b)-compliant rent increase notice with the correct LBMC citation. Every calculation is logged with the rule-set version in effect at the time of the notice.

Calculate my Long Beach increase →