Rancho Cordova CA rent increase 2026 Rancho Cordova has no local rent control ordinance — the city, incorporated November 2, 2003, has never enacted any rent stabilization program of any kind. California’s statewide AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act) caps annual increases at 5% plus the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade MSA CPI-W — approximately 2.7% for the prior 12 months — yielding a 2026 cap of approximately 7.7% for covered buildings (completed 2009 or earlier). SB 267 (effective January 1, 2025) caps all security deposits at 1 month’s rent; 21-day single-trigger return deadline; 2× wrongful-withholding penalty. Rancho Cordova’s rental market is anchored by Aerojet Rocketdyne (2001 Aerojet Road; ~2,000–3,500 employees; manufacturer of the RL10 upper-stage rocket engine and RS-25 shuttle main engine for NASA’s Space Launch System and DoD programs), the SacRT Gold Line light rail (three stations; 25–35 min to Sacramento CBD), and Mather Airport (former Mather Air Force Base; aviation and logistics campus).

AB 1482 California Tenant Protection Act — how it applies in Rancho Cordova 2026

California’s AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), codified at Civil Code §§1946.2 and 1947.12, is the statewide rent and eviction protection law that applies to qualified Rancho Cordova buildings. Rancho Cordova has no local rent control — AB 1482 is the only rent ceiling that applies, and only to buildings completed in 2009 or earlier that are not otherwise exempt. Because Rancho Cordova’s residential stock is predominantly older — the area was developed as a Sacramento County community in the 1950s through 1990s — a larger proportion of units are within AB 1482 coverage than in newer Sacramento County cities.

The 2026 Rancho Cordova AB 1482 cap: ~7.7%

The AB 1482 annual cap formula is: CPI-W (applicable MSA, prior 12 months) + 5%, not to exceed 10%. For Rancho Cordova landlords, the applicable CPI-W is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. For the 12-month period applicable to 2026 increases, this CPI-W measured approximately 2.7%, yielding a cap of:

2.7% (Sacramento MSA CPI-W) + 5.0% (AB 1482 statutory floor) = 7.7% maximum allowable rent increase for covered Rancho Cordova buildings in 2026.

Dollar examples at Rancho Cordova’s rent levels: A covered unit at $1,400/month may be increased to a maximum of $1,400 × 1.077 = $1,507.80. A unit at $1,200/month may be increased to $1,200 × 1.077 = $1,292.40. A unit at $1,500/month may be increased to $1,500 × 1.077 = $1,615.50. The cap resets annually based on the then-current 12-month CPI-W reading; landlords must verify the current applicable CPI-W before serving each increase notice.

The 12-month rolling measurement rule

Under AB 1482, a landlord may not impose more than two rent increases per any rolling 12-month period, and the combined total of those increases may not exceed the annual cap (~7.7% in 2026). This prevents splitting a large increase into two smaller tranches within the same year to circumvent the cap. For month-to-month tenancies, the same 12-month rolling limit applies regardless of how many separate notices are served. A landlord who serves a 4% increase in January 2026 and then a 4% increase in September 2026 (total approximately 8.16% compounded within 12 months) has exceeded the cap.

Which Rancho Cordova buildings are covered by AB 1482

The 15-year age threshold is the primary coverage test for 2026. Rancho Cordova’s development history creates a high-coverage profile:

• Covered: Residential buildings that received a certificate of occupancy in 2009 or earlier. Given that Rancho Cordova was developed primarily in the 1950s through the 1990s as a Sacramento County community (pre-incorporation), the majority of existing apartment complexes, garden apartments, and rental homes along Folsom Blvd, Sunrise Blvd, Zinfandel Ave, and the residential neighborhoods near Mather Field are pre-2009 construction and likely covered by AB 1482. Landlords in the older core of Rancho Cordova should assume coverage unless they have documentation that the building’s certificate of occupancy was issued in 2010 or later.
• Not covered (new construction exemption): Buildings receiving certificates of occupancy in 2010 or later. Some newer development has occurred in eastern Rancho Cordova near the White Rock Road / Highway 50 corridor and in the Mather Airport redevelopment area, and these buildings are outside AB 1482. However, the newer construction share of Rancho Cordova’s total rental stock is smaller than in Elk Grove or Folsom.
• Single-family home and condo exemption: A single-family home or individually owned condominium is exempt from AB 1482 if the lease (or addendum at lease renewal) includes the written disclosure required by Civil Code §1946.2(e)(8)(B)(i) and (ii). Without this specific written notice in the original lease and each renewal, even a freestanding Rancho Cordova single-family home may be treated as AB 1482-covered. Rancho Cordova has substantial single-family rental stock; landlords renting detached homes should audit all leases for this disclosure.
• Owner-occupied small building exemption: An owner-occupied building with two or fewer units — where the owner actually resides in one unit as a natural person (not a corporate entity) — is exempt from AB 1482’s rent cap and just-cause provisions.

AB 1482 just-cause eviction protections

For tenants who have occupied a covered unit for at least 12 months of continuous tenancy, the landlord must have a legally recognized cause to terminate the tenancy. Causes are divided into:

At-fault just causes (no relocation assistance required):

• Non-payment of rent (after proper 3-day notice)
• Material breach of the lease (after notice and opportunity to cure)
• Maintaining, committing, or permitting nuisance
• Unlawful use of the unit
• Criminal activity at the property
• Assignment or subletting in violation of the lease
• Failure to deliver possession after written notice of vacating
• Criminal conviction involving threat to health or safety

No-fault just causes (1-month relocation assistance required):

• Owner or qualified family member move-in
• Withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act, Government Code §7060)
• Demolition or substantial remodel requiring permits and vacancy
• Government order to vacate

No-fault termination: relocation assistance requirement

For any no-fault termination under AB 1482, the landlord must provide the tenant with one month’s rent as relocation assistance. This payment must be tendered simultaneously with the termination notice — not after the tenant vacates and not promised for later delivery. A termination notice for owner move-in, demolition, or Ellis Act withdrawal served without simultaneously tendering the relocation payment is legally void under Civil Code §1946.2(d). For a Rancho Cordova Aerojet-corridor unit at $1,400/month, the required relocation assistance is $1,400, which must physically accompany the notice.

The SFH/condo exemption notice: practical requirements

Civil Code §1946.2(e)(8)(B)(i) and (ii) require that the exemption notice for single-family homes and condos be in substantially the following form:

“This property is not subject to the local rent control ordinance of [city/county], if any. State law limits the rent that can be charged to the amount provided in Civil Code Section 1947.12. This property meets the requirements of Sections 1947.12(d)(5) and 1946.2(e)(8) of the Civil Code, and the owner is not any of the following: (1) a real estate investment trust; (2) a corporation; or (3) a limited liability company in which at least one member is a corporation.”

Without this notice in the lease or lease addendum, the SFH/condo exemption does not apply. Rancho Cordova landlords renting single-family homes under generic lease forms without this disclosure should correct the gap at the next lease renewal to preserve the exemption going forward.

SB 267 — California’s 2025 security deposit reform for Rancho Cordova landlords

SB 267, signed by Governor Newsom on September 12, 2024, and effective January 1, 2025, amended California Civil Code §1950.5 to impose a universal 1-month cap on security deposits for all California residential landlords. The former AB 12 small-landlord exception — which allowed landlords with two or fewer units to collect up to two months’ rent as a deposit — expired on December 31, 2024.

The 1-month universal cap

Beginning January 1, 2025, no California residential landlord may require a security deposit exceeding one month’s rent for an unfurnished unit. For a Rancho Cordova unit renting at $1,300/month, the maximum deposit is $1,300. For a unit at $1,500/month, the maximum deposit is $1,500. This applies uniformly to all landlords — from large corporate operators to individual landlords renting a single Rancho Cordova home.

For individual landlords in Rancho Cordova who previously collected two months’ rent as a deposit under the AB 12 exception, SB 267 cuts the maximum collectable deposit by half on any new lease or renewal entered on or after January 1, 2025. Existing deposits collected under the prior law for ongoing tenancies are not affected mid-tenancy, but the lower cap applies at the next lease renewal.

Pet deposits count toward the 1-month cap

SB 267 explicitly provides that pet deposits count toward the 1-month cap. A Rancho Cordova landlord cannot charge a $1,200 security deposit and then separately charge a $200 “pet deposit” — the total of all refundable deposits cannot exceed one month’s rent. Non-refundable pet fees are permissible if clearly labeled as non-refundable in the lease and not structured as a deposit. Landlords in Rancho Cordova who accept pets should review their lease language to ensure any pet charge is structured as a non-refundable fee rather than a deposit to avoid the pet deposit counting against the 1-month cap.

21-day single-trigger return deadline

California’s security deposit return deadline is 21 calendar days after the tenant surrenders possession. Surrender is a single trigger: it occurs when the tenant returns all keys and access devices and has vacated the unit (or the lease term ends and the tenant has vacated). Within 21 days, the landlord must either return the full deposit or provide a written itemized statement of deductions with supporting documentation.

The itemized statement must be specific: each deduction must be individually described with a dollar amount and supported by a receipt, contractor invoice, or — where final costs are not yet available — a good-faith written estimate. A general statement of “cleaning and repairs $400” without line-item breakdown does not satisfy the itemization requirement.

Wrongful withholding: 2× statutory penalty

Civil Code §1950.5(l) provides that if a landlord in bad faith fails to return the deposit or provide the itemized statement within 21 days, the tenant may recover: (1) two times the amount wrongfully withheld, and (2) reasonable attorney fees. For a Rancho Cordova landlord who retains a $1,400 deposit (one month on a $1,400/month unit) without proper itemization, the exposure is $2,800 plus attorney fees.

Unlawful Detainer (eviction) process for Rancho Cordova CA landlords

California evictions are governed by Code of Civil Procedure §§1159–1179a. For Rancho Cordova properties, all Unlawful Detainer proceedings are filed at Sacramento County Superior Court — there is no Rancho Cordova courthouse for UD proceedings as of 2026.

Step 1 — Serve the notice

For non-payment of rent: serve a 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit under CCP §1161(2). The notice must state: (a) the exact dollar amount of past-due rent, (b) the period covered, (c) the property address, and (d) a demand that the tenant either pay the full past-due amount or vacate within 3 calendar days. California counts calendar days; if the third day falls on a court holiday or weekend, the period extends to the next court day. The tenant retains the right to pay the full past-due amount during the notice period; the landlord may not refuse a valid payment within the 3-day window.

For material lease violations: 3-Day Notice to Perform Covenant or Quit. For incurable violations (criminal activity, substantial damage): 3-Day Notice to Quit (no cure option). For AB 1482-covered buildings where the tenant has 12+ months of continuous tenancy, the notice must state the specific just-cause ground relied upon.

Step 2 — File the Unlawful Detainer complaint

After the notice period expires without compliance, file an Unlawful Detainer complaint at Sacramento County Superior Court, Civil Division, 720 9th Street, Sacramento CA 95814. There is no courthouse in Rancho Cordova that handles UD proceedings; Rancho Cordova landlords must file and appear at the main Sacramento courthouse. The filing fee is approximately $240–$370 depending on the relief sought (possession only, or possession plus money damages).

Steps 3–6 — Summons, hearing, judgment, writ

The court issues a summons; the defendant tenant must be served by personal service, substituted service, or posting after due diligence. The tenant has 5 business days after proper service to file a written response. If no response is filed, the landlord may request a default judgment for possession. If the tenant responds and contests, a trial is typically scheduled within approximately 20 days. If the landlord prevails at trial, a judgment for possession is entered (and any money judgment for unpaid rent and costs). If the tenant does not vacate after judgment, the landlord requests a Writ of Possession, which the Sacramento County Sheriff executes as a lockout.

Typical uncontested UD timeline in Sacramento County for Rancho Cordova landlords: 4–7 weeks from complaint filing to lockout. Contested cases where the tenant raises AB 1482 just-cause objections, habitability defenses, or notice defects can extend to 3–6 months.

Self-help eviction: strictly prohibited

California Civil Code §789.3 prohibits self-help eviction. A Rancho Cordova landlord may not change locks, remove the tenant’s belongings, cut off utilities, remove doors or windows, or engage in harassment to force a tenant out without a court judgment and Writ of Possession. Violations expose the landlord to $100 per day in statutory penalties (minimum $250) plus actual damages plus attorney fees.

Aerojet Rocketdyne — Rancho Cordova’s aerospace anchor and rental market driver

Aerojet Rocketdyne (operating from its historic campus at 2001 Aerojet Road, Rancho Cordova CA 95742) is the dominant private employer in Rancho Cordova and one of the most strategically important aerospace propulsion manufacturers in the United States. The company is the primary reason Rancho Cordova has a sustained professional-class rental market despite its relatively modest overall rent levels.

What Aerojet Rocketdyne makes and why it matters

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Rancho Cordova campus is the engineering and administrative nerve center for a portfolio of rocket engines and propulsion systems that directly support the United States government’s most critical space launch and defense programs:

• RL10 upper-stage rocket engine: The RL10 is a liquid hydrogen / liquid oxygen engine that has been in continuous production longer than any other liquid-fueled rocket engine in history, first flying in 1963 and continuing to power upper stages today. The RL10 propels the upper stages of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles, the new ULA Vulcan Centaur (RL10C-X variant), and serves as the engine for the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) planned for NASA’s Space Launch System. The RL10’s extreme efficiency — among the highest Isp (specific impulse) of any operational engine — makes it indispensable for high-energy missions to geostationary orbit, the Moon, and beyond.
• RS-25 Space Shuttle Main Engine / SLS Core Stage Engine: The RS-25 is the most powerful hydrogen-oxygen engine ever flown operationally. Originally developed as the Space Shuttle Main Engine and flown on 135 Shuttle missions without a single engine failure, the RS-25 has been upgraded and repurposed by Aerojet Rocketdyne for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Artemis program. Four RS-25 engines power the SLS core stage at liftoff, providing the thrust needed to send the Orion spacecraft on missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars. Aerojet Rocketdyne produces new RS-25 engines at its Canoga Park (Los Angeles) facility with program management, engineering support, and testing managed from Rancho Cordova.
• Solid rocket propulsion for DoD programs: Aerojet Rocketdyne manufactures solid rocket motors and propulsion systems for U.S. Air Force and Army ballistic missile programs including the Minuteman III ICBM (ground-based leg of the nuclear triad) and various tactical missiles. These classified and sensitive programs represent a stable, multi-decade revenue stream for the company independent of commercial launch market cycles.
• Advanced in-space and tactical propulsion: Aerojet Rocketdyne also produces propulsion systems for spacecraft attitude control, satellite maneuvering, hypersonic programs (including DARPA and Air Force contracts), and advanced upper stages. The company’s Sacramento area facilities serve as engineering centers for many of these programs.

Employment profile and rental market impact

The Rancho Cordova campus and the adjacent Mather Field site together employ approximately 2,000–3,500 workers in the Sacramento area, depending on program contract cycles and NASA/DoD funding. Employment categories include:

• Propulsion and aerospace engineers: $100,000–$200,000+; typically degreed in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or propulsion science; create demand for upper-mid Rancho Cordova rental stock in the $1,400–$1,800 range
• Systems engineers and program managers: $110,000–$180,000; demand mixed between Rancho Cordova and nearby Folsom / Roseville
• Skilled machinists, welders, and fabricators: $60,000–$100,000; core rental demographic at the $1,100–$1,500 range in Rancho Cordova
• Technicians, test operators, and QA inspectors: $55,000–$90,000; primary rental demand segment for the Gold Line station area and Zinfandel corridor
• Administrative, contracts, and supply chain staff: $50,000–$85,000; high share of Rancho Cordova and east Sacramento renters in the $1,200–$1,500 range

Aerojet Rocketdyne workers create rental demand concentrated in the Zinfandel Avenue / Gold Center Drive / Aerojet Road corridor nearest the campus, and in the Mather/Mills SacRT Gold Line station area. The company’s long-cycle government contracts — unlike commercial tech employment, which can disappear rapidly — provide relative employment stability that makes Aerojet workers a consistently reliable tenant segment.

Mather Airport campus: employment anchor at the former Air Force base

Mather Airport (formerly Mather Air Force Base, decommissioned in 1993 following Base Realignment and Closure; now Sacramento Mather Airport, operated by Sacramento County as a general aviation and cargo airport) sits adjacent to the Aerojet Rocketdyne campus in eastern Rancho Cordova. The former base has been redeveloped as a business aviation and light industrial employment campus with approximately 2,000 employees across aviation businesses, logistics companies, cargo carriers, and government tenant agencies. Mather Airport employees are a secondary rental demand segment in Rancho Cordova, particularly for units near the Mather/Mills SacRT Gold Line station and the Sunrise Blvd corridor.

SacRT Gold Line light rail — Rancho Cordova’s transit infrastructure

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) Gold Line is the light rail line connecting eastern Sacramento County — including Rancho Cordova and Folsom — to downtown Sacramento. The Gold Line is Rancho Cordova’s most significant public transit infrastructure and has a measurable effect on rental pricing near its stations.

Gold Line stations in Rancho Cordova

• Rancho Cordova Station (Folsom Blvd near Sunrise Blvd): The primary Rancho Cordova station, serving the city’s western residential neighborhoods along Folsom Blvd. Provides direct service to Sacramento CBD in approximately 25–35 minutes depending on time of day and line configuration. Apartment complexes within 0.25–0.5 miles of this station command a transit premium of approximately $100–$200/month above comparable non-transit units.
• Mather/Mills Station (near Mather Airport and the Aerojet Rocketdyne campus): A mid-city station serving the Mather Field employment area and eastern residential neighborhoods. Used by Aerojet employees commuting to Sacramento and by Sacramento CBD workers living in the Mather area. Transit-adjacent units here capture demand from the dual Aerojet + transit commuter market.
• Sunrise Station (Sunrise Blvd, easternmost Rancho Cordova station): Serves the Sunrise Blvd commercial corridor and connects to Folsom Lake College areas. A park-and-ride hub that draws commuters from further east (El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park) who park and ride the Gold Line into Sacramento.

Transit-oriented development and rental market implications

The City of Rancho Cordova has identified transit-oriented development (TOD) near Gold Line stations as a planning priority. Residential development projects near the Rancho Cordova Station and Mather/Mills Station have been planned and permitted with higher density than typical suburban Rancho Cordova development. Some newer TOD projects in the 2010s and 2020s near these stations may be 2010+ construction and therefore outside AB 1482’s rent cap — landlords should verify the certificate of occupancy date for TOD-area buildings.

For Rancho Cordova landlords, Gold Line station proximity is the strongest non-employer factor explaining rental price premiums within the city’s market. In a city where the overall 1BR range is $1,100–$1,800, the difference between a non-transit unit ($1,100–$1,300) and a Gold Line-adjacent unit ($1,400–$1,700) reflects the consistent demand from Sacramento CBD commuters who value the rail connection.

Rancho Cordova: incorporation history and employment base

Rancho Cordova was incorporated as a city on November 2, 2003, making it one of the most recently incorporated cities in Sacramento County and one of the younger cities in California. Before incorporation, the area was an unincorporated Sacramento County community that had grown around the Aerojet Rocketdyne campus, Mather Air Force Base (operational until 1993), and the residential and commercial development along Folsom Boulevard.

Pre-incorporation history and development

The area now known as Rancho Cordova developed as a Sacramento County suburb in the 1950s and 1960s, partly driven by employment at Mather Air Force Base (established 1918, expanded significantly in World War II and the Cold War era) and at Aerojet (founded 1942, moved to the Rancho Cordova campus in the 1950s). The residential stock from this era — modest single-family homes and early garden apartment complexes built in the 1950s–1970s — constitutes a significant portion of Rancho Cordova’s current rental inventory and is entirely within AB 1482 coverage given its pre-2009 vintage.

When Mather Air Force Base closed in 1993, approximately 6,000 military and civilian jobs were lost, and the Sacramento region undertook a major base redevelopment effort to convert the 5,800-acre installation to civilian use. The result — Sacramento Mather Airport plus a large business aviation and logistics employment campus — was a significant redevelopment success that helped stabilize eastern Sacramento County employment and Rancho Cordova’s rental market.

Other major Rancho Cordova employers

In addition to Aerojet Rocketdyne and Mather Airport, Rancho Cordova’s employer base includes:

• Health insurance and healthcare administration: Several Sacramento-area health insurers and managed care organizations maintain administrative offices and processing centers in Rancho Cordova, taking advantage of the city’s relatively affordable office space and highway access. Combined, health insurance administrative employment in Rancho Cordova numbers several thousand workers earning $40,000–$90,000.
• Technology and software companies: The Zinfandel Avenue and Gold Center Drive tech corridor hosts a range of software, IT services, and technology companies. While smaller in individual headcount than Aerojet, collectively the tech corridor contributes professional employment at $60,000–$150,000 income levels.
• Amazon Delivery Station and logistics: The US-50 / Sunrise Blvd / Mather Field area hosts distribution, fulfillment, and logistics operations including last-mile delivery infrastructure. Logistics workers at $18–$25/hour are a significant portion of the Rancho Cordova rental market at the $1,100–$1,400 range.
• City of Rancho Cordova municipal government: Approximately 450–500 employees including police, public works, planning, and administration. City employees earning $50,000–$120,000 contribute to stable rental demand across Rancho Cordova’s market.
• Folsom Cordova Unified School District: FCUSD serves both Folsom and Rancho Cordova; FCUSD employees living in Rancho Cordova contribute to stable teacher- and classified-staff rental demand in the $1,200–$1,600 range.