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Santa Ana, CA · County seat of Orange County · No local rent stabilization ordinance — AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) applies exclusively

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

The City of Santa Ana, California — county seat of Orange County and one of the most densely populated cities in the United States (~310,000 residents) — has no local rent stabilization ordinance (RSO) or rent control law. Santa Ana 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 LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI running approximately 3%, the AB 1482 maximum annual rent increase for a covered Santa Ana unit is approximately 8% (5% + 3% CPI, below the 10% absolute ceiling). No Orange County city has enacted a local rent stabilization ordinance — Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fullerton, and all 34 OC municipalities are governed exclusively by AB 1482. This makes Orange County structurally different from neighboring Los Angeles County, which contains over a dozen RSO jurisdictions including the LA City RSO (~3%), Long Beach TPFRA (~3%), and several others. Just-cause eviction under AB 1482 §1946.2 applies to covered Santa Ana units after 12 months of tenancy.

Santa Ana’s 2026 cap: AB 1482 formula

Under California Civil Code §1947.12(a)(1), the maximum annual rent increase for a covered Santa Ana 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%. The AB 1482 calculation: 5% + 3% = 8%, below the 10% ceiling. Santa Ana’s 2026 AB 1482 rent-cap is approximately 8%.

The AB 1482 formula uses the LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI for all Orange County cities — Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, and all other OC cities use this same CPI anchor. This is distinct from Bay Area cities: Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, San Jose, and other Santa Clara County cities use the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA CPI for AB 1482, while Fremont, Oakland, and other Alameda County cities use the SF-Oakland-Hayward MSA CPI. In 2026 all three MSA CPIs are running approximately 3%, but in other years they can diverge significantly.

AB 1482 applies to increases taking effect on or after the relevant CPI publication date. A Santa Ana landlord implementing a rent increase effective July 1, 2026 should use the April 2025 – April 2026 CPI (published around June 2026). The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) publishes the applicable CPI percentage annually.

Which Santa Ana units does AB 1482 cover?

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

  • Newly constructed units (15-year rolling exemption). Units in buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued 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 building becomes AB-1482-covered in 2027. Santa Ana has seen multi-family construction activity in recent years, particularly near the Santa Ana train station and transit corridors, making this exemption relevant to a portion of the city’s newer rental stock.
  • Single-family homes and condominiums with a timely HHBO exemption notice. A detached SFR or condominium is exempt from the AB 1482 rent-cap if the landlord provided the tenant with written notice of the 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 is NOT exempt from the cap.
  • Owner-occupied duplexes. Duplexes where the owner occupies one unit as their principal residence are exempt.
  • Deed-restricted affordable housing. Units regulated by a recorded affordability covenant (LIHTC / Low Income Housing Tax Credit, Section 8 Project-Based, BMR, RAD programs) are exempt from the AB 1482 rent-cap.
  • Dormitories and student housing operated by accredited institutions are exempt.
  • Hotels and short-term transient accommodations under 30 days are not residential tenancies subject to AB 1482.

Because Santa Ana has no local RSO, there is no alternative local framework for units that fall outside these AB 1482 exemptions. All non-exempt Santa Ana residential rental units face the ~8% AB 1482 cap; exempt units face no statutory cap whatsoever.

An important consequence of Santa Ana’s AB-1482-only status: the 15-year rolling exemption means that a significant and growing portion of Santa Ana’s newer rental stock faces no rent cap. In cities with local RSOs (such as Berkeley, Mountain View, or Long Beach), all units built before the Costa-Hawkins cutoff (February 1, 1995) face the lower local overlay regardless of age. In Santa Ana, the only threshold that matters is whether the building is more or less than 15 years old — older buildings face the ~8% AB 1482 cap; newer buildings face no cap.

Orange County: the no-RSO county

Santa Ana’s AB-1482-only status is not unique — it is the universal condition across all of Orange County. As of 2026, no Orange County city has enacted a local rent stabilization ordinance. Every incorporated OC city is governed exclusively by AB 1482 at the approximately 8% cap:

  • Anaheim (~346,000 population, OC’s largest city) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Santa Ana (~310,000, county seat) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026. This page.
  • Irvine (~320,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Huntington Beach (~200,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Garden Grove (~175,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Fullerton (~140,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Costa Mesa (~115,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Orange (city) (~140,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • Buena Park (~83,000) — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026
  • All 34 OC incorporated cities — AB 1482 only, ~8% for 2026

This is structurally different from neighboring Los Angeles County, which contains over a dozen RSO jurisdictions where pre-1995 multi-unit buildings face much lower annual caps:

  • LA City RSO (LAMC §151) — ~3% for 2026 within LA city limits
  • Long Beach TPFRA (LBMC §8.99.010) — ~3% for 2026 (directly west/northwest of OC border)
  • Inglewood RSO (IMC §8-420) — ~3% for 2026
  • Culver City CCTPO (CCMC §15.09) — ~3% for 2026
  • Santa Monica Charter Article XVIII — ~0.8% for 2026
  • West Hollywood (WHMC §17.36) — ~0.75% for 2026
  • Pasadena Charter Article XVIII (Measure H) — ~2.25% for 2026

A Santa Ana landlord has no cross-boundary RSO complexity: all adjacent cities (Anaheim to the north, Irvine to the south, Garden Grove and Fountain Valley to the west, Orange and Tustin to the east) face the same AB 1482 framework. A portfolio spanning Santa Ana and other OC cities involves a single formula, single notice template, and single enforcement regime — considerably simpler than a portfolio spanning Long Beach and Orange County.

Notice requirements for Santa Ana rent increases

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

  • Increases of less than 10%: 30 calendar days’ written notice (§827(b)(2)(A)). All AB-1482-compliant Santa Ana increases (~8% for 2026) qualify for the 30-day rule — 8% is below the 10% threshold.
  • 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 the total cumulative increase within the prior 12 months equals or exceeds 10% (e.g., a prior 5% increase plus a new 5% increase in the same 12-month period), the 90-day rule applies to the second notice 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, Santa Ana landlords in covered multi-unit buildings must provide tenants with a prescribed notice of tenant rights at commencement of tenancy and when serving any rent increase. A Santa Ana rent increase that exceeds the AB 1482 cap is unenforceable for the over-cap portion (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h)(2)). There is no local Santa Ana RSO requirement for city-specific citations in a rent increase notice — only the statewide AB 1482 framework and §827(b) timing requirements apply.

Just-cause eviction in Santa Ana

AB 1482 §1946.2 imposes just-cause eviction requirements on covered residential rental units in Santa Ana once the tenant has continuously occupied the unit for 12 months. The 11 enumerated just causes under §1946.2 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 the landlord’s consent
  6. Refusal to execute a written lease on similar terms at expiration of the current term
  7. Criminal activity by the tenant on the property
  8. Owner-move-in or family-member-move-in (with 90-day notice and relocation assistance required if tenant has occupied for 12+ months)
  9. Withdrawal of the unit from the residential rental market (Ellis Act compliance)
  10. Substantial rehabilitation requiring the unit to be vacated
  11. Demolition of the building

Because Santa Ana has no local RSO, AB 1482 §1946.2 is the only just-cause eviction framework available to Santa Ana tenants. There is no Santa Ana-specific expansion of these 11 causes, no local relocation-assistance formula beyond the §1946.2 defaults, and no local administrative filing requirement before serving a no-fault termination notice. Santa Ana tenants in their first 12 months have no just-cause protection under §1946.2(b)(1).

Cross-city comparison: Santa Ana in 2026 context

Santa Ana’s AB 1482 ~8% cap for 2026 is identical to every other Orange County city. The meaningful comparison is between Santa Ana and nearby LA County cities with local RSOs:

  • Santa Ana (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. County seat of OC. No RSO. This page.
  • Anaheim (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent north. Largest OC city. No RSO.
  • Irvine (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent south. Planned community. No RSO.
  • Garden Grove (AB 1482 only) — ~8% for 2026. Adjacent northwest. No RSO.
  • Long Beach (TPFRA, LBMC §8.99.010) — ~3% for 2026. Across the LA-OC county line to the northwest of Anaheim and north of Seal Beach. 5pp lower cap for pre-1995 buildings.
  • LA City RSO (LAMC §151) — ~3% for 2026. Applies within LA city limits only; does NOT apply in Santa Ana.

The key structural insight for Santa Ana landlords and tenants: the Orange County-wide absence of any local RSO means that the only variation in the maximum allowable rent increase comes from the AB 1482 formula itself — specifically, whether a building is more or less than 15 years old. Unlike jurisdictions with RSOs (where the local overlay creates a hard lower cap for pre-1995 buildings regardless of the state formula), Santa Ana’s pre-1995 and post-2011 buildings are both subject to a formula-driven framework: pre-2011 buildings face the ~8% AB 1482 cap; post-2011 buildings face no cap at all. There is no Santa Ana building that faces a sub-8% cap for 2026.

Santa Ana and Orange County Superior Court: Because Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, the Orange County Superior Court — located in Santa Ana — is the venue for all AB 1482 overcharge civil claims and unlawful detainer proceedings originating in Orange County. There is no separate OC administrative rent board or local rent court.

Penalties for AB 1482 violations in Santa Ana

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

  • Rent rollback to the lawful AB 1482 rate. The over-cap portion of a rent increase notice 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: a tenant may raise an AB 1482 overcharge as a defense to an unlawful detainer (eviction) action filed for non-payment of the unlawfully demanded rent.

The three-year limitation period applies under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §338. Civil claims must be filed in Orange County Superior Court (Santa Ana courthouse). There is no local Santa Ana administrative enforcement mechanism for AB 1482 overcharges.

Frequently asked questions

Does Santa Ana have rent control in 2026?

No local rent control ordinance. Santa Ana is governed exclusively by California’s statewide AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12). The 2026 cap for covered Santa Ana units is approximately 8% (5% + ~3% LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI). No Orange County city has a local RSO — every OC city, including Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Garden Grove, faces the same ~8% AB 1482 framework for 2026.

What is the maximum rent increase in Santa Ana for 2026?

Approximately 8% under AB 1482 (Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12) for covered units. The 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%, below the 10% ceiling. Units in buildings completed in or after approximately 2011 (15-year rolling exemption) have no statutory rent cap under AB 1482 §1947.12(d)(4)(A). SFRs with proper HHBO notice also have no cap.

Does Orange County have any rent control?

No. As of 2026, no Orange County city has enacted a local rent stabilization ordinance. All 34 incorporated OC municipalities — including Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, and all others — are governed exclusively by AB 1482 at approximately 8% for 2026. This makes Orange County the only major metropolitan county in California with no local RSO jurisdiction of any kind, in contrast to LA County (which has over a dozen RSO cities including the City of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Inglewood, Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood, Pasadena, and Beverly Hills).

What is the 15-year AB 1482 exemption and how does it apply in Santa Ana?

AB 1482 §1947.12(d)(4)(A) exempts from the rent-cap framework any residential unit in a building that received its certificate of occupancy within the prior 15 years. For rent increases taking effect in 2026, buildings with certificates of occupancy issued in or after approximately 2011 are exempt. The window is rolling: a 2011 building becomes exempt from this calculation until 2026, at which point it transitions into AB 1482 coverage. Newly exempt buildings that transition into AB 1482 coverage do so with their current rent as the base — a landlord who maximized increases during the exemption period retains those gains; the cap applies only to increases FROM the current rent going forward after the exemption period ends.

What notice period is required for a Santa Ana rent increase?

At least 30 calendar days under Cal. Civ. Code §827(b)(2)(A) for increases under 10%. Santa Ana’s AB 1482 cap of ~8% falls below the 10% threshold, so most 2026 Santa Ana notices require 30 days (plus 5 days for mail service under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §1013 = 35 effective days). A landlord who implements two increases within the same 12-month period must verify the cumulative total against the 10% threshold: if the cumulative increase reaches or exceeds 10%, the 90-day rule applies to the second notice even if neither notice alone reaches 10%.

Is a Santa Ana landlord required to register with any rent board?

No. Because Santa Ana has no local RSO, there is no Santa Ana rent board, registration requirement, or annual filing fee. Santa Ana landlords are not required to submit annual registration, pay a per-unit RSO fee, or obtain administrative approval before serving a rent increase notice (unlike cities with local RSOs such as Oakland, which requires annual RAP registration and charges a per-unit fee under OMC §8.22.500, or Mountain View, which requires the §1714 Rental Housing Fee of ~$169/unit/year). Santa Ana landlords need only comply with AB 1482’s statewide notice and cap requirements and the §1947.13 tenant-rights disclosure obligation.

Could Orange County cities enact rent control in the future?

Any future Orange County RSO would be constrained by the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§1954.50–1954.535). Under §1954.52(a)(1), any local rent-control ordinance can only cover units with a first certificate of occupancy issued before February 1, 1995 — buildings constructed after that date are preempted from local rent-cap coverage. A Santa Ana or Anaheim RSO, if enacted today, could cover pre-1995 buildings at a local rate, but the ~8% AB 1482 cap would continue to govern post-1995 buildings regardless of what a local ordinance said. California voters rejected statewide Costa-Hawkins repeal proposals in Proposition 10 (November 2018, 61% No) and Proposition 21 (November 2020, 60% No), so the February 1, 1995 preemption boundary remains in force.

Calculate your Santa Ana 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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