If you own a rental property in Culver City, the rules that govern your rent increases and evictions changed permanently in 2020, and the penalties for getting them wrong are steep. Culver City rent control is now a permanent ordinance, not a temporary emergency measure, and it sits on top of California’s statewide law. Borna Houman Law advises Culver City property owners on rent stabilization compliance, unit registration, and just cause eviction so that a single procedural error does not cost you a year of rent and a relocation payment.
Key Takeaway: Culver City’s permanent Rent Control Ordinance, effective October 30, 2020, caps annual rent increases on covered units at a CPI-based figure that has run near 3 percent, limits owners to one increase every 12 months, and requires registration of every rental unit. Single-family homes and condominiums are generally exempt under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.
Which Culver City properties are covered by rent control?
Culver City rent control covers multifamily rental units with a certificate of occupancy on or before February 1, 1995. Newer construction is exempt from the local rent cap, though it can still fall under California’s statewide Tenant Protection Act. The build-date line is the first thing to confirm on any property you own or are buying.
Single-family homes and condominiums are generally exempt from the local rent cap under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, Civil Code section 1954.50 and following. That exemption is not automatic for every owner: a single-family home owned by a corporation or real estate investment trust loses the statewide exemption under AB 1482. In our experience advising Westside owners, the most common mistake is assuming a condo unit is fully deregulated when a corporate ownership structure has quietly pulled it back under the statewide cap.
| Property type | Culver City rent cap | Statewide cap (AB 1482) |
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily built on or before Feb 1, 1995 | Covered | Superseded by stricter local rule |
| Multifamily built after Feb 1, 1995 | Exempt from local cap | May apply (over 15 years old) |
| Single-family home (individual owner) | Exempt (Costa-Hawkins) | Exempt with proper notice |
| Single-family home (corporate owner) | Exempt from local cap | Covered by AB 1482 |
How much can a Culver City landlord raise the rent?
A covered Culver City unit can be raised once every 12 months by an amount tied to the Consumer Price Index, with a floor of 2 percent and a ceiling of 5 percent. In recent adjustment periods the allowable increase has landed near 3 percent, and the city publishes the current figure, so you should confirm the exact percentage before serving any notice. Serving an increase above the posted cap is void and hands the tenant a defense.
This local cap is stricter than the statewide AB 1482 formula of 5 percent plus CPI, capped at 10 percent, under Civil Code section 1947.12. When both apply, the stricter local number controls. You also cannot stack or bank unused increases from prior years in Culver City, which surprises owners who came from jurisdictions that allow it.
For a property just outside the city line, the applicable ceiling can be very different. Compare the framework here with the City of Los Angeles LARSO rules and with Santa Monica’s stricter rent control, because a portfolio spread across the Westside is governed by three different rulebooks at once.
Do Culver City landlords have to register their rental units?
Yes. Every landlord must register covered rental units with Culver City and pay the annual registration fee, and registration is a precondition to raising rent or pursuing an eviction. An owner who has not registered generally cannot lawfully increase the rent or prosecute an unlawful detainer until the unit is in the system.
This is the same trap that catches owners under the City of Los Angeles registration regime: the paperwork feels like a formality until an unlawful detainer is dismissed because the unit was never registered. The registry also feeds the city’s rent database, so an increase that exceeds the recorded base rent is easy for the city to flag. Register first, then act.
What are the just cause grounds to evict in Culver City?
Culver City requires just cause to end a tenancy in a covered unit, and the grounds split into at-fault and no-fault categories. At-fault grounds include nonpayment of rent, a lease violation the tenant fails to cure, and nuisance. No-fault grounds include owner or family move-in, permanent withdrawal from the rental market under the Ellis Act, a government order to vacate, and a substantial remodel that cannot be done with the tenant in place.
The distinction matters because no-fault terminations trigger relocation assistance and stricter documentation. A defective notice on a no-fault ground does not just slow the case down. It can void the termination and restart the clock, which is the single most expensive error we see Culver City owners make.
| Ground type | Examples | Relocation owed? |
|---|---|---|
| At-fault | Nonpayment, uncured lease breach, nuisance | No |
| No-fault | Owner move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, substantial remodel, government order | Yes |
For the mechanics of a no-fault removal to occupy the unit, see our guide to owner move-in eviction under SB 567, which Culver City layers additional local rules on top of.
How much relocation assistance must a Culver City landlord pay?
No-fault evictions in Culver City require the owner to pay relocation assistance set by the city’s schedule, which is keyed to unit size and tenant category, with higher payments for lower-income, elderly, or disabled tenants. The amount is adjusted over time, so the controlling figure is whatever the city has published as of the notice date. Underpaying relocation is itself a defense to the eviction.
Because Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, and the other Westside cities each maintain separate relocation schedules, an owner with scattered properties cannot use one number across the portfolio. Our overview of relocation assistance for Los Angeles landlords lays out how these schedules differ and why the wrong figure sinks an otherwise valid no-fault case.
How do Costa-Hawkins and the Ellis Act protect Culver City owners?
Two state laws give Culver City owners real leverage. The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act preserves vacancy decontrol, which means when a tenant voluntarily leaves, you may reset the rent to market for the next tenant, even on a covered unit. The new tenancy is then subject to the annual cap going forward, but the reset to market on turnover is a significant right that local ordinances cannot take away.
The Ellis Act, Government Code section 7060 and following, guarantees your right to exit the rental business entirely and remove all units from the market, subject to notice periods and relocation obligations. It is the mechanism owners use when they want to redevelop, sell vacant, or move the property to another use. Culver City adds local filing and notice requirements to the state Ellis Act process, so the two must be run together.
Owners weighing these options should also understand how a Culver City dispute reaches the city’s Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board, where attendance is mandatory for the owner when a tenant files within 15 days of a rent increase notice. Handling that board process well often prevents a rent dispute from becoming an unlawful detainer. Our landlord-tenant representation covers both the board and the courtroom.
How does Culver City enforce rent control, and what are the penalties?
Enforcement runs through both the city and the tenant. A tenant charged over the cap or served a defective no-fault notice can raise it as a complete defense to an unlawful detainer, and can affirmatively sue to recover the excess rent. The ordinance authorizes civil penalties, and a willful violation can expose an owner to enhanced damages, so an improper increase is rarely just a refund.
The practical exposure is larger than the dollar figure on the notice. A voided no-fault eviction means the tenant stays, the base rent stays where it was, and the owner absorbs the relocation already tendered plus fee-shifting where the lease or ordinance allows it. We advise owners to treat every notice as if it will be litigated, because in a covered unit it often is.
What should you verify before buying a rent-controlled Culver City building?
Due diligence on a Culver City rental building differs from a market-rate purchase, because you inherit the seller’s rent history and any compliance problems. Before closing, confirm the certificate of occupancy date, pull a certified rent roll listing the legal base rent for every unit, and verify that each unit is registered and current on fees. An underregistered building can freeze your ability to raise rent from the day you take title.
Insist on estoppel certificates from tenants, copies of every rent increase notice served in recent years, and any correspondence with the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board or code enforcement. In our experience representing buyers of Westside multifamily, an unregistered unit or a paper trail of over-cap increases is a price-adjustment issue that is far cheaper to find in escrow than after the deed records.
Frequently asked questions about Culver City rent control
What is the maximum rent increase I can serve in Culver City right now?
The maximum is the CPI-based figure the city has published for the current period, within a floor of 2 percent and a ceiling of 5 percent, and only once every 12 months. Recent periods have allowed roughly 3 percent. Always confirm the posted number before serving the notice, because an over-cap increase is void.
Is my single-family rental exempt from Culver City rent control?
Usually, if you hold it as an individual or a standard LLC of natural persons, because the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act exempts single-family homes and condominiums from local caps. If a corporation or REIT owns the home, AB 1482’s statewide cap applies instead, so the unit is not fully deregulated.
Do I have to register a duplex I live in half of?
Owner-occupied duplexes have special treatment under both local and state law, but the registration and exemption rules are technical and depend on your certificate of occupancy date and occupancy status. Confirm the property’s status with counsel before assuming it is exempt, because an incorrect assumption forfeits the exemption defense.
Can I bank rent increases I did not take in prior years?
No. Culver City does not allow banking of unused annual increases. Each 12-month period stands on its own, so an increase you skipped in a prior year cannot be added on top of this year’s allowable amount.
What happens if I raise rent without registering the unit?
The increase is generally unenforceable, and an unlawful detainer built on that increase can be dismissed. Registration is a precondition to both raising rent and evicting, so the fix is to register and cure before taking any action against the tenancy.
Can I reset the rent to market when a tenant moves out?
Yes, on a voluntary vacancy. Under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, you may reset a covered unit to market rate when the tenant leaves on their own or is evicted for cause. The new tenancy is then subject to the annual cap, but vacancy decontrol preserves your right to reset the starting rent.
Does just cause apply when I simply decline to renew a lease?
Yes. In a covered Culver City unit, refusing to renew or ending a month-to-month tenancy still requires a just cause ground, and relocation assistance if that ground is no-fault. There is no lawful way to end a covered tenancy without a recognized at-fault or no-fault reason.
Are new-construction units in Culver City ever rent controlled?
Units built after February 1, 1995 are exempt from Culver City’s local cap. Once they pass 15 years of age, they can fall under California’s AB 1482 statewide cap unless separately exempt, so exemption from the local ordinance is not the same as being free of all rent regulation.
Speak with a Culver City landlord attorney
Culver City rent control rewards owners who document and register correctly and punishes those who improvise. Borna Houman Law helps Culver City property owners set compliant increases, register units, serve defensible just cause notices, and calculate relocation correctly the first time. Call (888) 42-BORNA to schedule a confidential consultation.
This article is general information about California and Culver City law, not legal advice. Ordinances and allowable percentages change. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific property and situation.
Sources: City of Culver City, Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Measures (culvercity.gov); California Civil Code section 1947.12, Tenant Protection Act (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
