If you own rental property in Long Beach, the most expensive assumption you can make is that your building runs on AB 1482. Long Beach has its own just cause eviction ordinance, adopted in 2020, and the City Council declared it more protective than state law. Under Civil Code § 1946.2(i)(1)(B), that declaration displaces the state standard inside city limits, and a Long Beach landlord who builds a termination notice on the state statute alone has built a void notice.
Key Takeaway: Long Beach has no rent control and no rent registry, so rent increases are capped only by state law under Civil Code § 1947.12. Evictions are the opposite story. Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.99 imposes a local just cause standard that overrides AB 1482, and a notice that fails to comply is void by ordinance.
Does Long Beach Have Rent Control?
Long Beach has no rent control ordinance, no rent cap, and no rent board. Rent increases are governed exclusively by the state Tenant Protection Act at Civil Code § 1947.12, which limits an increase over any 12-month period to 5 percent plus the regional change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower.
The City applies that state formula rather than a local one. The Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach publishes the figure annually, and for the current cycle the City states a maximum allowable increase of 8.8 percent effective August 1, 2026. Confirm the number before serving any increase; it resets each August.
With no local rent ceiling to preempt, Costa-Hawkins at Civil Code § 1954.50 et seq. does far less work here than in Santa Monica or West Hollywood. Section 1947.12 also sunsets January 1, 2030, and the Long Beach just cause ordinance carries a parallel sunset on the same date.
Does Long Beach Require Landlords to Register Rental Units?
Long Beach has no rent registry. Nothing here corresponds to the LAHD rent registration that conditions a City of Los Angeles owner’s right to raise rent or file an unlawful detainer.
What Long Beach has is an inspection program, and owners confuse the two constantly. The Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program sits at Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 18.30, inside the Building Standards Code. Section 18.30.040(A) requires registration within 60 days of acquiring or converting a rental property, and Section 18.30.010(E) limits it to properties of four or more units. That registration reports the property, not the rents, and no Long Beach ordinance conditions a rent increase or an eviction filing on it.
Owners who also hold City of Los Angeles assets should read our Los Angeles landlord registration and LAHD compliance guide, where registration genuinely is a precondition to filing.
What Is the Long Beach Just Cause Eviction Ordinance?
The Long Beach just cause eviction ordinance is Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.99, titled Just Cause for Termination of Tenancies. The City Council enacted it as an emergency ordinance in 2020, amended it in 2022, and amended and restated it by ordinance adopted May 14, 2024.
Section 8.99.010 governs everything else in the chapter. The City Council found, in accordance with Civil Code Section 1946.2(i)(1)(B), that Chapter 8.99 is more protective than Civil Code § 1946.2. That subdivision is the state statute’s own carve-out: where a local just cause ordinance is more protective, the local ordinance controls.
The operative rule at Section 8.99.020(a) is that after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner shall not terminate the tenancy without just cause, which shall be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy.
In our experience, this is the point missed at diligence. The rent roll shows no rent control, the broker confirms no rent board, and the buyer concludes the asset is governed by state law. It is not.
Which Long Beach Properties Are Exempt From Just Cause?
Section 8.99.020(f) sets out nine exemption categories. They are the local list, not the state list, and an owner who runs the AB 1482 analysis and stops there will misjudge coverage.
- Housing issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years, on a rolling basis, unless the housing is a mobile home.
- Owner-occupied single-family residences renting no more than two units or bedrooms, including an accessory or junior accessory dwelling unit.
- Owner-occupied duplexes.
- Separately alienable property where the owner is not a REIT, corporation, or LLC with a corporate member, and the required exemption notice was given.
- Deed-restricted affordable housing.
- Transient and tourist hotel occupancy.
- Dormitories.
- Units where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner.
- Nonprofit hospital, religious, extended care, and residential care facilities.
The 15-year certificate of occupancy exemption produces the most litigation, because it rolls. A building exempt when you bought it in 2019 is not exempt today if the certificate issued in 2010. Pull the date before you draft. Our analysis of AB 1482 exemptions for California landlords covers the state list, which still governs the separately alienable notice requirement.
What Are the At-Fault Just Cause Grounds in Long Beach?
At-fault grounds under Chapter 8.99 track the familiar unlawful detainer predicates and carry no relocation obligation: nonpayment of rent, breach of a material lease term after notice and an opportunity to cure, nuisance, waste, criminal activity on the premises, refusal to execute a substantially similar lease extension, unauthorized subletting, and refusal to allow lawful entry.
That track still runs through Code of Civil Procedure § 1161 and the notice periods at Civil Code § 1946.1. Chapter 8.99 tells you whether you may terminate; it does not replace the notice mechanics, the service rules at Code of Civil Procedure § 1162, or the pleading requirements. Section 8.99.020(a) also requires the just cause to be named in the notice, and Section 8.99.020(h) allows no amendment when it is not. Owners working a curable breach should read our breach of lease eviction guide; owners working a nonpayment file should start with the 3-day notice to quit requirements.
What Are the No-Fault Grounds, and What Does Each One Cost?
Section 8.99.020(b)(2) recognizes four no-fault grounds, and Section 8.99.020(e)(3)(A) prices them on a two-tier schedule that most summaries flatten into a single number.
| No-fault ground | LBMC citation | Relocation owed | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition or substantial remodel | 8.99.020(b)(2)(D) | Greater of $4,500 or two months of the rent in effect at notice | 15 calendar days from service |
| Owner or family member move-in | 8.99.020(b)(2)(A) | One month of the rent in effect at notice | 15 calendar days from service |
| Withdrawal from the rental market | 8.99.020(b)(2)(B) | One month of the rent in effect at notice | 15 calendar days from service |
| Government or court order to vacate | 8.99.020(b)(2)(C) | One month of the rent in effect at notice | 15 calendar days from service |
Three mechanics carry real consequences. Section 8.99.020(e)(1)(B) lets the owner waive the final month or months of rent in writing instead of paying, but the waiver must be delivered before that rent becomes due. Section 8.99.020(e)(2) requires the notice itself to advise the tenant of the right to relocation or a waiver. Section 8.99.020(e)(3)(C) credits the payment against relocation owed under any other law, so an Ellis Act owner does not pay twice.
Section 8.99.020(e)(3)(B) runs the other direction and owners forget it. If the tenant takes the money and does not vacate, the payment is recoverable as damages in the action to recover possession.
Our Ellis Act eviction guide covers the Government Code § 7060 withdrawal procedure, and our owner move-in eviction guide covers the occupancy proof a Long Beach file also needs.
Why Does the Repealed Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance Still Appear in Search Results?
Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.97, the Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance, was repealed in its entirety effective January 1, 2020. The code now prints Chapter 8.97 as reserved. It is dead law.
It is also the most repeated claim about Long Beach on the open web. Pages ranking on the first two pages of results still describe an active Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance requiring payments triggered by rent increases above a threshold. No such obligation exists. There is no rent-increase relocation trigger anywhere in the current code, which is what separates Long Beach from Glendale, where an increase above a stated percentage does trigger a relocation election.
The risk runs both ways. An owner may budget a payment that is not owed, or price an asset around an exposure that does not exist. An owner who concludes from the same pages that Long Beach relocation obligations are overstated, and then skips the relocation Chapter 8.99 does require on a no-fault notice, has voided the notice.
What Is the Code Enforcement Relocation Trap Under Chapter 18.25?
Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 18.25 imposes a second relocation obligation tied to habitability enforcement rather than just cause. It triggers when a tenant is displaced because the City issues a notice of intent to order a building vacated, an order to vacate, or an order of immediate vacation for a structure declared dangerous.
Section 18.25.110 sets a base payment of $3,366 per eligible tenant household, plus up to $2,500 for structural modifications paid for by a household with a disabled member, with the Department of Community Development directed to escalate both by the change in the Consumer Price Index measured from January 1, 2005. The code does not publish the escalated figure, so confirm it with the Department.
Section 18.25.080(A) requires payment within 10 days of the order and proof of payment filed with the Department, and bars the owner from requiring the household to vacate until both are complete. If the building was declared dangerous, that window compresses to two business days.
Section 18.25.120 converts a habitability problem into an eviction problem. Tenants who receive a notice to terminate or quit within 90 days of a substandard building notice are presumed eligible for relocation, so an owner who serves while a code case is open has conceded the presumption. Resolve the file first, and read our California habitability standards analysis.
If you are holding a notice and are not certain it survives Chapter 8.99 and Chapter 18.25 together, call (888) 42-BORNA to schedule a confidential consultation before it is served.
What Does a Substantial Remodel Eviction Require in Long Beach?
The substantial remodel ground is the most heavily conditioned no-fault ground in Chapter 8.99 and carries the ordinance’s largest penalty exposure.
Section 8.99.020(d) creates a sequencing requirement with no analogue in state law. Before issuing a substantial remodel termination notice, the owner must have obtained all necessary permits, and where the City issues the permit, issuance is conditioned on the owner providing a complete list of all tenants whose tenancies will be terminated in connection with the permitted work. You cannot serve first and permit later, and you cannot obtain the permit without naming the tenants.
The City issues no approval to proceed, while reserving the right to opine informally that the scope of work is not a substantial remodel. The owner builds the file without a safe harbor, which is why the contractor scope of work should be reviewed by counsel before the permit application rather than after the tenant’s answer.
The state definition supplies the substantive test. Under Civil Code § 1946.2, a substantial remodel means replacing or substantially modifying structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems in work requiring a permit, or abating hazardous materials, where the work cannot be done safely with the tenant in place and requires a vacancy of at least 30 consecutive days. Cosmetic work is excluded, so painting, flooring, and appliance replacement do not qualify.
What Happens If a Long Beach Just Cause Notice Is Defective?
Section 8.99.020(h) provides that an owner’s failure to comply with any provision of the chapter renders the termination notice void. Not voidable, and not curable by amendment mid-case. The unlawful detainer built on it fails with it.
Section 8.99.020(j) sets the affirmative exposure. An owner who attempts to recover possession in material violation of the chapter is liable for actual damages, reasonable attorney fees and costs, up to three times actual damages on a showing of willfulness, oppression, fraud, or malice, and punitive damages. Where the violation is connected to a substantial remodel termination, the ordinance adds a civil penalty of up to $15,000. Section 8.99.020(i) voids any waiver of these rights as against public policy.
Layered on top is Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.101, the tenant harassment ordinance, which has no sunset date. Section 8.101.030(G) makes it a violation to terminate any tenancy, including by serving a notice to quit, based upon facts which the owner has no reasonable cause to believe to be true or upon a legal theory untenable under the facts known to the owner. Section 8.101.040(A) attaches a civil penalty of $2,000 to $5,000 per violation, with up to $5,000 more per violation where the tenant is older than 65 or disabled, plus attorney fees.
The two chapters stack. A defective Chapter 8.99 notice loses you the case; the same notice, served on a theory you had no reasonable basis to believe, is separately actionable under Chapter 8.101 at a per-violation penalty.
How Does Long Beach Compare to Other Los Angeles County Rent Control Cities?
Long Beach regulates rent less than its neighbors and termination more than the state does.
| Jurisdiction | Local rent cap | Rent registry | Just cause source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | No, state AB 1482 only | No, inspection program only | Local, LBMC ch. 8.99, supersedes state |
| City of Los Angeles | Yes, LARSO | Yes, LAHD | Local, LAMC |
| Santa Monica | Yes | Yes | Local charter amendment |
| Beverly Hills | Yes | Yes | Local, BHMC |
| West Hollywood | Yes | Yes | Local, WHMC title 17 |
| Pasadena | Yes, Measure H | Yes, registration required | Local charter amendment |
| Unincorporated LA County | Yes | Yes, DCBA | Local, County RSTPO |
| Glendale | No, state AB 1482 only | No | Local, GMC ch. 9.30 |
Long Beach and Glendale are the two cities here with no local rent ceiling, and owners treat them as interchangeable. They are not. Glendale prices increases above a stated threshold by giving the tenant a relocation election; Long Beach does nothing of the kind. Compare the mechanics in our Glendale rent control compliance guide before assuming a Glendale playbook transfers. Owners holding assets elsewhere in the county should also review the LARSO compliance guide, the Santa Monica rent control guide, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County guide.
How Should a Long Beach Landlord Sequence a Compliant Termination?
Order of operations matters more here than any single document, because Section 8.99.020(h) makes every procedural miss fatal to the notice.
- Confirm coverage. Run the Section 8.99.020(f) exemption list against the certificate of occupancy date, not the state list.
- Confirm the 12-month occupancy threshold under Section 8.99.020(a). Below it, just cause has not attached.
- Check for an open code enforcement file. Serving within 90 days of a substandard building notice triggers the Chapter 18.25 presumption.
- Select the ground and commit to it in writing. The just cause must be stated in the notice.
- For substantial remodel, obtain permits and file the tenant displacement list with the City before drafting the notice.
- Calculate relocation on the correct tier and include the required advisement inside the notice itself.
- Deliver relocation or the written waiver within 15 calendar days of service, and document delivery.
- Apply the state notice period under Civil Code § 1946.1 and serve under Code of Civil Procedure § 1162.
For the litigation phase that follows, see the step-by-step California eviction process and the Los Angeles unlawful detainer guide. Where the tenancy has already deteriorated into disturbance or property damage claims, our nuisance claims practice and landlord-tenant law practice handle the dispute, not the paperwork.
One consequence of having no rent cap: the value of clearing a below-market tenancy is captured immediately on re-rental instead of recovered slowly through allowable increases. That makes a negotiated exit unusually attractive against a contested no-fault termination, and it is why a cash for keys buyout often beats a Chapter 8.99 notice on cost and timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions About Long Beach Just Cause Eviction
Does Long Beach have a just cause eviction law?
Yes. Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.99 imposes a local just cause requirement the City Council declared more protective than Civil Code § 1946.2. It applies after 12 months of continuous lawful occupancy and requires the just cause to be stated in the written termination notice.
Can a Long Beach landlord evict without cause?
Only where the unit is exempt under Section 8.99.020(f) or the tenant has occupied for less than 12 months. The exemption list is local and includes a rolling 15-year certificate of occupancy exemption, owner-occupied duplexes, and qualifying separately alienable property. Relying on the AB 1482 list here is the wrong analysis.
How much relocation assistance does a Long Beach landlord owe?
Section 8.99.020(e)(3)(A) sets two tiers. A substantial remodel or demolition termination requires the greater of $4,500 or two months of the rent in effect when the notice issued. Every other no-fault ground requires one month of that rent. Payment is due within 15 calendar days of service, and the owner may instead waive the final month or months of rent in writing.
Is there a rent cap in Long Beach?
No. Long Beach increases are limited only by Civil Code § 1947.12, which caps an increase over any 12-month period at 5 percent plus the regional cost-of-living change or 10 percent, whichever is lower. The City publishes the figure annually and it resets each August.
What happens if a Long Beach termination notice is defective?
Section 8.99.020(h) renders the notice void, which ends the unlawful detainer built on it. Section 8.99.020(j) separately exposes the owner to actual damages, attorney fees, up to treble damages on a willfulness or malice showing, punitive damages, and a civil penalty of up to $15,000 where the violation involves a substantial remodel termination.
Does Long Beach require landlords to file eviction notices with the City?
No. Long Beach has no LAHD-style notice filing requirement. The one City filing obligation arises earlier: under Section 8.99.020(d), a permit for a substantial remodel is conditioned on the owner providing a list of the tenants whose tenancies will be terminated.
Speak With a Long Beach Landlord Attorney
Borna Houman Law represents property owners, investors, and management companies across Los Angeles County, including Long Beach. We review termination notices before service, structure no-fault exits and buyouts, coordinate substantial remodel permitting with the City displacement filing, and defend Chapter 8.99 and Chapter 8.101 claims.
The ordinance punishes procedural error more aggressively than most owners expect, and the cheapest hour you will spend on a Long Beach tenancy is the one before the notice goes out. Call (888) 42-BORNA to schedule a confidential consultation.
This article provides general information about Long Beach and California landlord-tenant law and is not legal advice. Ordinance provisions, dollar amounts, and the allowable annual rent increase change over time, and application depends on the facts of your property and tenancy. Verify current figures with the City of Long Beach and consult an attorney. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship with Borna Houman Law.
