Pasadena Landlord-Tenant Rules

Rent stabilization: Under Measure H (the Pasadena Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment, approved December 2022), rent increases on covered units are limited to the Annual General Adjustment (AGA). The AGA is 75% of the 12-month increase in the Los Angeles-area CPI ending in March, rounded to the nearest quarter percent. The AGA is 2.5% from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 (it was 2.25% from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). Only one increase is allowed per 12 months, and written notice is required. Landlords seeking more may petition for an upward adjustment. Rent limits apply to multi-unit rental properties built before February 1, 1995. Exempt from rent limits: newer units, single-family homes and condos, government or nonprofit subsidized units, and institutional housing such as hospitals and dorms.; Just-cause eviction: Nearly all Pasadena rental units, including single-family homes and condos, require just cause for eviction, and the protection continues after a lease ends. At-fault grounds: nonpayment; breach of lease; nuisance; illegal activity; refusing access; refusing to sign a new lease; and a subtenant in sole possession. No-fault grounds: owner or qualified-relative move-in; Ellis Act withdrawal; necessary and substantial repairs; and government orders such as red tags or demolition orders. The landlord must give written notice stating an allowed reason. For no-fault evictions, the landlord must file a Notice of Intent to Terminate Tenancy with the Rental Housing Board at least 30 days before serving the tenant. The Board then mails the tenant a copy and a claim form. Retaliating against or harassing tenants for exercising their rights, including organizing, is prohibited and is a defense to an eviction.; Relocation assistance: Landlords must pay relocation assistance for no-fault evictions (substantial repairs, owner or relative move-in, Ellis Act, or a government order). Assistance is a base payment plus a moving allowance, plus an extra payment for 'special circumstances' households. Base payments from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, for an efficiency, 1, 2, 3 and 4+ bedrooms: tenancy of 0 to 3 years $7,935 / $8,865 / $10,935 / $13,875 / $15,500; more than 3 to 10 years $10,580 / $11,820 / $14,580 / $18,500 / $20,667; more than 10 years $13,225 / $14,775 / $18,225 / $23,125 / $25,833. Special-circumstances households get an additional $7,935 / $8,865 / $10,935 / $13,875 / $15,500. Moving allowance: $1,657, or $5,000 for special-circumstances households. A special-circumstances household has a member who is 60 or older, disabled, terminally ill, or a dependent minor child 19 or younger. Half is due within 10 days of serving the termination notice, and the rest no later than 28 days before the notice expires. Tenants also get a full security deposit refund. A tenant who cannot afford a rent increase may also qualify for relocation by sending the landlord a Notice of Inability to Pay within 30 days of the increase notice, with a copy to the Department within 5 days.; Rental registration/inspection: All residential rental units covered by Charter Article XVIII must be registered in the Rental Registry each year, including rented single-family homes, condos and ADUs. Owner-occupied homes should claim an exemption. For 2026 the window is September 1 to October 31, 2026, and the Rental Housing Fee is $236.54 per unit. The fee cannot be passed on to tenants. Late fees begin November 8, 2026. Landlords who have not registered cannot raise rent on stabilized units and may be barred from evicting.