profile

The Housing Hero Newsletter By Steve Welty

Important Legal Updates for California Landlords: Security Deposits & Rent Increases

Published about 1 year ago • 2 min read

Steve Welty

Issue# 5

July 2024

Happy Saturday!

I want to keep you informed about two significant legal updates impacting rental property in California, effective July/August of this year.

Assembly Bill 12: Security Deposit Cap Effective Date: July 1st, 2024

Key Details:

Security Deposit Cap: This new law caps security deposits at one month’s rent. Exclusions: Small landlords who own no more than two properties, with a maximum of four units, are exempt from the provisions of AB 12.
​
My Take: I created a YouTube video when this law was proposed, expressing that this bill is largely unnecessary. Most housing providers, including us, typically charge only one month’s rent as a security deposit. The primary exception has been for conditional approvals where we charge 1.5X the deposit if you are almost qualified.
​
Unintended Consequences: Unfortunately, this law hurts the very tenants it aims to protect. By capping deposits at one month, many housing providers, including us, have had to eliminate our conditional approval programs that allowed for slightly higher deposits for marginal credit risks. This means tenants with lower credit or income will have a harder time getting approved for housing.

New Rent Increase Limit Effective Date: August 1st, 2024

Key Details:

Rent Increase Cap: Statewide limit on rent increases set at 5% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Some properties are exempt (read the law for full details), but simply put, the cap only applies to 2+ unit buildings that are over 15 years old (homes/condos exempt, woo hoo!).
​
Current CPI Updates: The new CPI for San Diego is 3.6%, and for Orange County, it is 3.8%. This means rent increases are capped at 8.6% and 8.8% respectively.

Why This Matters?

Most people are used to charging 10%. Don’t do it after August 1st, 2024 or you can get into a lawsuit over a sub 2% error. It’s crucial to know these limits to avoid potential legal issues.

Understanding these new laws is essential to remain compliant and protect your assets.

If you have any questions related to these legal updates, feel free to schedule a call with my team.

​

We are here to help navigate these changes and answer any questions you might have.

​

More Goodies Below 👇

2024 California Ballot Measure Will DESTROY the Rental Market

​

video preview​

​

Recent Articles

How to Write a Lease Renewal Letter with a Rent Increase

Finding and retaining reliable tenants is critical to being a landlord and managing a successful rental property. Creating the perfect lease renewal letter to a tenant can play a significant role in whether or not a tenant decides to renew

​

​Read more →​

Free Rent Invoice Template for Landlords

If you have a rental property, rent invoices should be a part of your payment process. Get our free rent invoice template and learn how to use it effectively.

​

​Read more →​

Free Guides & Tools

Get your Instant Rent Estimate

​

Rent vs Sell Calculator

​
E-book

AB 2216: A Simple Guide to Understand the New Pet Law

Pickleball for a Cause: Join Us on July 26th in Newport Beach!

We're excited to announce that we are a sponsor of the EasyGive Charity Pickleball Tournament! Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newbie, everyone is welcome!

100% of the proceeds will go to Families Forward, a non-profit dedicated to helping families experiencing housing insecurities in Orange County (www.families-forward.org).

​

Don’t miss out on:

🎉 Exciting matches

📣 Networking opportunities

❤️ A chance to make a positive impact

​

Count down to 2024-07-26T20:00:00.000Z​

That's it for this week! We hope you enjoyed the content and found it useful. Be sure to check your inbox next Saturday at 6 AM for our next update. Have a fantastic week!

P.S. Please share this ​newsletter​ with a friend, so they can join the conversation.

Steve Welty

CEO @ Good Life Property Management

DRE #01744610

5252 Balboa Ave #704, San Diego, California 92117
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

The Housing Hero Newsletter By Steve Welty

Passionate about bringing positivity and fresh perspectives to the rental property industry CEO @ Good Life Property Management San Diego and Orange County. Managing over 1,300 units in San Diego and Orange County.

Read more from The Housing Hero Newsletter By Steve Welty

Steve Welty Issue# 57 July 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes, A few days ago, our VP Natalia Vanni sent out an email to the team with some unexpected (but super helpful) tips about home insurance. She had just bought a new house (huge congrats, Natalia! 🎉) and wanted to share what she learned while trying to lower her insurance premium. Spoiler: she didn’t just call her agent she went full research mode. ChatGPT, articles, deep dives... and then she passed the gold nuggets on to us. It got...

3 days ago • 2 min read

Steve Welty Issue# 55 July 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! I want to share a story not a polished success, but a real moment when things didn’t go how we hoped. More importantly, what we did about it, and what we learned. A Decade of Trust - Then, A Breakdown Back in 2013, one of our earliest clients joined Good Life. Before the big team. Before the brand. Just us and a promise to take care of her condo. And for years, that’s exactly what we did. But over time, that trust eroded. A...

11 days ago • 2 min read

Steve Welty Issue# 54 June 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! We have big news out of Sacramento that you need to hear: AB 246 the bill proposing a one-year rent freeze across Los Angeles County, has stalled in the Assembly. This is a major win for rental housing providers across California. But don’t put your phone down just yet, this bill isn’t dead, and we need to keep the pressure on to ensure it never comes to a vote. What’s AB 246 All About? AB 246, introduced by Assemblymember Isaac...

17 days ago • 2 min read