Inland Empire / Jurisdiction guide

Which rules protect you in the Inland Empire? State and local law explained

By Homzora Team · September 26, 2026

In most of the Inland Empire, renter protections come from California law rather than from city ordinances. That makes the state rules especially important to understand, along with the exemptions that remove many single family homes from them. This guide explains how the layers fit together, with a source for every rule.

Step one: which city or county is the address in?

The Inland Empire spans two large counties, Riverside and San Bernardino, and dozens of cities. Some cities have no residential rent control or just cause ordinance beyond state law, while others have adopted local rules for residential units, mobile home spaces or both.^[1] Check the exact address with the city or county before you rely on any local protection, because a mailing address alone is not a reliable guide to which city a home is in.

Layer one: California law applies everywhere

Deposits: Most landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, or two months for qualifying small landlords, and must return it or send an itemized statement within 21 days after you move out.^[2]
Screening fees: The fee is capped, adjusted each year for inflation, and must be itemized.^[3]
Habitability: Every rental must meet basic standards, including working plumbing, heating, hot water, safe electrical systems and freedom from pests, and for leases from January 1, 2026, a working stove and refrigerator.^[4]
Entry: A landlord must generally give reasonable written notice, presumed to be 24 hours, and enter only during normal business hours, except in an emergency.^[5]
Retaliation: A landlord may not raise rent, reduce services or seek to evict you within 180 days because you exercised a legal right, such as complaining about conditions.^[6]
Notice of increases: For a month to month tenancy, an increase of 10 percent or less needs 30 days' written notice, and a larger increase needs 90 days.^[7]

Layer two: the statewide rent cap

The Tenant Protection Act caps rent increases for many homes. Over any 12 month period, rent may rise by no more than 5 percent plus the regional change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower.^[8] For the Riverside and San Bernardino area, the Attorney General lists the cap as 7.5 percent for increases from August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026^[8], and industry calculations put it at 8.1 percent from August 1, 2026.^[9]

Neither Riverside nor San Bernardino has ever enacted a local rent control ordinance, so renters in both cities rely on this statewide law, and there is no local rent board to hear complaints.^[10][11] That puts more responsibility on the tenant to check each increase against the cap and to raise any concern in writing.

Layer two, continued: statewide just cause

Once a tenant has lawfully occupied a covered home for 12 months, a landlord generally may end the tenancy only for a reason listed in the law. At fault reasons include unpaid rent, a material breach of the lease and nuisance. No fault reasons include the owner or certain relatives moving in, withdrawing the home from the rental market and demolition or substantial remodeling. For a no fault termination, the landlord must provide relocation assistance equal to one month's rent, either as a payment or by waiving the final month's rent.^[12] Any lease clause that tries to waive these rights is void.^[12]

The exemptions that matter most here

The statewide cap and just cause law do not cover every home. Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the past 15 years is generally exempt, so a newer apartment complex or a recently built subdivision may not be covered.^[8] Single family homes and condominiums are exempt when the owner is not a corporation or certain kind of investment trust and the tenant has been given a specific written notice of the exemption.^[12][8]

Because houses make up a large share of the rentals in many Inland Empire neighborhoods, these exemptions shape what many renters can expect. Ask who owns the home, and look in the lease for the exemption notice. If the owner is a company of the kind the law does not exempt, or if no notice was given, the home may be covered after all. Remember that the 15 year exemption runs from the certificate of occupancy date, so newer buildings gradually become covered.^[8]

Layer three: local rules in some cities

A few cities in the region have gone further than state law. Palm Springs has a local rent control ordinance for covered units, including rules for mobile home spaces, and Perris adopted Ordinance No. 1469 on January 13, 2026, addressing just cause eviction protections.^[1] Mobile home park rent stabilization ordinances exist in Riverside County and in the cities of Riverside, San Bernardino, Menifee and Corona.^[1] If you rent a mobile home space, or live in a city other than Riverside or San Bernardino, check the local code before you rely on state law alone.

Repairs: remedies set by state law

After giving the landlord notice and a reasonable time to act, generally presumed to be 30 days, a tenant may pay for repairs of conditions that make the home untenantable and deduct the cost from the rent, up to one month's rent and no more than twice in any 12 month period, or may move out instead.^[13] If a public official has cited serious violations and the landlord has not fixed them within 35 days, without good cause, the landlord may not demand or collect rent and can owe actual damages plus special damages of $100 to $5,000.^[14] State housing law lists the conditions that make a building substandard, including lack of heat, dampness, mold, vermin and faulty wiring or plumbing.^[15]

Air conditioning is a common concern in the region, but California's habitability law does not require it.^[16] If the lease includes air conditioning or the landlord has agreed to maintain it, put repair requests in writing and keep a record, as the evidence guide explains.

Checking an increase yourself

Without a local rent board, it helps to know how to check an increase. Add up every increase in the past 12 months, including the new one, and divide the total by the rent charged before the first of them. Compare the result with the cap that applies on the date of the increase: 7.5 percent through July 31, 2026, or 8.1 percent from August 1, 2026, for the Riverside and San Bernardino area.^[8][9] If the increase is higher and your home is covered, write to the landlord, explain your calculation and ask for a corrected notice. Keep a copy of the letter and the reply. Check the notice period too: 30 days for an increase of 10 percent or less, and 90 days for a larger one.^[7]

If you receive a no fault notice

A no fault termination after 12 months in a covered home must come with relocation assistance equal to one month's rent, either paid within 15 days of the notice or provided by waiving the final month's rent.^[12] Check that the notice states the reason, and note who is said to be moving in or what work is planned. For a substantial remodel, the work must genuinely require the tenant to leave for at least 30 days; cosmetic work does not count.^[12] In a city with its own just cause ordinance, such as Perris^[1], local rules may add further requirements. Do not sign any agreement to leave without reading it carefully, and get advice before you respond.

Notices, courts and eviction timelines

An eviction in California must go through the courts. A notice to pay rent or quit gives the tenant three days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, to pay or move out.^[17] If the landlord then files an eviction lawsuit, a tenant served on or after January 1, 2025 has 10 court days to file a response.^[18] In the Inland Empire, cases are filed in the Superior Court of the county where the property is located, Riverside or San Bernardino, and each county assigns cases by location.^[1] Missing the response deadline can lead to a default judgment, so read every notice the day it arrives and seek legal help immediately.

Common misunderstandings

"Riverside has rent control." It does not. Covered homes are limited by the statewide cap, not a city program.^[10]
"Every rental is covered by the cap." Newer buildings and many houses owned by individuals are exempt, so always check.^[8]
"My lease says the rules do not apply." Statewide just cause protections cannot be waived by a lease clause.^[12]
"A notice means I must leave by that date." A notice starts a process. Only a court can order an eviction, and you have the right to respond.^[18]

How to work out your own coverage

Confirm the city, or the unincorporated area, where the home is located, and check for local ordinances.
Find out when the home or building received its certificate of occupancy.
Ask who owns the home, and whether you received a written exemption notice.
Note how long you have lived in the home, since just cause protection begins after 12 months.
Apply the strongest rule that covers you, and keep your conclusion in writing with the supporting documents.

Where to get help

Because Riverside and San Bernardino have no local rent board^[10][11], help usually comes from statewide resources and legal aid. The California Attorney General publishes information about statewide rent limits^[8], and the California courts' self help guides explain deposit disputes and small claims.^[19] If you receive an eviction notice or court papers, contact a legal aid organization or a tenant attorney at once, because the deadlines are short.

Your completion record

City or unincorporated area confirmed
Local ordinances checked
Year the home was first occupied
Owner and any exemption notice
Statewide cap coverage
Length of tenancy
Contact for legal help

Keep this record with your lease. See the budget guide to plan for future increases, and the Inland Empire data page for local figures.

Sources and official resources

Use the planning tools · All Inland Empire guides