Manhattan Beach Rent Control: What Landlords Owe in 2026 (Spoiler: AB 1482 Only)

Published August 10, 2026

Manhattan Beach has no rent stabilization ordinance of its own, so state law is the whole rulebook. Here is the 2026 cap, the exemptions that actually apply, and the two obligations owners forget.

The short answer

Manhattan Beach has no local rent control ordinance. The city has not adopted rent stabilization, and the Los Angeles County ordinance covers unincorporated areas only. Your rent cap comes entirely from state law, AB 1482. For increases effective August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, the LA metro limit is 8.7 percent.

Last verified: August 10, 2026

Why there is no local ordinance to worry about

Two rules get confused constantly here. The Los Angeles County Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance covers unincorporated territory, places like Ladera Heights and Marina del Rey. Manhattan Beach is an incorporated city, so it does not reach a single unit. The City of Los Angeles ordinance, LARSO, stops at LA city limits, which Manhattan Beach sits outside.

That leaves the city's own code, and Manhattan Beach has not enacted a rent stabilization program. It appears on no list of California rent control jurisdictions, which in this county runs to Beverly Hills, Culver City, Inglewood, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach are in the same position. No local cap, no registration, no rent board.

The 2026 number

California Civil Code §1947.12 caps annual increases at 5 percent plus the change in the regional cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower.

For increases taking effect on or after August 1, the statute uses the April CPI. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the Los Angeles, Long Beach and Anaheim area CPI-U at 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending April 2026. Five plus 3.7 gives 8.7 percent.

That figure governs increases effective August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. An increase served earlier in 2026 fell under the prior year's number, so do not backfill 8.7 onto a notice already out the door.

Two mechanics owners miss:

• You may not raise rent more than twice in any 12 month period, and the two increases combined still cannot exceed the cap.
• Notice length comes from Civil Code §827(b). Ten percent or less over the trailing 12 months requires 30 days. More than 10 percent requires 90. At 8.7 percent you are in 30 day territory, but if you stacked an earlier increase this year, add them together first.

Which Manhattan Beach units are actually exempt

New construction, on a rolling clock

Housing issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years is exempt under §1947.12(d), except mobilehomes. The clock rolls. Measure from the certificate of occupancy date against the date the increase takes effect, not against a fixed calendar year, because a building exempt for last year's increase can be covered for this year's. Given how much of Manhattan Beach has been rebuilt since 2010, this catches a real share of the local stock. Pull the certificate date before you assume anything.

Single family homes and condos, but only with the notice

A single family residence or condominium alienable separate from any other unit is exempt under §1947.12(d)(5), provided the owner is not a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with at least one corporate member.

The exemption is not automatic. You have to deliver the statutory notice, and the statute prescribes the wording, beginning "This property is not subject to the rent limits imposed by Section 1947.12 of the Civil Code..." Skip it and the exemption is not yours to claim. This is the most common failure we see on South Bay single family rentals, and it surfaces mid dispute, at the worst possible moment.

The other half of AB 1482

The cap gets the headlines. The eviction rules bind you just as hard.

Under Civil Code §1946.2, once a tenant has continuously occupied the unit for 12 months you need just cause to terminate. If adult tenants were added later, the threshold is all tenants at 12 months or at least one at 24 months.

Just cause splits in two. At fault covers nonpayment, material lease breach, nuisance, waste, criminal activity, unauthorized subletting and refusal of lawful entry. No fault covers owner or family move in, withdrawal from the rental market, a government habitability order, and demolition or substantial remodel.

Two obligations attach:

• If the violation is curable, you must give notice of the violation and an opportunity to cure before you serve a three day notice to quit.
• Every no fault termination requires relocation assistance equal to one month of the tenant's rent in effect when you issued the termination notice, either as a direct payment or a waiver of the final month's rent.

FAQ

Does Manhattan Beach have rent control?

Not locally. The only cap on your increases is the statewide Tenant Protection Act, AB 1482, at Civil Code §1947.12 and §1946.2.

How much can I raise rent right now?

For a covered unit with an increase effective between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027, the ceiling is 8.7 percent across any 12 month period. Exempt units have no statutory ceiling.

My rental is a recent build. Am I exempt?

Probably, for now. The exemption runs 15 years from the certificate of occupancy date and expires on its own. Check the certificate date against your intended effective date every time, rather than assuming last year's answer holds.

I own a single family rental in my own name. Do I still have to do anything?

Yes. Serve the statutory exemption notice using the precise language in §1947.12(d)(5). Without it you are treated as a covered unit, cap and just cause included.

Do I need 30 or 90 days notice?

Under §827(b), 30 days if the increase is 10 percent or less across the trailing 12 months, 90 days above that. Combine every increase in that window before counting.

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This article is general information, not legal advice. Rent and eviction law changes, and the facts of your property and tenancy control the outcome. Consult a licensed California attorney or a licensed property manager before serving a rent increase or termination notice.

Topics: Manhattan Beach, rent control, AB 1482, California landlord law, rent increases, South Bay, property management

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