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🌉 Bay Area
California Tenant Rights by Region

The Bay Area has the densest concentration of local rent control ordinances in California. San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and several Silicon Valley cities all have active rent boards.

📍 9 Counties ✓ 2026 Laws ⚖ Free Attorney Referrals
Key Fact

San Francisco funds a Right to Counsel program providing free attorneys to qualifying tenants facing eviction.

🏙 Cities with Local Rent Protections

📍 Counties in Bay Area

Santa Clara → San Francisco → Alameda → Contra Costa → San Mateo → Marin → Sonoma → Napa → Solano →

📋 Statewide Protections Apply Throughout Bay Area

Even if your city has no local rent control ordinance, California's AB 1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% + local CPI (max 10%) and requires just cause for eviction after 12 months — for most multi-family buildings built before 2009. New 2026 laws also ban junk fees, require stoves and refrigerators, and protect your choice of internet provider.