Walnut Creek hosts tenant rights workshop Sept. 26

Walnut Creek renters and property owners can sign up for a virtual workshop on rent increase rules and tenant protections on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The two-hour Zoom session, running from 10 a.m. to noon, will cover the California Tenant Protection Act, known as AB 1482. That 2019 state law caps annual rent increases on most covered properties at 5% plus the local Consumer Price Index, with a ceiling of 10%. It also requires landlords to show "just cause" before ending a tenancy once a renter has lived in a unit for 12 months.

The city announced the workshop on Thursday, Sept. 3, calling it the first in a planned series on tenant rights. Dates and topics for future sessions have not been announced.

The timing matters for Contra Costa County renters.

The maximum allowable rent increase under AB 1482 for the county jumped from 6.3% to 8.8% starting Aug. 1, according to a WIRE Associates analysis published in July. That 2.5-percentage-point increase was the largest jump of any region in California this year, according to the analysis.

AB 1482 generally covers multifamily rental housing more than 15 years old. Single-family homes and condos not owned by a corporation are typically exempt if the owner provides written notice.

Owner-occupied duplexes and buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued within the last 15 years are also exempt. The law is scheduled to expire Jan. 1, 2030, unless the Legislature extends it.

Local affordability pressures underscore the need. Greg Wiseman, 35, told The Inquirer in May that he had left his apartment in downtown Walnut Creek because he could no longer afford the cost. "I work eight hours a day and five days a week and I budget every month, but it still wasn't enough to stay," Wiseman said at the time.

The workshop is open to both tenants and property owners. To register, visit the city's registration page or call 925-732-3919. No registration fee is listed.

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