How a Lack of Transparency Threatens to Undermine California’s Rent Cap

In 2019, in the midst of eroding housing affordability and concerns about evictions and displacement, California passed the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), which includes a statewide rent cap to protect tenants from steep rent increases. Three years later, however, rapidly rising rents for advertised rentals offer a stark picture of how, without adequate outreach, enforcement, and transparency, the law may not be fulfilling its promise in today’s significantly different economic climate. A new brief, co-published by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation and TechEquity Collaborative, explores the market dynamics pushing up rents across the state, and offers recommendations for policies that might strengthen accountability.

Rising Rents, Not Enough Data: How a Lack of Transparency Threatens to Undermine California’s Rent Cap