BREAKING: Calif. rent control bill fails to advance in Assembly

A bill that would have imposed stricter rent caps and expanded eviction controls across California failed to advance today, halting the measure for this legislative session.

AB 1157 by Assembly member Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, did not move forward following a hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, of which Kalra is chair. The bill required seven votes to pass the committee but fell short, receiving four votes in favor, three against and five members not voting. Prior to the vote, lawmakers heard testimony from Debra Carlton, the California Apartment Association's executive vice president of state public affairs, and representatives of the California Building Industry Association.

The bill sought to make sweeping changes to California's existing rent cap law by sharply limiting allowable rent increases and extending rent control to housing types that are currently exempt. Specifically, the measure would have lowered the statewide rent cap to 2% plus inflation, capped at 5%, expanded rent control to single-family homes, condominiums, accessory dwelling units and individually owned townhomes, and eliminated the 2030 sunset date in the California Tenant Protection Act, passed as AB 1482 in 2019.

CAA opposed the legislation, warning that the changes could discourage investment in rental housing, push small property owners out of the market and worsen California's housing shortage.

During committee hearings last year, CAA cited research from the California Legislative Analyst's Office and academic institutions showing that strict rent control policies reduce housing availability and discourage new construction. The association and other opponents also pointed to the repeated rejection of stricter rent control measures by California voters in recent statewide elections.

The bill was carried over into 2026 as a two-year measure after stalling last year. AB 1157 was also before the Assembly Judiciary Committee in 2025, when Kalra also served as chair, but the author ultimately pulled the measure amid opposition.