Davis presentation outlines landlord responsibilities under California's Tenant Protection Act

Chad, the session presenter, told Davis landlords and property managers that the California Tenant Protection Act, enacted in 2019, remains in force and imposes two core obligations: landlords subject to the law must (1) state a legally sufficient reason ("just cause") to terminate or refuse to renew a tenancy once residency triggers are met and (2) respect a statewide cap on annual rent increases.

Why it matters: the law changes how many routine landlord actions must be documented and timed. Chad emphasized that failing to deliver the statute's required notices can convert an otherwise-exempt property into one treated as subject to the Act for enforcement or court purposes, and that tenants can use such failures as a defense in eviction proceedings.

Key points from the presentation

- Notice and exemptions: Landlords must provide tenants with either the Act's required notice of tenant rights if the property is covered or a written notice of exemption when the property is statutorily exempt (for example, qualifying single-family homes, owner-occupied duplex rentals and properties built within the last 15 years). Chad warned that if…