You bought a rental in the High Desert area because the numbers penciled out: a reliable tenant, a clean unit, and a predictable income. Then a late payment, a repair dispute, or a defective notice suddenly threatens months of cash flow.
In the High Desert, Victorville, Hesperia, and Apple Valley, profit comes from precision. State rules dominate, timelines are strict, and one misstep can reset your case.
This guide translates California’s tenant-protection laws into practical steps so you can raise rent lawfully, end tenancies correctly, and protect your investment without guesswork.
Key Takeaways
- State law controls; these cities have no local rent control, so statewide rent caps and just-cause rules apply (Civ. Code § 1947.12; § 1946.2).
- AB 1482 caps increases for most covered homes at the lower of 5% plus CPI or 10% per year and no more than two rent increases in any 12-month period.; you cannot bank unused room (Civ. Code § 1947.12).
- Just-cause protections restrict termination after the occupancy threshold; most no-fault cases require one month of relocation assistance (Civ. Code § 1946.2).
- AB 12 caps most residential security deposits at one month of rent as of July 1, 2024, with a narrow small-landlord exception (Civ. Code § 1950.5).
- Notices and basics matter: three-day pay-or-quit excludes weekends and judicial holidays; heat, plumbing, safe wiring, and sanitation are mandatory (CCP § 1161; Civ. Code § 1941.1).
AB 1482: Rent Caps and Just Cause
AB 1482 covers most apartments and company-owned single-family rentals. Newly built homes are exempt for 15 years. Individually owned houses are exempt only if the lease says so and the owner isn’t a corporation, REIT, or corporate-member LLC.
For covered homes, annual increases are the lower of 5% plus local inflation or 10%, measured against the lowest rent in the past 12 months. In the High Desert, use the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CPI. You can’t bank unused increases.
After 12 months in possession (or 24 months if new adult tenants were added early), you may end a tenancy only for just cause. At-fault causes include nonpayment, serious lease violations after a cure opportunity, nuisance, or illegal activity.
No-fault causes include owner or qualified family move-in, permanently taking the home off the rental market, complying with a government order to vacate, or a substantial remodel that can’t be done safely with the tenant in place and requires at least 30 consecutive days with permits.
For any no-fault termination, provide one month’s rent as relocation (or waive the final month) within 15 calendar days of serving the notice.
AB 12: The One-Month Security-Deposit Cap
Starting July 1, 2024, California caps most residential security deposits at one month’s rent. That’s all-in: any move-in deposit, “pet,” “key,” “cleaning,” etc., must fit under the same one-month limit.
A narrow carve-out allows up to two months only if you’re a “small landlord”: a natural person (or qualifying family trust, or an LLC whose members are all natural persons) who owns no more than two properties totaling four or fewer rental units. This carve-out never applies when the tenant is a service member; they’re always protected by the one-month cap.
With less cushion, operate tighter. Verify income and rental history, require complete applications, and document move-in condition with time-stamped photos and detailed checklists.
Keep leases aligned with the statute, avoid add-ons that function like extra security, and use clear, written pet agreements that assign responsibility without creating an illegal extra deposit.
Habitability and Repairs: Your Non-Negotiable Duty
California requires every rental to be “habitable”, safe, sanitary, and functional.
That means a secure roof and windows, working plumbing with hot and cold water, reliable heat, and safe electrical systems. The home must also be pest-free, have proper trash containers, and solid floors, stairs, and railings. Heat is legally required; air-conditioning isn’t, but if you provide it, you must keep it working.
If a serious problem continues after the tenant gives notice, the law gives tenants tools. They can hire the repair and deduct up to one month’s rent (no more than twice a year), withhold rent in severe habitability failures, or, in extreme cases, end the lease.
Your best protection is speed and documentation: confirm requests in writing, dispatch licensed vendors quickly, and keep time-stamped photos, invoices, and messages. Treat life-safety issues, like no heat in winter or a major leak, as emergencies and prioritize same-day triage.
Notices, Timing, and Avoiding Self-Help
Notices are technical. Get them right or start over. A Three-Day Notice to Pay or Quit counts only business days, no Saturdays, Sundays, or court holidays and must clearly say who to pay, where, and how.
For fixable violations, serve a Notice to Cure before you can terminate. Use a legally valid delivery method and calendar every deadline exactly; a single miscount can sink your case.
Never do “self-help.” Don’t change locks, shut off utilities, or remove belongings. That’s illegal and can trigger penalties.
A tenant can be removed only after you win an unlawful detainer case and the sheriff completes the lockout. Treat possession as the court’s job and follow your lease’s entry rules.
Do High Desert Cities Have Their Own Rent Control?
As of 2025, Victorville, Hesperia, and Apple Valley have not enacted local rent-stabilization ordinances. Unless a city adopts stricter rules, the statewide framework governs rent caps, just-cause standards, and termination procedures (Civ. Code § 1947.12; § 1946.2). Monitor city agendas, but operate today under state law and clear lease disclosures.
FAQ
Do these rules apply to my single-family home in Hesperia?
AB 12 applies broadly. AB 1482 does not apply to individually owned, separately alienable homes only if you are not a REIT, corporation, or disqualified LLC and you provided the required exemption disclosure (Civ. Code § 1946.2(e)(8); § 1947.12(d)).
My one-year lease is ending. Can I non-renew?
Not if AB 1482 applies. After the just-cause threshold, expiration alone is not cause; you need qualifying grounds and must satisfy any relocation requirement (Civ. Code § 1946.2).
How do I compute CPI for rent caps here?
Use the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CPI-U and the statute’s April-to-April method; annual increases may not exceed ten percent even when CPI is higher (Civ. Code § 1947.12; BLS CPI-U).
Compliance Is Your Competitive Edge
The High Desert rewards owners who run rentals like a business: plan rent adjustments around CPI windows, memorialize exemptions in writing, use compliant forms, and track repairs with time-stamped communications.
In a regime designed to punish shortcuts, your edge is a process. Tight documentation, correct notices, and disciplined timelines convert legal complexity into durable cash flow. The difference between a stable portfolio and a costly dispute isn’t luck; it’s method.
Prefer expert execution over guesswork? Partner with Provest Realty. We handle compliant screening, CPI calculations, just-cause notices, timelines, and maintenance coordination—so your property performs while you stay protected.
Let our team turn risk management into a repeatable operating system for your High Desert portfolio. Contact us today!
Additional Resources
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