California added three landlord-tenant laws at the end of September, and two of them change what you do as an owner. SB 1365 takes effect January 1, 2027 and extends the state's 10% emergency rent cap to leases of any length. SB 1296 takes effect April 1, 2027 and requires you to publish and hand over your pet policy before you collect an application fee. A third law, SB 1160, adds court reporting on evictions and asks nothing of you directly. A fourth item, a new multilingual eviction summons, is also due January 1, 2027.
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Confirm the details with your attorney or property manager before you change your lease or your process.
At a glance
| Change | Bill | Effective | Lease or listing update needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% emergency rent cap now covers leases longer than one year | SB 1365 (Ch. 1028, Stats. 2026) | January 1, 2027 | No lease change. Check any planned rent increase after an emergency declaration. |
| Written pet policy required in listings and applications; application fee refundable if missed | SB 1296 (Ch. 1025, Stats. 2026) | April 1, 2027 | Yes: listings, application packet, pet addendum |
| Courts report eviction data by ZIP code | SB 1160 | Phased in 2027 to 2029 | No |
| Multilingual eviction summons form from the Judicial Council | AB 863 (Ch. 344, Stats. 2025) | Form due January 1, 2027 | No |
1. Emergency rent cap now covers every lease (SB 1365, effective January 1, 2027)
California's price-gouging law (Penal Code section 396) already capped rent increases at 10% after a declared emergency, such as a wildfire. It exempted rental housing with an initial lease term longer than one year. SB 1365 removes that exemption. After an emergency declaration, a rent increase above 10% on any residential rental is a potential misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in county jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
The law gives you two defenses. The first is that the tenant agreed to the increase before the emergency was declared. The second is that the increase covers repair or improvement costs you incurred in the year before the declaration, on a unit that was rented or offered for rent when you spent the money.
What you need to do: if your property sits in an area under an emergency declaration, check the 10% limit before you send any rent increase, including on a 12-month or multi-year lease. Keep receipts for repairs and improvements, because the cost defense depends on them.
2. Pet policy disclosure before you collect an application fee (SB 1296, effective April 1, 2027)
SB 1296 requires a landlord to give prospective tenants the written pet policy, whether it allows pets, restricts them, or bans them. The policy has to appear on your property website, your digital ads, and rental search engine listings that support hyperlinks. A written copy has to go with the rental application, with space for the applicant to acknowledge it. If you collect an application fee without having provided the policy first, the applicant can request a refund, and you have seven business days to issue it.
The law does not make you accept pets. You can still restrict or prohibit them for reasons like health and safety, property condition, or insurance, as long as you follow the existing rules on service animals and assistance animals. According to the bill's summary, minor errors that you correct once notified, and non-material omissions, do not count as violations.
What you need to do: write down your pet policy in one document, add it to every listing and ad, attach it to your application, and add an acknowledgment line. Send it before you take a fee. Update the pet addendum in your lease template so it matches what you published.
3. Court eviction data reporting (SB 1160, phased in 2027 to 2029)
SB 1160 directs California courts to collect eviction case data, including filings, outcomes, and dismissals, by ZIP code, and the Judicial Council will publish it. Collection begins between 2027 and 2029 depending on the county, and annual public reporting starts in 2029. You have nothing to file or change. Expect eviction statistics for your ZIP code to become public.
What you need to do: nothing.
4. Multilingual eviction summons (AB 863, form due January 1, 2027)
Under AB 863, signed in 2025, the Judicial Council must issue a mandatory eviction summons form in six languages by January 1, 2027. The form had not been issued as of early October. If you file your own unlawful detainer, expect the summons packet to look different next year.
What you need to do: if you self-file evictions, check the Judicial Council forms page in January for the new summons before you file.
The bottom line
Nothing here requires action today. The earliest deadline is January 1, 2027, when the emergency rent cap extends to all lease lengths. The pet policy rule starts April 1, 2027, which gives you the winter to update listings and applications. The data reporting and summons changes need no lease edits.
If Doorstead manages your property, we update your listings, application packet, and pet addendum for the new rules and check rent increases against emergency declarations for you. If you self-manage, put the pet policy on your listings and application by April 1, 2027, and check the 10% limit before any rent increase in an emergency area.
Sources: California Legislature, SB 1296 and SB 1365 (2025-2026 Regular Session); CalMatters Digital Democracy bill pages for SB 1296 and SB 1365; Office of the Governor, legislative updates of September 27 and 30, 2026 (gov.ca.gov); California Apartment Association, "Governor signs bill expanding emergency rent caps to long-term leases" and "Pet-policy disclosure requirements on governor's desk"; AB 863 (Ch. 344, Statutes of 2025).