In brief
Long Beach regulates landlords through its Just Cause ordinance (Chapter 8.99 of the municipal code), which “works in tandem with” the state’s Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) and protects tenants who have lived in a unit “12 months or more”. For demolition or substantial remodel, the city’s page states a relocation payment of “either $4,500 or two months of the tenant’s rent, whichever is greater”. This page describes the rules and gives no advice.
- Other no-fault terminations carry one month’s rent, “paid within 15 calendar days of issuing the written notice”1.
- Exclusions include owner-occupied single-family homes, “Housing built within the previous 15 years” and single-family homes or condominiums owned by a natural person1.
- AB 1482 “caps rents at 5% plus inflation”; the city’s page presents the local ordinance as working with it1.
- The city “does not provide legal assistance and does not mediate in tenant and landlord disputes”1.
- No rent registry page was found among the city’s pages; they do list a Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program under Code Enforcement14.
Landlord rules in Long Beach sit in three places: the Just Cause ordinance and the relocation payments on the city’s tenant and landlord page, the state’s AB 1482 that the city’s page cites, and Code Enforcement programs that cover the condition of rental property. This page lists what the city’s pages state, with figures as the pages read in October 2026, and points to where each rule is written. It is a description, not legal advice, and the city says it does not offer legal assistance1. The permit and building side of property is in the pillar, Permits in Long Beach.
The short answer
| If you are… | What the city’s pages say |
|---|---|
| Asking who the Just Cause ordinance covers | Tenants who have lived in the unit “12 months or more”, with listed exclusions1 |
| Asking what a no-fault termination owes the tenant | Demolition or substantial remodel: “either $4,500 or two months of the tenant’s rent, whichever is greater”; other no-fault terminations: one month’s rent1 |
| Asking about a rent cap | AB 1482, a state law, “caps rents at 5% plus inflation”; the ordinance works “in tandem” with it1 |
| Looking for a rent registry | No rent registry page was found; the rental inspection program is a separate Code Enforcement program14 |
| Looking for legal help or dispute mediation | The city offers neither; its page lists Stay Housed LA and the Fair Housing Foundation, 562.989.12061 |
What the Just Cause ordinance is
The city describes Just Cause as “a tenant protection law adopted by the City of Long Beach to prevent arbitrary or discriminatory evictions”. It “works in tandem with” the California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482). The code text is Chapter 8.99 of the Long Beach Municipal Code12.
The protection reaches tenants who have lived in the unit “12 months or more”1.
Which units are excluded
The city’s page lists exclusions. They include1:
- a unit where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner;
- owner-occupied single-family homes and an owner-occupied duplex;
- “Housing built within the previous 15 years”;
- single-family homes and condominiums owned by a natural person;
- deed-restricted low-income housing;
- hotels, hospitals and dormitories.
The page poses the question “What kinds of units does this policy not apply to?” and answers it with this list1. How an exclusion applies to a particular building is a question for the ordinance text and the city, not something the page works through.
Causes the page lists
The page separates at-fault from no-fault causes. At-fault causes include non-payment “within 3 days of receiving notice”. No-fault causes include owner move-in, removal from the rental market, demolition or substantial remodel, and a government order1.
Tenant relocation assistance
For two no-fault cases the city’s page states the payment1:
- Demolition or substantial remodel: “either $4,500 or two months of the tenant’s rent, whichever is greater”.
- Other no-fault terminations: one month’s rent.
The landlord may pay the amount or waive the last month’s rent, and the payment must be “paid within 15 calendar days of issuing the written notice”. The page states that a notice is void if the owner does not comply1. The payments the page states are for no-fault terminations.
The ordinance text adds a civil penalty “up to fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000)” for certain material violations tied to false recovery of possession2.
Good to know The municipal code’s Title 8 table of contents lists “CHAPTER 8.97 – RESERVED” and “CHAPTER 8.98 – TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF NO-FAULT NOTICES AND EVICTIONS”3. The relocation figures on this page are quoted from the city’s tenant and landlord page1; this page does not describe the text of Chapter 8.97 or 8.98.
The state rent cap
The city’s page says AB 1482 “caps rents at 5% plus inflation”1. AB 1482 is state law, and the city’s page presents Just Cause as working in tandem with it. The exact limit for a given year is a state-law question this page does not answer.
What the city does and does not provide
The city “does not provide legal assistance and does not mediate in tenant and landlord disputes”. Its page points to several outside programs1:
| Program | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Stay Housed LA | The city participates |
| Fair Housing Foundation | A partner of the city; 562.989.1206 |
| Renter Aid Program | For income at or below 50% of area median income |
| Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach (HACLB) | Administers “the City’s Rental Housing Assistance Programs, which primarily includes the Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 Program” |
Source:1, as the page reads in October 2026.
Registration and inspection
No rent registry page was found among the city’s pages. What they show is the Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program (PRHIP), a Code Enforcement program. Section 18.30.120 of the municipal code authorizes “periodic inspections of residential rental properties”, and the PRHIP page links a registration form whose terms this page does not describe4.
Short-term rentals have their own registration, covered in Short-Term Rentals in Long Beach. The city’s short-term rental page warns against evicting tenants in order to relist a unit as a short-term rental5.
Where the city's pages send you
Each question lands on a different page. The ordinance’s wording is in Chapter 8.99 of the municipal code on Municode2. The relocation figures, the exclusions and the list of outside programs are on the city’s tenant and landlord page1. Rental inspections are on the Code Enforcement program page4. Disputes between a landlord and a tenant are outside what the city handles, according to its own page, which names Stay Housed LA, the Fair Housing Foundation and the Housing Authority instead1.
Where a rental unit meets other city rules
Rental units are where several property rules meet. An unpermitted garage unit is a Code Enforcement subject, with fines described in Code Enforcement in Long Beach. The permit side of a garage unit is in Garage Conversions in Long Beach, and the routes for unpermitted work are in Legalizing Unpermitted Work in Long Beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is protected by the Just Cause ordinance?
Tenants who have lived in the unit “12 months or more”, subject to the listed exclusions1.
What kinds of units does the policy not apply to?
The city lists owner-occupied single-family homes and duplexes, housing built within the previous 15 years, single-family homes and condominiums owned by a natural person, deed-restricted low-income housing, units that share a bathroom or kitchen with the owner, and hotels, hospitals and dormitories1.
How much is relocation assistance in Long Beach?
For demolition or substantial remodel, “either $4,500 or two months of the tenant’s rent, whichever is greater”; for other no-fault terminations, one month’s rent. The page states payment within 15 calendar days of issuing the written notice1.
What eviction protections does the law offer?
The city describes a law “to prevent arbitrary or discriminatory evictions”, separating at-fault causes, such as non-payment within 3 days of receiving notice, from no-fault causes such as owner move-in or demolition1.
Does Long Beach have rent control?
The city’s page cites AB 1482, which “caps rents at 5% plus inflation”, as the statewide cap alongside the local ordinance1.
Does the city have a rental registry?
Will the city mediate a dispute between a landlord and a tenant?
No. The city “does not provide legal assistance and does not mediate in tenant and landlord disputes”1.
Related Articles
Sources
- Tenant and Landlord Resources — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 8.99, Just Cause for Eviction of Tenants — Municode, City of Long Beach, California. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Long Beach Municipal Code, Title 8, Health and Safety — Municode, City of Long Beach, California. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Short-Term Rentals — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.