Announcing the Tenant Protections Rent Calculator!

We’re excited to announce that we’re launching the most comprehensive anti-gouging rent calculator in California: introducing the Tenant Protections Rent Calculator!

Millions of California renters are eligible for local rent control and/or statewide rent stabilization under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482). But between inadequate documentation and complicated calculations, how can you know what protections you’re covered by?

Why a Rent Calculator?

Back in 2019, we passed AB 1482, aka the Tenant Protection Act of 2019. At the time, it was the largest expansion of tenant protections in the country, protecting millions of California residents against unfair rent increases and unjust evictions. While passing that landmark legislation was a milestone, we knew that passing laws wasn’t enough; people have to know their rights so they can actually enforce them.

So we quickly got to work to create the first version of tenantprotections.org, which provided an easy way to check if you were covered by the Tenant Protection Act and whether or not your rent increase was illegal. This became a go-to tool for rural tenant organizers to prevent their renters from being taken advantage of. But what about the renters that live in cities? With a patchwork of local rent control laws and convoluted eligibility requirements for both local and state policy, it quickly became apparent that we needed a tool that was comprehensive, clear, and easy to use by any renter in California.

How It Works

Faced with a rent raise, a typical renter without deep knowledge of tenant law likely has two options: 1) take their landlord’s word at face value, or 2) seek professional legal advice. The Tenant Protections Rent Calculator helps tenants to navigate their rights by:

• Understanding eligibility for statewide rent caps and local rent control laws
• Determining if their rent increases meet or exceed legal limits
• Empowering renters to know their rights in the face of unfair rent increases and unjust evictions—and connecting them with resources to fight back.

The Tenant Protections Rent Calculator builds on the original site’s coverage of AB 1482, to include location specific information for the 20+ CA municipalities that have local rent control measures. It combines the Tenant Protection Act and local laws into a single quiz and calculator, helping you understand what protections you’re eligible for and which laws your landlord may have violated.

We want to get this tool in the hands of as many renters as possible—can you spread the word? Share TenantProtections.org with your friends and neighbors so that no one in California has to face an unfair rent increase alone.