Landlord Rights & Responsibilities
This guide gives landlords an overview of the rights and responsibilities that come with managing rental housing in Orange County. California law regulates nearly every stage of a tenancy — how much rent can increase, when and how a tenancy can end, what you can collect and deduct as a security deposit, and the condition you must keep your units in.
The guide is divided into the following sections:
- Rent Stabilization — permissible rent increases, required notices, and which units are covered or exempt
- Just Cause Evictions — the lawful grounds for ending a tenancy and the notices each one requires
- Security Deposits — limits on amounts, documentation requirements, and the 21-day refund rule
- Health & Safety — your habitability obligations and the rules on entry, retaliation, and fair housing
Staying compliant protects you as much as it protects your residents: defective notices can be thrown out by a court, missed deposit deadlines can forfeit your right to any deductions, and habitability problems can become defenses to an eviction.
This guide is a general overview and not a substitute for professional legal advice. By continuing to use this website, you agree to the terms and conditions.
Content last reviewed September 4, 2026. See Sources for the publications this guide is based on.