Hawthorne has no local rent control, so AB 1482 is the whole rulebook. Here's how just cause, owner move-in, and substantial remodel really work for Hawthorne landlords in 2026.
Part of my city-by-city series. See every LA County city side by side →
Hawthorne has no local rent control ordinance. No rent board, no rent registry, no city tenant protection law.
Every week I meet an owner who hears that and relaxes. That's the mistake. In Hawthorne, the state's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) is the whole rulebook, and the state has tightened it more than once since 2020.
Key takeaways from the video
- The City of Hawthorne has no local rent control, rent board, or registry. AB 1482 is the rule.
- Parts of the Hawthorne ZIP code, such as Del Aire and Wiseburn, are unincorporated LA County with different rules. Check the parcel on Z-Net.
- For fixable lease violations, give the tenant a written chance to cure before terminating.
- Under SB 567, owner move-in requires the owner or close family member to move in within 90 days and stay 12 months, and the notice must name them.
- A substantial remodel requires permitted structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work and at least 30 days vacant. Paint and carpet do not count.
Chapters
- 0:00 Hawthorne has no rent control
- 0:31 Check the parcel first
- 0:51 What applies in Hawthorne
- 1:19 At fault
- 1:43 No fault
- 2:03 Owner move-in after SB 567
- 2:30 Substantial remodel
- 3:05 No ordinance is not no rules
- 3:16 Your Hawthorne checklist
Read the full transcript
Hawthorne has no local rent control, no rent board, no registry, and no city ordinance. So you're free, right? Not even close. I'm Tony Self, broker, property manager, with more than 30 years in real estate here in the South Bay.
We've covered the state law, Inglewood, and unincorporated LA County. Today, it's Hawthorne. Is it just the state law here, or is there more on top? In Hawthorne, it's just the state law.
And that's exactly where owners get careless. Before anything else, remember last episode, a Hawthorne address is not always the City of Hawthorne Parts of the Hawthorne ZIP code like Del Aire and Wiseburn are unincorporated LA County. That means the County's rules under 2%. So check the parcel on Z-Net before you do anything else.
If you're inside the city, AB 1482 is the rule. The rent cap, 5% plus inflation, never more than 10. Right now in LA County, for increases from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, that's 8.7%. And just cause once your tenants have been there a year.
Today, I want to spend our time on just cause because that's where owners end up in court. There are two kinds of reasons. At fault, the tenant did something, didn't pay the rent, broke the lease, nuisance, criminal activity, or refused lawful access. And here's a step people skip.
If the lease violation is something the tenant can fix, they get a written chance to fix it first. Skip that step, and you can lose a case even when you're right. No fault. The tenant did nothing wrong.
You just need the unit back. Owner move in, taking the unit off the market, a government order, demolition, or a substantial remodel. No fault means relocation, one month's rent, paid directly within 15 days, or waived from the last month. Since April 1, 2024, a law called SB 567 tightened the owner move-in rules.
The owner or a close family member has to move in within 90 days after the tenant leaves. And has to live there for at least 12 months. The notice has to say who is moving in and how they're related to the owner. And there's a special form for that too.
If it doesn't happen the way the notice said, the penalties are real. Substantial remodel got tighter too. It has to be real work, structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical. Work that needs permits, you gotta get those permits.
And the tenant has to be out at least 30 days to accommodate major repairs. Paint and carpet don't count. The notice has to describe the work, include copies of the permits, and tell the tenant how to let you know. if they want to come back. And remember, in the City of Los Angeles a remodel isn't isn't an option anymore.
So in Hawthorne, it is. You just got to be very careful. So here's the point. No local ordinance doesn't mean no rules.
It means the state rules are the whole game. And Sacramento tightens them almost every year. So if you own in Hawthorne, check the parcel, City or County Keep increases at 8.7% or less. And again, you want to make sure you do a rent survey, because even though you can do the increase, and you've been keeping up with it, you don't want to lose a tenant and have that additional cost.
Now for single family homes and condos, make sure the exemption addendum is in the lease and it is checked from the C.A.R. form For at fault, give the chance to fix it. For no fault, pay relocation within 15 days. For owner move in, 90 days, 12 months, and name the person. For remodel, permits first, then the notice.
So Hawthorne, just the state law? Yes. And that's plenty. Tomorrow, El Segundo.
I'm Tony Self, Harcourts Hunter Mason. I'm a broker, not your attorney. I'll see you tomorrow.
Transcript from the video's final-cut captions. Informational only, not legal advice.
First, check the parcel
As we covered in the last episode, a Hawthorne mailing address isn't always the City of Hawthorne. Parts of the Hawthorne ZIP code, including Del Aire and Wiseburn, are unincorporated LA County. There, the County's rent stabilization rules apply, and the allowable increase on covered buildings is under 2%.
Check the parcel on LA County Planning's Z-Net before you do anything else.
What applies inside the City of Hawthorne
The rent cap. 5% plus regional CPI, never more than 10%. For increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, the maximum in LA County is 8.7%.
Just cause. Once every tenant has lived in the unit for 12 months (or any one of them for 24), you need a reason the law allows to end the tenancy, and you have to state it in the notice.
Most of the expensive mistakes I see happen with just cause, not the rent cap.
At-fault reasons
The tenant did something: nonpayment, a material lease violation, nuisance, criminal activity, or refusing lawful access, among others.
The step people skip: if the lease violation can be fixed, the tenant is entitled to a written notice and a chance to fix it before you move to terminate. Skip it, and you can lose an eviction case even when you're right on the facts.
No-fault reasons
The tenant did nothing wrong, but you need the unit back:
• Owner or close family member moving in
• Withdrawing the unit from the rental market
• A government or court order
• Demolition or substantial remodel
Every no-fault termination requires relocation assistance equal to one month's rent, paid directly within 15 days of the notice or waived from the final month's rent.
Owner move-in after SB 567
SB 567, effective April 1, 2024, tightened owner move-in:
• The owner or qualifying family member must move in within 90 days after the tenant leaves.
• They must live there at least 12 months.
• The notice must identify who is moving in and their relationship to the owner.
If it doesn't happen the way the notice said, SB 567 added real penalties. Talk to counsel before you serve this one.
Substantial remodel after SB 567
• The work has to be substantial: structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work that requires permits, and that requires the tenant to be out for at least 30 days.
• Cosmetic work like paint, carpet, and minor repairs doesn't qualify.
• The notice must describe the work, include copies of the required permits, and tell the tenant how to notify you if they want to reoccupy the unit afterward.
For comparison, the City of Los Angeles eliminated substantial remodel as a no-fault reason entirely. In Hawthorne it's still available, but only if it's done by the book.
Your Hawthorne checklist
• Confirm the parcel is in the City of Hawthorne, not unincorporated County.
• Keep increases at or below 8.7% for increases effective through July 31, 2027.
• For single-family homes and condos, make sure the exemption notice (C.A.R. form RCJC) is part of the lease.
• For at-fault terminations, give the chance to cure when the violation is curable.
• For no-fault terminations, pay one month's relocation within 15 days.
• For owner move-in: 90 days, 12 months, and name the person.
• For remodel: permits first, then the notice.
Next up
AB 1482 is the floor, and in Hawthorne the floor is the whole house. Tomorrow: El Segundo.
This article and video are for general educational purposes only and are not legal, tax, or financial advice. Tony Self is a licensed California real estate broker (DRE #01906720) with Harcourts Hunter Mason Realty, not an attorney, and reading this does not create a client relationship. Rent control and eviction laws change often and vary by city and county. Figures are current as of September 2026. Before raising rent, serving a notice, or offering a buyout, consult a qualified California landlord-tenant attorney.
Sources
• AB 1482 bill text: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1482
• CA Attorney General, Tenant Protection Act guide for landlords: https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/Tenant-Protection-Act-Landlords-and-Property-Managers-English.pdf
• CAA, SB 567 new eviction rules take effect: https://caanet.org/governor-signs-bill-revising-states-no-fault-eviction-requirements/
• LA County Planning, Z-Net: https://planning.lacounty.gov/znet
Questions about how this affects your rental?
Tony Self has owned and managed LA County income property since 1995. Reach out - free consultation, no pressure.
Talk to Tony