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.
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.
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?
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