Manhattan Beach: Big Rents, Same Rules

Manhattan Beach has no local rent control, so AB 1482 governs even $6,000 rentals. Here's the rent cap math, the entity trap for single-family exemptions, and the short-term rental rules near the beach.

Part of my city-by-city series. See every LA County city side by side →

A $6,000 rental in Manhattan Beach plays by the same rent rules as a $1,500 apartment in Hawthorne. Big rent doesn't buy you a different rulebook.

Manhattan Beach incorporated in 1912 and is named after a beach resort on Coney Island. Today about a third of households rent, and the median rent is among the highest in the South Bay.

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What applies

Manhattan Beach has no local rent control, no local just cause ordinance, and no rent registry. The state's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) governs: 5% plus regional CPI, never more than 10%. For increases effective August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, the maximum in LA County is 8.7%.

The big-rent math

On a $6,000 rent, 8.7% is $522 a month. Tenants notice that, and tenants at that rent level often have lawyers. Before using the full cap:

• Confirm the unit is actually covered.

• Start from the lowest rent charged in the last 12 months.

• Serve proper written notice (30 days for 10% or less).

The exemption and the entity

Many Manhattan Beach rentals are single-family homes and condos, which can be exempt from AB 1482's rent cap and just cause rules, but only if:

• The tenant received the written exemption notice (usually the C.A.R. RCJC addendum).

• The owner is not a REIT, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member.

High-end owners often hold property in entities. The wrong entity can quietly erase the exemption.

Short-term rentals near the beach

• Outside the Coastal Zone: the city bans short-term vacation rentals.

• Inside the Coastal Zone (generally west of Highland Avenue): a 2022 appellate decision (Keen v. City of Manhattan Beach) held the city couldn't ban them without Coastal Commission approval. They're allowed with a business license and 14% transient occupancy tax.

• In January 2026, the council voted 3-2 against temporarily allowing them citywide during the World Cup.

The 30-day line: stays of 30 days or less are generally treated as transient lodging. Go beyond 30 days and the arrangement generally starts to look like a tenancy, and after 12 months, AB 1482's just cause rules can apply.

Your Manhattan Beach checklist

• Big rent, same cap: 8.7% max through July 31, 2027.

• Exemption addendum in every single-family and condo lease.

• Check how title is held.

• Short-term rental owners: know which side of the Coastal Zone you're on, and watch the 30-day line.

Next up

Next: Hermosa Beach, where about half the city rents.

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. Consult a qualified California landlord-tenant attorney about your specific property.