Governor Signs Consumer Protection & Affordability Bill Package; Includes Tenant Protections

On October 6, 2025, Governor Newsom signed a package of bills designed to “help reduce costs for families.” The bills address a variety of issues, including a bill regulating the use of algorithms and a handful of bills that directly impact rental housing.

• AB 628 (McKinnor) requires that, for leases entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2026, rental units must include a working stove and refrigerator to be considered habitable. SCRHA worked with the author’s office throughout the session to try and make the bill fair and workable. However, amendments did not go far enough and SCRHA remained opposed to the bill and worked up until the end to stop its passage. 

• AB 246 (Bryan) protects tenants from eviction if delays or reductions in Social Security benefits affect their rent payments. SCRHA also opposed the bill right up until the end, arguing that the action or inaction of the federal government is not the fault of rental housing providers. Many housing providers are still struggling with the aftermath of COVID rent debt. SCRHA argues that instead of implementing eviction restrictions, other funding sources or solutions should be pursued by state government. 

• AB 414 (Pellerin) lets landlords return security deposits electronically when tenants choose that option. SCRHA removed its opposition to the bill once amendments were made that address scenarios in which there are multiple tenants and allow landlord and tenant to mutually agree upon a return method. 

• AB 863 (Kalra) directs the Judicial Council to create a single multilingual eviction summons form to improve language access for tenants. SCRHA strongly opposed this bill as introduced. Originally, it would have required housing providers to provide a multitude of forms in English and other specified languages if the landlord was informed of or had knowledge of a tenant’s primary language. SCRHA removed its opposition once the bill was amended to only require the Judicial Council to create, by January 1, 2027, a single summons form for mandatory use in an action for unlawful detainer that includes the information in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean.

• AB 325 (Aguiar-Curry) makes pricing algorithms subject to state antitrust law, thereby protecting consumers from price increases and false scarcity generated through unlawful collusion. There were several bills introduced that address the use of pricing algorithms, including some specific to just rental housing, that did not pass. AB 325 updates California's antitrust laws to address modern technologies being used for “illegal price fixing.”

Click here to read the press release. 

SCRHA sincerely thanks members who made calls or sent emails throughout the legislative session. Your grassroots participation helped us stop numerous problematic bills. SCRHA was able to weed out the worst legislation and minimize changes to the way you do business. Below is a list of some of the most concerning bills that you helped us defeat this year:

• AB 1157 (Kalra) - Tenancy: just cause termination: rent increases
• AB 878 (Kalra) - Victims of abuse or violence: reasonable accommodations
• SB 381 (Wahab) - Residential rental properties: fees
• AB 1248 (Haney) - Hiring of real property: fees and charges
• SB 522 (Wahab) - Housing: tenant protections: rent control

 SCRHA will be providing more guidance on the new laws in the near future and making members aware of any new forms necessitated by the laws.

Free Legislative Update for SCRHA Members

Join SCRHA for a Legislative Update Webinar on Wednesday, October 15, from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Register and join us to learn more about SCRHA advocacy this year and how these bills might impact you.