Bills to help CA renters didn’t get to Newsom’s desk in 2025. Which ones and why?
When Ilene Tony and her family were evicted from their Sacramento apartment in 2015, they were given three days to either pay rent or get out.
Like for all people getting formally evicted in California for non-payment of rent, three days is the standard. However, if it would be extended to 14 days, as a now-shelved bill would have done, Tony said it could have prevented her family from a decade of homelessness.
“I could’ve found legal help,” Tony said. “That many more days still isn’t enough but enough to at least start a trail of finding those resources people need. All around it would’ve helped.”
State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, introduced that bill, SB 436, in February. In June, it essentially died while in a committee, where three Democrats in the state Assembly voted toward its demise.
“This is a very small ask,” Wahab, who chairs the California Senate Housing Committee, said during a June 24 Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary hearing. “To allow people 14 days to either ask friends or family for money to stay housed. To ask cities or anyone else that helps with rental assistance to stay housed. Or to wait for their paycheck.”
More conservative-leaning states such as Tennessee and Virginia have a 14-day window, Wahab said.
The Democrats who voted no or did not vote, which counts as a no vote, were Blanca Pacheco, of Downey, John Harabedian, of Pasadena, and Diane Papan, of San Mateo.
Pacheco said she was worried about negative impacts on the non-corporate landlords.
“I actually used to practice landlord tenancy cases,” Pacheco said during the hearing. “I used to represent tenants in Los Angeles County. And so I worry about these mom and pop landlords. I worry about these seniors who are going to have a hardship because they rely on this money for their expenses, for their mortgage, for whatever they need. And we’re putting them in a very bad situation.”
Papan also expressed concerns about landlords.
“I’ll tell you one thing, on the 15th, if I don’t pay my mortgage, it’s a late fee,” Papan said. “And so to my colleague from Marin’s point, that means something to me. And I just wonder why we are shifting to the landlord.”
Rent cap, excessive fee bills also shelved
While Wahab’s bill would have helped Tony previously, another bill that was essentially killed this session would help her today.
In February, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, introduced AB 1157, which would have capped the maximum amount landlords can raise rent on certain properties at 5% per year. That would make it more favorable to renters from the current 10% cap lawmakers passed in 2019. It also would have extended the protections toward renters of single-family homes. Hundreds of renters, some on the verge of homelessness, marched to the Capitol in April to show their support.
Last year, Tony’s landlord raised her rent for her Sacramento apartment the maximum amount allowed. For last year, that amount was 8.8% because the figure depends on annual inflation. Now unable to afford the increased rent, even with their Section 8 voucher covering some of it, Tony and her family may be back on the streets, she said.
“A 5% cap would help everybody,” Tony said. “We all know rent is too damn high everywhere. The cost of living is not matching wages of folks. My SSI is stretched out to cover four people and I’m stressed out by fifth of the month.”
Two Democrats in the Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Community Development voted down AB 1157 in April — Lori Wilson, of Suisun City, and Anamarie Farias, of Concord. It still advanced to the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary, however, which Kalra chairs. But knowing it would not have the votes, Kalra pulled it before it got a hearing — sparing his Democratic colleagues from putting the no vote on their records.
Farias raised concerns that making rent control more strict would discourage new housing construction.
“Rent control reduces housing supply. When landlords are unable to debt service their loans. It discourages construction, lending housing and the maintenance of existing rental units,” Farias said during the hearing. “Rent controlled units are often occupied by long term tenants regardless of tenants changing financial situation. This locks out families that we are truly trying to serve.”
Another bill that would have helped renters was AB 1248. That one, introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, would have barred landlords from adding excessive fees to tenants outside of rent. That one did pass the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary, with Pacheco voting no. Haney pulled it before it progressed further, knowing it wouldn’t pass.
Rent ‘still rising and we are not doing anything’
All three bills are so-called “two year bills,” which means they could come back in 2026. But it was still a bad year for renter bills, said Michelle Pariset, director of legislative affairs for Public Advocates, an organization that co-sponsored the Wahab and Kalra bills.
“Everything we try to win for renters in the Legislature is hard and this year was particularly hard,” Pariset said. “It’s so disappointing because the legislature and leadership talked a really big game about affordability. But rents are still rising and we are not doing anything as a state to make it easier for renters to afford to live here.”
California is the most expensive state for renters, with a median rent of $1,956, according to a recent report from Consumer Reports.
Tony said she hopes some moderate Democrats lose their seat next election to make way for more progressive ones, including those with lived homeless experience.
“I think we need to get some lawmakers in there that can bring down these rents,” Tony said. “Unless they walked in our shoes, they shouldn’t be making these rules and laws.”
The California Apartment Association donated in 2022 to 70% of state legislators, including many Democrats, according to a 2023 report from tenant advocacy organizations. On June 30, CAA donated $5,900 each to the campaigns of Papan, Pacecho, Harabedian and Wilson, according to campaign finance records. That does not include money given through independent expenditure committees.
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
