Renting in Laguna Beach

California law, not a Laguna Beach ordinance, sets most of what a landlord and tenant can do here. This guide says what the state and the city publish and who to call. It is not legal advice. If you have a dispute or a notice in hand, talk to a legal aid office or an attorney.

What the city regulates and what it leaves to the state

The city’s housing page says Laguna Beach has no local rent control ordinance. Its tenancy page adds that the city did not adopt local tenant protection laws and that state law governs evictions and rent rates. The city also says it does not enforce the state’s Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482). The law can be enforced only in court.

The one local rule is the eviction-notice ordinance, covered below.

State rules that apply to most rentals

The California Attorney General summarizes the Tenant Protection Act and related law. For most residential rentals:

• Rent increases: A landlord cannot raise the rent more than 10 percent, or 5 percent plus the change in the cost of living, whichever is lower, over 12 months. A landlord may set the rent when a new tenant moves in.
• Just cause: After you have lived in a unit for 12 months, the landlord needs a listed reason to evict. “At fault” reasons include unpaid rent and breaking a lease term. “No fault” reasons include owner move-in and a demolition or substantial remodel.
• Exemptions: The act does not cover every unit. The Attorney General lists examples, such as certain single-family homes, units with a certificate of occupancy under 15 years old and deed-restricted affordable housing. Check your unit.
• Notice of a rent increase: The notice must be written. The landlord must give 30 days for an increase of 10 percent or less and 90 days for more than 10 percent.
• Security deposit: For most rentals the deposit is capped at one month’s rent. The landlord must return it within 21 days of move-out with an itemized statement of any deductions.
• Lockouts: A landlord cannot lock you out, shut off utilities or remove your belongings to force you out. Only a court case can lawfully evict a tenant.
• Habitability and retaliation: Landlords must keep a unit habitable and cannot retaliate against a tenant who uses these rights.

The city’s housing page also lists the state’s housing discrimination protections, which include source of income. It lists the Fair Housing Council of Orange County, which offers fair housing enforcement and landlord and tenant counseling, at (714) 569-0823 or (800) 698-FAIR.

The city’s eviction-notice ordinance

The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1696 on March 12, 2024. It took effect April 12, 2024 and sits in the municipal code as Chapter 7.90. As the code reads:

1. For a tenancy that needs just cause under the state Tenant Protection Act, an owner who gives notice because of an intent to demolish or substantially remodel must file a copy of the notice, with any permits or a signed contract for the work, with the city within three calendar days. Filing goes through the city’s online portal.
2. The notice to you must say that the city will receive a copy and that it becomes a publicly searchable record.
3. If you accept an offer to re-rent the unit, the owner files your acceptance with the city within five days.
4. If the owner does not file, that failure is an affirmative defense in an unlawful detainer case, and the city withholds inspections for the remodel permits.

The city’s overview page describes the filing duty as covering any notice to terminate a tenancy, while its FAQ and the code tie it to demolition and substantial remodels. If you receive a termination notice for any reason, search the city’s “Find a Notice” page and ask the city how it applies. The tenancy page lists (949) 497-0314 for questions about the ordinance.

If you get a notice

1. Read the notice and note the date, the reason given and the deadline.
2. Look the notice up on the city’s “Find a Notice” page if it cites a demolition or remodel.
3. Call a legal aid office or the Fair Housing Council before the deadline passes.
4. Know the court timeline. The California Courts self-help guide says an eviction case starts with a written notice, you must file response papers within 10 days, and a decision can take 30 to 45 days or longer.

Free and low-cost help the city lists: Community Legal Aid SoCal at (800) 834-5001 or (714) 571-5200, Seaside Legal Services at (949) 494-9411 and the Public Law Center at (714) 541-1010. The Attorney General also points to LawHelpCA.org.

Long-term leases and short-term rentals

The city defines a short-term rental as occupancy for 30 consecutive days or less. A lease of more than 30 days still counts as short-term when the tenant sublets the unit for stays of 30 days or less. A lease of more than 30 days falls outside that definition unless the tenant sublets that way. The short-term rental guide covers where the city allows short-term lodging, licenses and taxes. Read your lease before you list any part of a rental, and ask an attorney if you are unsure.

Parking permits for renters

A lease agreement in your name counts as proof of residency for the city’s Shopper Permit, alongside a utility bill, a pre-printed check or a car registration. The city lists $80 each for the first two permits and $150 each for the third and fourth. A permit runs two years from August 1. The parking guide covers every permit type, the lots and the meters.

Rental assistance

• Housing Choice Vouchers: The Orange County Housing Authority runs the program in Laguna Beach and can be reached at (714) 480-2700. Its waiting-list page said on October 28, 2026 that the list was closed and that it would post a notice when it opens.
• Affordable rental list: The city links Orange County’s Affordable Housing Rental List on its housing page.
• Families Forward: The city lists the agency at (949) 552-2727.
• 2-1-1 Orange County: The Housing Authority points people who need emergency services to 2-1-1 Orange County: dial 211 or (888) 600-4357.

The housing programs guide covers the city’s other housing programs. For a unit built as an accessory dwelling unit, see the ADU guide.

Finding a rental

Realatrends Real Estate, which publishes this site, lists Laguna Beach homes for rent from the MLS on its Laguna Beach rentals page. Use the first 30 days guide and the moving checklist once you have a lease.