New landlord-tenant laws are reshaping how rent is raised, how deposits are collected and returned, how evictions must be justified, and how fees are advertised. Seven states and the District of Columbia now regulate rent in some form, more than twenty states bar discrimination based on how a tenant pays, and the Federal Trade Commission is drafting its first rule on hidden rental fees. If you signed a lease or rented out a unit more than a year ago, several rules that applied then no longer apply now.
Rent Increase Caps and Notice Rules
A growing number of states cap how much rent can go up in any twelve-month period. The usual formula ties the ceiling to the Consumer Price Index plus a fixed percentage, so the cap moves with inflation. California limits annual increases to 5% plus local CPI, with a hard ceiling of 10% no matter what inflation does. Oregon uses a similar structure pegged at 7% plus CPI.
Written advance notice before any increase is now standard almost everywhere, with timelines running from 30 days for smaller bumps to 90 days for larger ones or longer tenancies. Skip the notice or shorten the window and the increase can be void, meaning the tenant keeps paying the old rate until a compliant notice goes out and the clock runs. Some jurisdictions also fine landlords who cut the notice period short.
Rent-control laws typically exempt newer buildings for a set number of years after construction, often somewhere in the fifteen-to-twenty-three-year range. Once that window closes, the unit is covered like any other older building.
Hidden Fees and the FTC Rulemaking
The gap between advertised rent and what a tenant actually pays each month is now a federal target. In March 2026, the FTC published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” in rental housing fees, focused on mandatory charges for amenities, technology, administration, and utilities that get added after a renter asks about a listing. The agency is weighing a “total rent” disclosure requirement so the advertised price reflects the real monthly cost.1Federal Register. Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Rental Housing Fee Practices
The public comment period closed in April 2026, and no final rule is in place yet. If one lands, listing platforms and property management software would likely have to show all mandatory recurring and one-time charges upfront.1Federal Register. Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Rental Housing Fee Practices
State legislatures are moving on the front end too, capping what landlords can charge for applications and screening before any lease is signed. Dollar limits vary by state, and so do the penalties for going over.
Lower Security Deposit Caps and Faster Returns
Security deposit limits have tightened. Most states now cap deposits somewhere between one and three months’ rent, and the trend is toward the low end. California dropped to one month’s rent for most residential units in mid-2024, furnished or not, replacing an older tiered rule that allowed up to two months unfurnished and three months furnished.
Return deadlines have also shortened, generally landing between 14 and 30 days after move-out depending on the state. Any amount withheld needs an itemized statement, with receipts or invoices for professional repairs. If the landlord or an employee did the work, a written description of tasks, time spent, and the hourly rate is typically the floor.
Bad-faith withholding is expensive. Some states let tenants recover double the amount wrongfully withheld; others impose triple damages. Detailed move-in and move-out documentation, including photos and a written condition checklist, is the simplest way to keep a deposit dispute from turning into a damages claim.
Just Cause Eviction Rules
The biggest structural change in eviction law is the spread of “just cause” requirements, which bar a landlord from ending a tenancy unless they can point to a specific, legally recognized reason. That eliminates the traditional no-cause nonrenewal. Washington, California, and a growing list of cities now require landlords to identify a qualifying reason before filing.
Qualifying reasons split into two groups. Fault-based reasons cover tenant conduct: not paying rent, violating the lease, or illegal activity on the property. The landlord has to give written notice first and a chance to cure, and for unpaid rent the “pay or vacate” deadline runs from 3 to 14 days depending on the jurisdiction. No-fault reasons cover situations where the tenant did nothing wrong but the landlord needs the unit back, such as moving in personally, pulling the property off the rental market, or doing a major renovation.
No-fault evictions carry extra obligations. Many jurisdictions require relocation assistance equal to one to three months’ rent, and some cities also require a declaration of intent filed with a local housing agency before the eviction notice goes out. Skip the payment or the filing and the whole eviction can be dismissed.
Source of Income and Voucher Protections
More than twenty states and many additional cities now prohibit landlords from rejecting applicants because rent is paid through a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), Social Security, disability benefits, or other public assistance. The definition of “source of income” is broad and covers virtually any lawful payment method.
Compliance means applying the same screening criteria to everyone. Standard credit and background checks are still fine, but the criteria cannot be shaped to screen voucher holders out. Advertising a unit as “no Section 8,” or telling a caller the same thing over the phone, is the exact conduct that triggers investigations. Enforcement agencies use complaint processes and, in some places, testers who inquire about listings. Penalties include fines, mandatory fair housing training, and ongoing monitoring.
Assistance Animals and Reasonable Accommodations
The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, including allowing assistance animals in buildings with no-pet policies. That covers both trained service animals and emotional support animals that address the effects of a disability. Under HUD guidance, an assistance animal is not a pet, and no pet deposit or pet fee can be charged for one.2U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistance Animals
A tenant requesting the accommodation has to show two things: a disability, and that the animal provides disability-related support. If the disability is not obvious, the landlord can ask for documentation from a healthcare professional with personal knowledge of the person’s condition. HUD has specifically warned that online certification mills selling letters to anyone who pays are not reliable documentation.3U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistance Animals Guidance Fact Sheet
Denial grounds are narrow: the specific animal poses a direct threat no other accommodation could resolve, the request would impose an undue financial burden, or it would fundamentally alter the housing operation. Blanket breed or weight restrictions do not override a valid accommodation request.2U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistance Animals
Retaliation Protections
Nearly every state bars landlords from evicting or punishing a tenant for exercising legal rights. The most commonly protected activities are requesting repairs, reporting health or safety code violations, and joining a tenant organization. Courts will scrutinize timing if an eviction notice or rent increase follows soon after a complaint.
Many states apply a presumption of retaliation when the landlord acts within a set window after the protected activity. Ninety days is a common threshold: file for eviction inside that window and the burden shifts to the landlord to prove the eviction had another motive. After the window closes, the tenant carries the burden of proving retaliation. Legitimate evictions are still possible, but the reason has to be solid and documented, and the timing has to make sense.
Right to Counsel for Tenants Facing Eviction
A growing number of jurisdictions now guarantee low-income tenants a free lawyer when they face eviction. As of April 2025, five states, nineteen cities, and two counties had legislatively adopted a tenant right to counsel. In New York City, where the first such program launched in 2017, between 72% and 93% of fully represented households stayed in their homes, and eviction filings fell 49% over the following seven years.4Eviction Lab. Disrupting the Eviction System: Tenant Right to Counsel
Eligibility is usually based on household income, with most programs covering tenants up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. A qualifying tenant is matched with an attorney who reviews the lease, raises defenses, and negotiates outcomes like repayment plans or extended move-out timelines. For landlords, the practical effect is more contested cases and fewer default judgments, with more disputes resolving through negotiated agreements.
Required Disclosures: Lead Paint and Flood Risk
Federal law requires lead-based paint disclosure for any residential property built before 1978. Before signing a lease, the landlord must provide a copy of the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,” disclose any known lead paint or lead hazards, and share any available inspection reports or records.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 4852d – Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead Upon Transfer of Residential Property The requirement applies even without any reason to believe lead paint is present. Tenant and landlord both sign the disclosure form, and the landlord keeps a copy for at least three years.6U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Real Estate Disclosures About Potential Lead Hazards Knowing violations carry federal civil penalties per violation, plus potential liability for health damages tied to undisclosed exposure.
Flood risk disclosure is newer and far less uniform. As of early 2026, eleven states require landlords to tell prospective tenants whether a rental sits in a floodplain, has a history of flood damage, or both. There is no federal requirement, so coverage depends entirely on location. Some state laws only require disclosure of what the landlord actually knows about past flooding, which leaves room for gaps. Six states also require landlords to share information about the availability of flood insurance.