SAN DIEGO — Renters here in California are just days away from receiving more legal protections.
A new law will soon limit how much prospective tenants throughout the state and in San Diego County will have to come up with for their security deposit, which can often total several thousands of dollars.
This new law goes into effect statewide on July 1, capping the amount a landlord can charge for a security deposit at just one month's rent.
While already existing lease agreements will not be affected by this new law, tenants rights advocates say this will help increase access to housing for more Californians in an increasingly expensive rental market.
"They say that San Diego is the finest city," said Patricia Mendoza, the statewide organizer for ACCE, a a non-profit which advocates for low-income tenants. "It's not just the finest city, but the most expensive city."
That dubious distinction, bestowed on San Diego last month by U.S. News & World Report, takes into account the fact that San Diego's average monthly rent now exceeds $3,000 a month, according to Zillow.
"We see this every day, we see people being unhoused, being evicted, just because rents are going up," Mendoza told CBS 8.
She is applauding Assembly Bill 12 and says it's a major step in the right direction.
While the average deposit now runs between one to two month's rent, landlords have sometimes charged three months' rent depending on an applicant's credit score. Based on the average rent in San Diego, this could exceed $9,000.
"Nobody has that big hunk of cash to lay down to get into an apartment usually," said one renter.
"Any act to try to help people find a new home, a new place, I'm all for it!" added another.
Most landlords, though, are not "all for it."
Many property owners are opposed to the new law, warning that capping how much landlords can charge upfront could lead to more rental housing being pulled from the market.
The California Apartment Association has previously said, "Further limiting a property owner's ability to financially cover property damage or unpaid rent is an unfair imposition for rental housing providers."
"It's going to help a lot of people," countered Mendoza, who sees this as a way to increase access to rental housing and help more Californians avoid homelessness.
"It is a really good step in the right direction, but we need to do more," she added. "We need more tenant protections."
California will be the twelfth state in the nation to have a law limiting security deposits to one month's rent, along with Massachusetts, Alabama and Delaware after July 1.
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