Methodology

How we verify every number

The site runs on a small dataset of rule records. Each record says what the rule is, which dates it covers, where it comes from, and when someone last checked it against the official text.

Sources, in order of trust

1. The law itself: California Civil Code 1947.12 and 827, the Los Angeles Municipal Code, and the LA County Code.
2. The agencies that run the programs: the California Attorney General, the LA Housing Department, and the County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.
3. Secondary sources such as code mirrors, only when an official copy can't be searched. Results based on them are labeled, and we confirm them with the city.

How a rule is published

• Every record has a source link, an access date, the period it covers, and the date it was verified.
• Published records are never edited. A correction is a new record that replaces the old one, with an entry in the public changelog.
• Every change runs against a fixed set of test cases before it goes live. The site won't build if any rule in effect hasn't been verified in the last 12 months.

When caps change

AB 1482 resets on August 1, based on the April consumer price index. Each city ordinance has its own reset date: July 1 for the City of LA and unincorporated County, and other dates elsewhere (for example, September 1 in Santa Monica, October 1 in Pasadena, November 1 in Bell Gardens, January 1 in Pomona). We check each city around its own date and show a rate only for the period we've verified.

What the calculator doesn't cover

• Pass-throughs, surcharges, capital improvements, utility adjustments, and fair-return petitions.
• Commercial leases, mobilehome space rent, and subsidized or deed-restricted units.
• Evictions and termination notices.