Selling a House With Tenants in Burbank

Burbank is one of a small number of Los Angeles County cities that wrote its own just-cause eviction ordinance instead of relying solely on state law: Burbank Municipal Code Title 5, Chapter 4, most recently amended by Ordinance 25-4025 in 2025. If you’re a landlord who needs to sell a Burbank rental with a tenant currently living in it, that local ordinance, not just the statewide rules most sellers have heard of, controls how and whether that tenancy can end.

Burbank’s Ordinance Controls the How, State Law Still Controls the How Much

Burbank’s just-cause ordinance requires a landlord to have a legally recognized reason, at-fault or no-fault, before ending most tenancies, and for no-fault terminations like an owner move-in, a planned demolition, or permanently removing the unit from the rental market, it requires paying the displaced tenant relocation assistance equal to three months’ rent. What Burbank’s ordinance does not do is cap how much rent can be raised on a continuing tenancy; there’s no city-level price ceiling here the way there is in some neighboring cities. That gap matters because it means the statewide rent cap under Civil Code 1947.12 (part of AB 1482) still governs rent increases on units the state law covers, working alongside Burbank’s local just-cause and relocation rules rather than being replaced by them. It’s a genuinely hybrid situation: city law tells you how a tenancy can end, state law tells you how far rent could have climbed along the way. State law also provides its own just-cause backstop under Civil Code 1946.2 for California tenancies not otherwise covered by a local ordinance.

The Number Behind the State Cap

For any Burbank rental subject to AB 1482, the statewide rent cap applies regionally rather than city by city, and the current Los Angeles-metro figure is 8.7% (a 5% base plus a 3.7% regional CPI adjustment), effective August 1, 2026. That figure is useful context if you’re pricing a sale with an eye toward what an incoming investor-buyer could legally raise rent to going forward, or if you’re trying to understand whether a past increase on your own unit was compliant.

Selling With the Tenant Still in Place

You don’t have to end a tenancy to sell a Burbank rental. Many investor buyers specifically want an occupied property with rent already coming in, and selling subject to the existing lease avoids triggering Burbank’s relocation-assistance requirement entirely, since the tenancy simply transfers to the new owner. This is often the faster, less expensive path when the numbers pencil for a buyer who wants a turnkey rental rather than a home to move into themselves.

When You Need the Unit Vacant

If a sale requires vacant possession, because a buyer wants to move in themselves, or because the property will be redeveloped, Burbank’s ordinance requires the no-fault relocation payment and proper notice before the tenant is expected to leave, and that process takes real time. Retail buyers financing an owner-occupant purchase typically want a firm move-in date, which puts pressure on getting the notice and relocation payment right the first time rather than contesting it later. A cash buyer willing to purchase with the tenant still in place removes that timing pressure altogether.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Burbank cap how much I can raise rent?
Not on its own. Burbank’s ordinance addresses just cause and relocation assistance, not a rent ceiling; the statewide AB 1482 cap (currently 8.7% in this region, effective August 1, 2026) is what limits rent increases on covered units.

Do I owe relocation money if I sell and the buyer wants the tenant out?
Relocation assistance is generally owed when a no-fault termination, like a sale that requires vacant possession, ends the tenancy. Check the current ordinance language and consult an attorney before serving notice, since who owes it can depend on timing and buyer intent.

Can I sell my Burbank rental without evicting the tenant first?
Yes. Selling with the tenant in place and the lease intact is common, especially to investor buyers, and avoids relocation-assistance obligations entirely.

Is every rental in Burbank covered by the state rent cap?
No. AB 1482 exempts certain properties, including many single-family homes with proper notice and some newer construction. Whether your specific unit is covered is worth confirming with an attorney before you rely on the number.

This page describes general provisions of Burbank’s just-cause ordinance and California’s statewide rent cap and is not legal advice. Consult a California-licensed landlord-tenant attorney before serving notice or calculating relocation assistance.

Whether your Burbank rental has a tenant in place or sits vacant, we can put together a cash offer that works around the lease instead of forcing you to resolve it first. Reach out to see what we’d offer.