SB 709: Self-service storage facilities: rental agreement disclosures. - California

10/06/25 - Chaptered → SB709 · 2 edits

MINOR

No substantive policy changes were made between these two versions. The diff reflects a change in document format from a formal authenticated chaptered version to a web page rendering of the same enacted bill text. The statutory language of Section 21715.2, the legislative counsel's digest, and all operative provisions are identical.

TECHNICAL

A 'Digest Key' metadata block was added showing Vote: MAJORITY, Appropriation: NO, Fiscal Committee: NO, Local Program: NO. This is administrative classification information, not a change to the law.

The document format changed from a formal authenticated chaptered layout (with 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA / AUTHENTICATED / ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header) to a web page presentation with navigation elements and version history links. The underlying legal text is unchanged.

09/04/25 - Amended Assembly → 09/16/25 - Enrolled · 4 edits · Sep 16, 2025

MODERATE

This diff reflects the transition of SB 709 from its Amended Assembly version to its final Enrolled version. No substantive policy changes were made. The differences are entirely procedural and formatting: removal of amendment history headers, addition of passage dates (Senate September 11, Assembly September 10), standard enrolled bill formatting elements, and reformatting of the bill text from a line-numbered draft layout to final enrolled format.

TECHNICAL

Removed 'as amended' from the legislative counsel's digest heading, which is standard when a bill reaches its final enrolled form.

Added passage dates: Senate passed September 11, 2025; Assembly passed September 10, 2025.

Removed amendment history headers listing prior amendment dates (March through September 2025).

Reformatted the bill text from a line-numbered draft layout to standard enrolled bill formatting with page numbers and approval block.

09/16/25 - Enrolled → 10/06/25 - Chaptered · 3 edits · Oct 6, 2025

MINOR

SB 709 transitioned from its enrolled version to its chaptered (signed into law) version as Chapter 353, approved by the Governor on October 6, 2025. No substantive policy changes were made; the statutory text adding Section 21715.2 to the Business and Professions Code is identical in both versions. The differences are limited to formatting, header updates, and the addition of the chapter number and approval date.

TECHNICAL

Header changed from Senate Bill passage format to authenticated electronic legal material format with Chapter 353 designation

Governor approval date (October 6, 2025) and Secretary of State filing date added

Page numbers and layout reformatted for the official chaptered publication

06/16/25 - Amended Assembly → 09/04/25 - Amended Assembly · 2 edits · Sep 4, 2025

MINOR

The September 4, 2025 amendment to SB 709 adds Assembly Member Garcia as an additional coauthor alongside Assembly Member Schultz, indicating expanded legislative sponsorship. No substantive policy changes were made; remaining edits are minor grammatical and formatting corrections.

TECHNICAL

Assembly Member Garcia added as a coauthor of the bill, joining Assembly Member Schultz.

Minor grammatical fix in Section 21715.2(b)(B): 'symbols or other marks' changed to 'symbols or by other marks' for parallel structure.

02/21/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

The Senate amendment substantially expands SB 709 from a placeholder provision with a blank percentage into a detailed rent-increase cap for self-storage facilities. It adds a specific formula limiting increases to the lower of 5% plus cost-of-living change or 10% over any 12-month period, establishes which Consumer Price Index applies by region, and requires separate disclosure of base rates versus discounts in rental agreements.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly targets self-storage facility owners and their gross rental rates, adding a CPI-tied numerical cap with geographic specificity rather than leaving the percentage blank. The regulatory mechanism is far more detailed and enforceable than the introduced placeholder.

REQUIREMENT

Added a cap limiting gross rental rate increases to no more than the lower of 5% plus the percentage change in cost of living or 10%, measured over any 12-month period from the lowest gross rate charged in the prior 12 months.

Required that the gross per-month rental rate and any owner-offered discounts, incentives, concessions, or credits be separately listed and identified in the lease or rental agreement and any amendments thereto.

DEFINITION

Defined 'Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for All Items' by specifying four metropolitan area CPI-U indexes (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, San Diego-Carlsbad, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward) with a fallback to the California CPI published by the Department of Industrial Relations.

Defined 'percentage change in the cost of living' with a specific calculation method: for increases before August 1, use April-to-April (or March-to-March) data from the two prior years; for increases on or after August 1, use April-to-April (or March-to-March) data from the current and prior year. Results are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 1 percent.

SCOPE

The introduced version applied broadly to 'each rental agreement pursuant to this chapter' with a blank percentage. The amended version specifically targets owners of self-storage facilities and adds a concrete numerical cap while retaining the original frequency limit (once every three months) and the still-blank annual percentage as a separate provision.

05/08/25 - Amended Senate → 05/29/25 - Amended Senate · 4 edits · May 29, 2025

MODERATE

The May 29 amendment removes the bill's rent increase cap entirely, which had limited storage facility owners to raising rates by no more than the lower of 5% plus CPI or 10% over any 12-month period. The amended bill now focuses solely on requiring disclosure of rental terms in new agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2026, and relaxes the formatting requirements for those disclosures from meeting all three visual criteria to meeting only one of two.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed significantly. It no longer regulates how much owners can raise rents, and it now applies only to new rental agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2026 rather than to all existing and future agreements.

SCOPE

The entire rent increase cap provision was deleted. Previously, owners could not raise gross rental rates by more than the lower of 5% plus the percentage change in cost of living or 10% over any 12-month period. All associated CPI definitions and calculation methods were also removed.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement that the gross per-month rental rate and any owner-offered discounts, incentives, concessions, or credits be separately listed and identified in the lease or rental agreement was removed.

The formatting requirements for disclosures were relaxed. Previously, all three criteria had to be met simultaneously (larger type, contrasting type/font/color, and set off by symbols). Now items (1) through (5) must appear on the first page, and the 'clearly calls attention' standard only requires meeting either contrasting type OR being set off by symbols - a choice of one rather than all three.

TIMELINE

A new subdivision (c) limits the bill's applicability to rental agreements initially entered into on or after January 1, 2026. Existing agreements are not covered.

05/29/25 - Amended Senate → 06/16/25 - Amended Assembly · 3 edits · Jun 16, 2025

MINOR

The Assembly amendment to SB 709 primarily tightened the formatting requirements for disclosures in self-service storage rental agreements. The key substantive change is that disclosures must now be in larger type than surrounding text as a mandatory requirement, in addition to meeting one of two other visual distinction criteria (contrasting type/font/color or set-off symbols). Previously, larger type appeared to be just one option among several. The amendment also fixed drafting errors and restructured the subsection for clarity.

REQUIREMENT

Disclosures must now be in larger type than surrounding text as a mandatory baseline requirement, on top of meeting either contrasting formatting or set-off symbols. Previously, larger type was listed as just one of three alternative options.

TECHNICAL

Fixed drafting errors including removing redundant 'in agreement' phrase and correcting the garbled 'meets all meet either' language to simply 'meet either.'

Restructured subsection (b)(2) from a three-item numbered list with nested sub-items into a simpler two-item lettered list (A and B), reflecting that larger type is now a standalone requirement rather than one of the alternatives.

03/24/25 - Amended Senate → 05/08/25 - Amended Senate · 3 edits · May 8, 2025

MINOR

SB 709 was amended to remove a provision requiring rental agreements to limit rent increases to no more than once every three months and to an unspecified annual percentage cap, and replaced it with a new disclosure requirement. The new section mandates that storage facility rental agreements disclose specific information on the first page in a visually prominent format, including whether fees are promotional or discounted, the maximum fee during the first 12 months, termination steps, and owner contact information. The existing rent increase cap (lower of 5% plus cost-of-living change or 10%) remains unchanged.

REQUIREMENT

Removed a requirement that each rental agreement limit rent increases to no more frequently than once every three months and to an amount not exceeding a blank percentage per calendar year. This provision had an unfilled percentage, suggesting it was incomplete or under negotiation.

Added a new disclosure requirement (Section 21715.2) mandating that rental agreements disclose: the initial length and renewal term, whether the occupant received a promotional or discounted fee, the duration of any such discount, whether the fee is subject to change and the maximum fee during the first 12 months, all steps to terminate the agreement and avoid future charges, and owner contact information.

TECHNICAL

Added formatting requirements for disclosures: they must appear on the first page of the rental agreement, be in larger type than surrounding text, use contrasting font or color, and be set off by symbols or other marks to clearly call attention to the language.

Self-service storage facilities: rental agreement disclosures.

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