Update 10/10/25 – California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 709. It’ll take effect on Jan. 1.
The CSSA Legal Committee is reviewing the new law and will soon provide its assessment for association members. In addition, CSSA and SSA will host a free “Peer Power Hour” webinar on Oct. 30 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT. CSSA Legislative Committee Chair Steve Mirabito and CSSA Legal Chair Kim Sclari will be joined by SSA Government Affairs Director Joe Doherty. Registration is required and can be completed through the CSSA website.
Source: CSSA Newsletter, “Legislative Alert”
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10/6/25 – SB 709 has passed both the Assembly and the Senate and has been sent to California Governor Gavin Newsom for signature. The bill must be signed by Oct. 12 to become law, according to an Oct. 6 legislative alert sent from the CSSA to its members.
If the legislation is ratified, the CSSA and SSA will outline and distribute the requirements that’ll impact self-storage rental agreements starting Jan. 1. They’ll also host a webinar regarding the new instructions on Nov. 19. It’ll be presented by SSA Government Affairs Director Joe Doherty and CSSA Legislative Committee Chair Steve Mirabito.
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“Governor Newsom can either veto it or ignore it, which would essentially kill the bill. However, we anticipate with as much support as the bill received, he is most likely to sign it into law; he must do so by Oct. 12,” the email stated.
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Update 5/12/25 – The CSSA and the SSA have been victorious in their fight against SB 709, which would’ve capped self-storage rent increases in California at once every three months and imposed an undetermined limit on the amount of each surge. Modeled after the state’s rent-control bill for the housing industry, the measure aimed to limit rent increases to the lower of 5% plus consumer price index or 10%, according to a May 12 email newsletter sent from the SSA to its members.
Instead, the associations worked with the bill author and judiciary committee to create disclosures regarding promotional pricing for self-storage. The price-control section was then removed entirely. Additional terms for rental agreements highlighted in the legislation include:
The initial length and renewal term of the rental agreement
Whether the occupant has received a promotional or discounted rental fee and its duration
Whether the rental fee is subject to change and, if so, the maximum the operator could charge during the first 12 months following the date of the rental agreement
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In addition, the disclosures must be in larger and contrasting font type and color than the surrounding text. They must also include some kind of symbol or other marks to set them apart.
“The SSA appreciates the efforts of our Sacramento-based lobbying team and the CSSA to defeat the threat of price controls on the industry,” said Joe Doherty, SSA’s chief legal and legislative officer. “We especially want to highlight our longtime Sacramento lobbyists, Naomi Padron and Shari McHugh, and CSSA Board Chair Gary Sugarman. The industry owes them a debt of gratitude for their unwavering commitment to defeat price controls and redirect the legislature toward uniform consumer disclosures.”
However, the coalition opposes the requirement to disclose the highest amount the owner can charge within the first 12 months of the agreement. “The CSSA maintains that any regulation limiting market-based pricing for self-storage is inappropriate and ultimately harmful to both consumers and businesses,” CSSA representatives said during a May 8 hearing with California lawmakers.
The association intends to continue working with Senator Caroline Menjivar, who introduced the bill, on further potential modifications to these requirements which, if passed, will be enacted January 1, 2026.
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Sources:Newsbreak, CA Lawmakers Agree to Remove Rent Cap From Self-Storage BillSSA Magazine Weekly, 5/12/25, “Industry Associations Defeat California Price Control Bill”TrackBill, SB 709
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4/8/25 – The CSSA is seeking support from self-storage operators in California defeat SB709, which will be taken up for discussion and possible vote by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee in the next three to four weeks. If it passes out of the committee, the bill could move swiftly to a vote by the state senate, then the assembly. If approved by both houses, it’ll be forwarded to the governor for his signature, according to an April 7 letter sent to CSSA members.
Since the introduction of SB709 last month, it has been opposed by the CSSA Board, the national Self Storage Association (SSA) and several of the associations’ larger members. These groups have joined forces with the California Business Roundtable and the California Business Properties Association to build a legislative campaign. The coalition needs to raise $2 million for its lobbying efforts. Donations can be made directly to the CSSA.
The CSSA is also working on a series of talking points self-storage operators can use when speaking with their local legislators. They include insight to why:
Self-storage price control will negatively impact the state and its residents.
Self-storage benefits consumers, small businesses and communities in many valuable ways.
Price control hurts the consumer because it doesn’t work as intended and results in less supply, lower quality facilities and higher prices.
The current state of the self-storage industry isn’t healthy and additional regulation will only hurt it further.
In addition, the CSSA is encouraging its members to engage their fellow operators and others in the business community to help fight the legislation. It calls SB709 “an attack on the self-storage industry, business, free markets and liberty in general.”
“We currently face a pivotal moment requiring our industry to come together to defend us from this dire regulatory threat. The self-storage industry will never be the same if SB709 passes. The CSSA needs your support to fight this measure,” the letter stated.
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3/10/25 – A new bill introduced in the California Senate seeks to amend the state’s Self-Service Storage Facility Act and limit self-storage operators’ ability to implement rent increases. Senate Bill (SB) 709, which was introduced by Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D) and assembly member Nick Schultz (D) on Feb. 21, would cap rent hikes at once every three months and impose an undetermined limit on the amount of each increase, according to sources.
The California Self Storage Association (CSSA) reached out to its members via email last week expressing concern about the financial impact of SB709 on facility operators statewide. The association is also partnering with industry leaders to address the bill.
“The CSSA is working in conjunction with the Self Storage Association and [its] state lobbyist regarding this serious matter,” the CSSA wrote in its March 8 email. “We are currently working on a strategy to mitigate the risk this bill has on your business.”
SB709 isn’t related to the rent-cap extension applied by state lawmakers in response to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles County. That ruling, which caps rent increases for residential properties at 10% through July 1, is specific to units affected by the Palisades Fire and other similar disasters, a source reported.
CSSA is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to supporting the self-storage industry in California. The group offers educational events, networking opportunities, legislative advocacy and more.
Sources:California Apartment Association, Newsom Extends Rent Cap After L.A. Firestorm But Exempts New Rental HousingCapitol Track, SB709
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