California state law bans local governments from imposing rent control on any new apartment construction. The law — the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act — defines new construction as dwellings with certificates of occupancy issued after Feb. 1, 1995. 

Costa-Hawkins also prohibits regulating rents on single-family dwellings and individually owned condominiums and townhouses 

Moves to repeal this law have appeared on two fronts: one in the State Assembly, the other as an initiative to place the appeal on the November 2018 ballot. 

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