By: Shelby D. Bennett, Esq.
On August 24, 2026, AB 2692 was signed into law and it takes effect immediately. This bill creates new Civil Code Section 4276 to allow associations in Los Angeles County with expired CC&Rs to reinstate them more efficiently.
Many older CC&Rs contain a built-in expiration date, with a membership approval requirement to extend them. If the membership does not hold a vote and approve the extension before they expire, the association is left without valid, enforceable CC&Rs. Until now, reinstating the CC&Rs after they’d already expired meant obtaining unanimous owner consent to reinstate them, or an uncertain litigation path.
AB 2692 creates a temporary workaround for Los Angeles County only. An association in Los Angeles County whose CC&Rs expired by its own provisions can now be reinstated if approved by the percentage of members required to extend them as stated in the CC&Rs; alternatively, they can be extended by a majority of all members if the document is silent.. The vote must follow the procedures outlined in the governing documents and the Civil Code. Reinstatement is effective only after member approval and recordation. The revived CC&Rs will be reinstated for a term equal to the original term or 20 years, whichever is shorter. Members must then receive a copy of the recorded declaration by individual delivery.
This bill was enacted to help communities rebuild after the 2025 Palisades and Eaton Fires. However, it is not limited to fire-damaged communities only. Any Los Angeles County association with expired CC&Rs may use it.
Note, the Civil Code Section will automatically terminate on January 1, 2028. Accordingly, associations wanting to take advantage of this provision must complete voting, certification, and recordation in 2027.
Reinstatement pursuant to this Section is not a permanent fix as the term will expire again in the future. Boards should also plan to amend the CC&Rs to include automatic renewal clauses, allowing the CC&Rs to continue beyond their current term even without a membership vote. Additionally, boards should consider a complete restatement of the governing documents following the reinstatement to bring their documents up to date with current laws and industry standards, particularly if they are severely dated.
Shelby D. Bennett, Esq. is an associate attorney at Beaumont Tashjian, where she provides general counsel services and advises associations on the preparation and redrafting of CC&Rs, Bylaws, and related documents.