Senior Living Apartments in Sacramento, CA

You may be able to combine your personal finances with certain state and federal benefits to cover rent in a senior apartment. For instance, veterans benefits and public housing assistance may apply to you. However, please note that Medi-Cal, Medicare, and long-term care insurance don’t cover the costs of senior apartments since these communities don’t provide care services. Instead, these programs help seniors pay for in-home health care services.

Below, you can find private pay, veterans benefits, housing assistance, and both Medi-Cal and Medicare information for seniors.

Make a confident choice as a renter by taking time to understand how laws govern Sacramento senior apartments. In this section, we outline your rights as a renter and standards for apartment quality. We also recommend looking at the California Tenants Guide from the California State Department of Real Estate (DRE), which is a complete guide to all of the laws associated with renting in California.

Renters and their rights

Just like in standard apartments, local and federal laws apply to landlords and senior apartment renters in Sacramento. The difference with senior apartments is that at least one person living in the unit must be at least 55 years old.

As a renter, the following also apply:

• You have the right to maintenance services, landscaping, garbage removal, and fully functioning utilities.
• You have the right to a minimum of 30 days’ notice before your landlord increases the monthly rental rate.
• In California, landlords can increase your rent up to twice a year; however, a rent cap law keeps this increase below a certain threshold. Note that low-income housing, corporate-owned housing, and others may be exempt from California’s rent cap law.

Apartment quality and inspections

Sacramento County’s Rental Housing Inspection Program (RHIP) inspects each residential rental property in the area, including senior apartments. In addition, each senior apartment is required to register with RHIP. As rental properties, Sacramento senior apartments are required to have the following facilities and utilities:

• Functioning water heaters
• Clear exterior walkways
• Functioning exterior lighting
• Weather protection on roofs, walls, and siding
• Both hot and cold running water
• Plumbing, heat, and electric systems in safe working condition
• Functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Weather-protected windows that are easy to open

Accommodations and modifications for seniors with disabilities

Seniors with disabilities have additional rights when renting senior apartments. These protections under the law include but are not limited to the following rights:

• In California, it’s illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to someone due to a disability.
• Apartments must follow building requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA), which has standards in place to make public spaces accessible to people with different abilities.
• Landlords must agree to reasonable apartment-unit accommodations and modifications, which will be paid for by the person renting the apartment.

Included as a reasonable apartment accommodation is the ability for tenants to have a service animal. Service animals are trained to help people in different ways, including physical and emotional support. The following information may help seniors who plan to live with a service animal in their senior apartment:

• Seniors can have service animals even if the apartment has a no-pet policy.
• The landlord can only ask if the animal is needed due to the senior’s disability and what the animal has been trained to do.
• Service animals don’t need to be certified to live in an apartment.
• The animal must not be a threat to the rental property or other residents.

COVID-19 regulations for Sacramento senior apartment communities

Sacramento doesn’t currently have a mask mandate in place. However, they do have guidelines for isolation and quarantine in Sacramento County’s COVID Guidance PDF to prevent the spread. Check for updated guidelines on Sacramento County’s website. The current guidelines for public spaces include the following:

You’ll find a mix of high-end and affordable senior apartments in Sacramento, all designed exclusively for seniors at least 55 years of age. Whether you prefer studio apartments in high-rise complexes or garden-style apartments, you can choose between a range of apartment styles and find the right fit for you. Or, you can venture a little farther away from the Sacramento city center to experience a slower-paced suburban retirement experience with desirable senior apartment amenities.

Budget-friendly senior apartments

You’ll find several residential senior apartment options designed with affordability in mind throughout Sacramento. Though not always our partners, some senior apartments in Sacramento participate in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program subsidizing senior housing. These apartments may have smaller floor plans, like studio and one-bedroom layouts, but they include desirable amenities and appliances. Features like community rooms, fitness centers, full kitchens, and on-site laundry facilities are common.

Some of these affordable communities also organize community events and social activities to keep residents engaged with their neighbors. Birthday celebrations, movie nights in the cozy theater room, and community meals in a fully equipped clubhouse are some ways that Sacramento senior apartments help maintain a spirited, social lifestyle.

Convenient Northern California living

In several Sacramento senior apartments, you’ll find convenient and enjoyable on-site features. Choose an apartment with a private balcony or patio to enjoy a warm Sacramento summer evening without leaving the comforts of your home. Or, take advantage of your on-site laundry room and the convenience of an on-site business center.

You can also easily find pet-friendly senior apartments in Sacramento, some with spacious landscaping to accommodate you and your furry companion. If large swimming pools and hot tubs are on your must-have list, rest assured that you can find local offerings with Jacuzzi spas and Mediterranean-style pools. Several senior apartments also have business centers for your convenience. Or, you can choose from communities with fun outdoor features like bocce ball courts, tennis courts, or community gardens.

Senior apartments in the surrounding Sacramento suburbs

Suburbs such as Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, and Citrus Heights are desirable senior apartment destinations just outside the Sacramento city center. Some of these suburbs also have lower rental rates than in the heart of Sacramento. For example, Carmichael senior apartments cost 22% less than the offerings in the Sacramento city center. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option outside of our 10-mile listings radius, A Place for Mom’s in-network senior apartments in the nearby city of Woodland cost 32% less on average than apartments you’ll find in Sacramento.

As a more affordable suburb of Sacramento, Carmichael is growing in popularity. You can experience a quiet suburban lifestyle in addition to nearby farmers markets, nature centers, and botanical gardens. Suburbs like Elk Grove and Fair Oaks lie just a couple miles outside of our 10-mile listings radius, and they’re also starting to become more popular with seniors. You can enjoy the comforts of a senior apartment complex with everything you’d find in the heart of the city while living a relaxed lifestyle out in a suburban neighborhood.

Health care for seniors in Sacramento

Below are the top three hospitals in Sacramento. Seniors can find options nationally and locally ranked for geriatric care and other adult procedures.

Transportation for seniors in Sacramento

Most people get around Sacramento via their own car or a rideshare service. Some areas like downtown are partially walkable, but the bike paths and level terrain make biking one of the more accessible modes of transportation in this city. Sacramento even has a bike parking map to help you plan ahead.

The Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) is another option for seniors and their loved ones. The bus routes and light rail lines are all accessible for seniors and people with disabilities. For instance, all but the 12th and I inbound light rail station have lifts or ramps to help people who have mobility devices. Light rail stations also use Braille signage, door indicators, and warning tiles to assist people who are visually impaired.

SacRT Go Paratransit Services make the city’s public transportation accessible to seniors and people with disabilities. Travel can be scheduled up to two days in advance, and the service gives priority seating. All of SacRT’s buses have ramps and the ability to lower, and there’s room to accommodate individuals’ mobility devices.

You’ll find Sacramento’s transit scores from WalkScore below. They rank cities from zero to 100 based on how accessible each mode of transportation in a given city and how easy it is to use. Higher scores indicate the best transportation options in Sacramento.