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Updated on October 27, 2026 
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How much can you raise rent in California? For a rental covered by the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), the statewide cap is 8.1% to 8.8% for increases that take effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027; the exact figure depends on the county, and a lower local limit may apply when a city or county ordinance covers the unit. The state formula is the lower of 5% plus the applicable cost-of-living change or 10% over a 12-month period.
California Civil Code section 827 separately requires at least 30 or 90 days’ written notice, based on the cumulative increase during the preceding 12 months. If the total increase is more than 10%, the notice period is 90 days, not 60.
Not every California city has its own rent control, but the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) limits rent increases for eligible properties statewide, and local ordinances may add further protections. This article covers the cap, which homes it applies to, the exemptions, and the notice a landlord must give.
How much can you raise rent in California?
Before AB 1482 was enacted in 2019, California had no statewide limit on rent increases. Rent control was set entirely at the local level by the cities and counties that adopted their own ordinances; everywhere else, landlords could raise rent by any amount at renewal or with a proper rent-increase notice.
AB 1482 took effect on January 1, 2020 and is scheduled to expire on January 1, 2030. For a covered unit, it caps rent increases over any 12-month period at 5% plus the regional change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or 10%, whichever is lower.
Per year rent increase in California
For a covered unit, the increase over any 12-month period cannot exceed the lower of two computations:
- 5% plus the applicable regional CPI change
- 10%
Both percentages apply to the lowest gross rent charged for the unit at any time during the previous 12 months, as set out in the AB 1482 statute.
For example, if $1,500 was the lowest gross rent in the previous 12 months and the regional CPI change is 2.3%, the cap is 7.3% (5% plus 2.3%), so the new rent can be no more than $1,609.50.
If the regional CPI change is 5.8%, 5% plus CPI would be 10.8%, so the 10% ceiling applies instead and the maximum new rent is $1,650.
Month-to-month rent increase in California
A month-to-month tenancy in a covered unit is subject to the same AB 1482 cap as a longer lease: the lower of 5% plus the regional CPI change or 10% of the lowest gross rent in the previous 12 months. The required notice depends on the size of the cumulative increase, not simply on whether the lease is month-to-month; see the 30- and 90-day notice rules below.
What is the rent cap in California?
Because the CPI change differs by region, the AB 1482 cap differs by county. The California Department of Justice rent-cap chart lists these limits for increases effective August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027:
- Los Angeles and Orange counties: 8.7%.
- Riverside and San Bernardino counties: 8.1%.
- San Diego County: 8.2%.
- Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties: 8.8%.
- All other counties: 8.6%.
These are regional AB 1482 figures, not a universal maximum for every rental home. A city or county cap applies only when its ordinance covers the particular unit, and some local limits are lower than the state formula.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) reference for rent increases
AB 1482 uses the regional CPI change measured from April of each year to set the allowable increase. Which April figure applies depends on when the increase takes effect:
- For rent increases effective before August 1: use the April CPI percentage from the previous year, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of a percent.
- For rent increases effective on or after August 1: use the April CPI percentage from the current year, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of a percent.
The California Consumer Price Index (CA CPI) is published by the state’s Department of Finance.
Does California have rent control?
Yes. California has a statewide rent cap under AB 1482, and some cities and counties have their own rent-control or rent-stabilization ordinances. A local rule matters only when the unit and tenancy meet that ordinance’s coverage requirements. If a local ordinance covers the rental and allows a smaller increase for the same period, use the lower local limit and follow its additional timing and registration rules.
Do not assume a city’s cap applies to every rental in that city. Check the address, unit type, building age, ownership, tenancy date, and any local exemptions before calculating an increase.
What properties are covered by the California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482)?
AB 1482 applies to most residential rental units in California, except for certain types of property the law specifically exempts. These include:
- Units that received their certificate of occupancy within the past 15 years (a rolling test, so a unit becomes covered once it passes the 15-year mark)
- Separately alienable single-family homes and condominiums, but only if the owner is not a REIT, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member, and the tenant receives the required written exemption notice
- Units covered by a local rent-control ordinance that limits annual increases to less than the state cap
- Duplexes where the owner lives in one unit, but only while the owner remains a resident
- Mobile homes, unless owned and rented out by the mobile home park owner or manager
- Housing restricted as affordable by deed, government agreement, or other recorded document, or subject to an affordable housing subsidy agreement
- Dormitories
A condo or house is not automatically exempt. Without the ownership condition and the written notice, the state cap applies.
Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act
The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, passed in 1995, limits local rent control for specified housing, including certain units with a certificate of occupancy after February 1, 1995, and qualifying separately alienable homes, subject to statutory conditions. That fixed February 1, 1995 date is separate from AB 1482’s rolling 15-year test.
For qualifying properties, Costa-Hawkins may permit setting the initial rent for a new tenancy after a vacancy. That is distinct from later increases during the same tenancy and does not itself establish that a unit is exempt from AB 1482.
Single family home rent increase California
A single-family home in California is not automatically exempt from the state rent cap. A separately alienable house qualifies for the AB 1482 exemption only if the owner is not a REIT, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member, and the tenant receives the required written exemption notice. If either condition is missing, the cap applies.
Costa-Hawkins also limits local rent control for qualifying separately alienable homes, subject to statutory conditions. Some cities may still apply local rules to single-family homes, so check the ordinance that covers the address.
When a home is exempt from both the state cap and local rent control, no cap limits the amount of the increase, but the 30- and 90-day notice rules still apply.
How often can a landlord raise rent in California?
For a covered unit, the Tenant Protection Act allows no more than two rent increases in any 12-month period, and the combined amount of both increases must stay within the applicable cap.
Can a landlord raise rent by more than 10% in California?
Not for a covered unit. Because AB 1482 uses whichever is lower, 5% plus CPI or 10%, the cap for a 12-month period is never more than 10%. Some units are exempt from the state cap and local rules may differ. A 90-day notice does not make an otherwise unlawful increase legal.
When inflation peaked in 2022 into early 2023, high regional CPI figures pushed 5% plus CPI above 10% across California, so the 10% ceiling became the cap statewide.
California rent-increase notice: 30 or 90 days?
Under Civil Code 827, the 10% threshold is cumulative: compare the proposed increase, alone or combined with other rent increases during the prior 12 months, with the rent charged at any time in that 12-month lookback. The landlord must give at least 30 days’ notice when the total is 10% or less, and at least 90 days when it is more than 10%; statutory service rules, including additional time for service by mail, still matter.
What to do if a rent increase seems unlawful
Keep the lease, earlier rent amounts, notice, payment records, and the date the proposed increase would start. Check the state formula and any local ordinance that covers the unit, then ask the landlord in writing to explain the calculation if it appears wrong.
A tenant seeking recovery of money may be able to use small claims court, depending on the claim and facts. The small-claims limits are generally $12,500 for an individual and $6,250 for a business; court filing fees are $30, $50, or $75 by claim amount, but the fee is $100 for a filer who has filed more than 12 small-claims cases in the prior 12 months, and eligible filers may request a waiver.
Do not stop paying rent solely because you dispute an increase; that can create a separate eviction issue. California’s tenant guidance lists statewide information and routes to legal assistance, and the State Bar’s lawyer-referral service is a referral resource rather than legal advice.
What are the new rental laws in California for 2026?
Several recent bills change California rental rules starting January 1, 2026, and one takes effect January 1, 2027. Earlier laws on security deposits, application-fee receipts, and just-cause evictions still apply alongside them.
AB 628: stove and refrigerator requirements
AB 628 adds a working stove and refrigerator to habitability requirements for leases entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2026. The law excludes permanent supportive housing, specified single-room-occupancy units and residential hotels, and units in facilities with shared or communal kitchens, including assisted-living facilities.
A tenant may provide and maintain their own refrigerator only by mutual agreement when the lease is signed, with the required lease statement; the landlord cannot condition the tenancy on that choice. The tenant can later give 30 days’ written notice to request a landlord-provided refrigerator, and a recalled stove or refrigerator must be repaired or replaced within 30 days after notice.
AB 414: electronic security-deposit returns
Effective January 1, 2026, AB 414 generally requires an electronic refund of the remaining deposit when the landlord received the deposit or rent electronically, using the tenant’s written account designation or another method agreed to in writing. The landlord must give written notice of the electronic-return right; a written alternative method and specified eviction terminations are exceptions, and successor-landlord duties depend on whether the successor received rent electronically.
The 21-day itemized-statement and refund deadline remains. Multiple adult tenants have separate default rules and may make a written agreement about how the refund and statement are handled.
AB 1414: internet-service subscription opt-out
AB 1414 covers third-party internet-service subscriptions. For a residential tenancy that begins, renews, or continues month-to-month or on another periodic basis on or after January 1, 2026, a tenant may opt out of paying for a qualifying third-party wired-internet, cellular, or satellite subscription offered with the tenancy; a landlord may still offer bulk billing.
If a landlord violates the opt-out rule, the law permits the tenant to deduct the subscription cost from rent and prohibits retaliation for exercising the right.
AB 747: service-of-process rules
AB 747 is the Service of Process Accountability, Reform and Equity Act. Its specified service-of-process changes become operative January 1, 2027, including a requirement for at least three good-faith personal-delivery attempts on three different days at three different times before substituted service in covered cases, and added proof-of-service information for certain unlawful-detainer matters.
For covered eviction service, the proof must include at least one photograph when obtainable without compromising the process server’s safety, plus readable date, time, and location information with GPS coordinates. The act provides a detailed-statement alternative when GPS or cellular signals are unavailable.
AB 12: security-deposit cap
Assembly Bill No. 12, effective July 1, 2024, generally limits residential security deposits to one month’s rent under California Civil Code 1950.5. The small-landlord exception is narrow: it applies only to a qualifying natural person, or an LLC whose members are all natural persons, who individually or together with a spouse owns no more than two residential rental properties totaling no more than four dwelling units. That landlord may then charge up to two months’ rent, and the exception does not apply to an active-duty service member.
See the current security-deposit statute for the conditions and other exclusions.
AB 1764: application-fee receipts by email
Assembly Bill 1764 addressed how landlords deliver the receipt for an applicant’s screening fee. Current screening-fee law requires an itemized receipt, and the landlord and applicant may agree to deliver it to an email address provided by the applicant.
AB 1482 just-cause eviction categories
Under AB 1482, a landlord must have just cause to end a tenancy once the tenants have lived in the unit for at least 12 months, or once one tenant has lived there for 24 months or more. This keeps landlords from evicting tenants simply to re-rent above the cap.
The law sets out two just-cause categories:
- At-fault reasons, such as nonpayment of rent or criminal activity
- No-fault reasons, such as owner move-in or renovations, which require relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent
Just-cause coverage and relocation assistance have their own occupancy and exemption tests; they do not determine whether a rent increase is within the cap.
How to manage your rental property and rent collection
RentPost brings day-to-day rental tasks into one system, with a tenant portal for property details, payment history, online rent payments, maintenance requests, and messaging through its property-management tools. Tenants can pay by ACH bank transfer or credit card, set up AutoPay, and get automatic reminders when rent is due. Managers can also organize online applications and use tenant-screening reports such as credit and background checks.
California rent-increase FAQs
Is 60 days’ notice required for an increase above 10%?
No. Civil Code 827 requires at least 90 days when the increase, alone or combined with other increases in the prior 12 months, is more than 10% under the statutory comparison.
Are condominiums automatically exempt from AB 1482?
No. The separately alienable-home exemption has ownership and written-notice conditions, and Costa-Hawkins’ local-control rules are distinct from AB 1482’s rolling 15-year test.
Can a landlord split a covered increase into more than two increases?
No. For a covered unit, AB 1482 allows no more than two increases in a 12-month period, and their combined amount must remain within the applicable cap.
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