Skip to content
PayByTown

Rent increases in California

Source: Civ. Code § 827; § 1947.12 (Tenant Protection Act, as re-enacted by SB 567 of 2023); §§ 1942.5, 1954.52; Code Civ. Proc. § 1013 · Checked against the statute

Notice
30–90 days
Statewide cap
5% plus the regional CPI change, or 10%, whichever is lower, of the lowest rent in the prior 12 months (2026: 8.1%–8.8% by region or tenant)
During a lease
Only if the lease allows it
Local rent control
Allowed with limits

When can a rent increase start in California?

Choose the state and the date the notice is given.

How much notice is required

For week-to-week, month-to-month and other periodic tenancies, written notice must be delivered personally or by mail: 30 days for increases of 10% or less in 12 months, 90 days for more. If mailed, add 5 calendar days within California (10 if mailed from or to another state). (Civ. Code § 827(b); Code Civ. Proc. § 1013(a))

Applies toWhenNotice
Month-to-month or other periodic tenancy—30 days
Month-to-month or other periodic tenancyincrease over 10%90 days
  • The notice must be in writing.
  • Mailed notice: add 5 days.

Example: a notice handed over on November 2, 2026 in California

Earliest date the new rent can start, with rent due on the 1st, worked out from the California rule above:

  • For a month-to-month tenant of 1 year raising rent 5% or a week-to-week tenant raising rent 5%: Wednesday, December 2, 2026
  • For a month-to-month tenant of 3 years raising rent 12%: Sunday, January 31, 2027

Is there a limit on how much rent can go up?

The Tenant Protection Act cap applies to covered units after the initial rent of a tenancy is set. CPI is the April-to-April change for the metro area (or the California CPI elsewhere). The section is repealed on January 1, 2030. (Civ. Code § 1947.12)

Formula:
5% plus the regional CPI change, or 10%, whichever is lower, of the lowest rent in the prior 12 months
2026 maximum:
8.7% (CA Attorney General – Los Angeles & Orange counties, increases starting 8/1/2026–7/31/2027)
2026 maximum:
8.1% (CA Attorney General – Riverside & San Bernardino counties, 8/1/2026–7/31/2027)
2026 maximum:
8.2% (CA Attorney General – San Diego County, 8/1/2026–7/31/2027)
2026 maximum:
8.8% (CA Attorney General – Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo counties, 8/1/2026–7/31/2027)
2026 maximum:
8.6% (CA Attorney General – all other counties, 8/1/2026–7/31/2027)
Not covered:
Units with a certificate of occupancy in the last 15 years; single-family homes/condos not owned by a REIT, corporation or LLC with a corporate member, if the tenant got the required written exemption notice; owner-occupied duplex; deed-restricted affordable housing; dorms; units under stricter local rent control
How often:
No more than two increases in any 12-month period (total still within the cap)

Raising rent during a lease

In a fixed-term lease the landlord cannot raise rent during the term unless the lease permits it; rent may be increased on renewal. (CA Dept. of Real Estate, California Tenants guide (2026))

City and county rent control

Cities and counties may adopt rent control, but the Costa-Hawkins Act exempts units with a certificate of occupancy after Feb. 1, 1995 and separately alienable units (single-family homes, condos) and allows vacancy decontrol. (Civ. Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535 (§ 1954.52))

  • Los Angeles (city): Rent Stabilization Ordinance covers most rentals built on or before Oct. 1, 1978; rent may rise once every 12 months by the yearly allowable percentage. From Feb. 2, 2026 the extra utility percentage is no longer allowed.
  • San Francisco: Rent Ordinance limits yearly increases for covered units to the Rent Board's annual allowable amount; AB 1482 applies only to units outside the Rent Ordinance limits.
  • Oakland: Rent Adjustment Program limits increases for covered units and handles petitions.
  • Berkeley: Rent Stabilization Board sets annual general adjustments for covered units.
  • Sacramento (city): Tenant Protection Program: maximum 8.6% from July 1, 2026 (5% + 3.6% California CPI), once every 12 months.

Retaliatory rent increases

A landlord may not increase rent within 180 days after a tenant in good faith complains about habitability to the landlord or an agency, or after related inspections or court proceedings, if the tenant is not behind on rent; a tenant can use this protection once in any 12-month period. Separately, at any time (no 180-day limit), a landlord may not raise rent to retaliate because the tenant lawfully organized or joined a tenants' association or lawfully exercised any legal right; the tenant must produce evidence the increase was retaliatory. (Civ. Code § 1942.5(a), (d))

Also good to know

  • AB 1157 (2025–26), which would have lowered the cap, died in the Assembly Judiciary Committee in January 2026.
  • Longer notice periods in other laws, regulatory agreements or contracts (e.g., subsidized housing) control (Civ. Code § 827(c)).
  • Increases from income recertification in subsidized housing need only 30 days' notice (Civ. Code § 827(b)(3)(B)).

Other California renting rules in numbers

Security deposit
One month's rent, furnished or unfurnished (since July 1, 2024). Small landlords may take up to two months: a natural person, or an LLC whose members are all natural persons, owning no more than two residential rental properties with no more than four units total. Service members can't be charged more than one month. Return deadline: 21 days after move-out.
Notice for unpaid rent
3 business days (pay or move out)
How a written notice is delivered (eviction-notice rules)
Someone 18 or older must deliver the notice by (1) handing it to the tenant; (2) if the tenant is absent, leaving it with an adult at the tenant's home or work AND mailing a copy; or (3) posting it on the home AND mailing a copy (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1162, as described by the California Courts Self-Help Guide).
Notice for other lease violations
3 business days (fix it or move out)
Small claims court limit
$12,500 — where most deposit and rent disputes are filed.
Repairs
Time to repair: 30 days (presumed reasonable). Repair and deduct: allowed with limits; withholding rent: allowed with limits.
Deposit kept wrongly
Bad-faith retention: actual damages plus statutory damages of up to twice the amount of the deposit (§ 1950.5).
Lawful reasons to end a lease early
Domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; Military service (state law); Unit unlivable or landlord fails to repair

Sources

Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 15, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; for a dispute, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.