Rent Increase Calculator
Enter your current and proposed rent to see the exact percentage increase, the written notice your state requires, and whether a statewide or local rent-control cap makes the increase illegal. Statute cited on every answer.
Rent increase rules in California
- Notice required
- 30 days (90 days if the increase is over 10%)
- Statewide cap
- 5% + CPI, max 10% (AB 1482, Civ. Code § 1947.12)
- Local rent control
- Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Mountain View, Richmond, Inglewood, East Palo Alto, Hayward, San Diego, Sacramento, Pasadena, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Alameda, Palm Springs, Los Gatos, Concord, Antioch, Union City, Bell Gardens, Baldwin Park
- Authority
- Cal. Civ. Code § 827(b)
RSO units: 3%–8% annually, set each July by the Housing Department (4% for 2025–26)
Covers: Units built on or before Oct 1, 1978
The Rent Board sets a new allowable annual increase every March 1. The figure depends on the date the increase takes effect.
Covers: Most units built before June 13, 1979
- 1.4% allowable annual increase (Mar 1, 2025 – Feb 28, 2026)
- 1.6% allowable annual increase (Mar 1, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027)
Official source · checked 2026-09-05
CPI-based annual adjustment published by the Rent Adjustment Program
Covers: Units built before 1983
Apartment Rent Ordinance (ARO): the standard allowance is one 5% increase in any 12-month period for a covered unit.
Covers: ARO-covered multifamily (generally 3+ units) first built and occupied on or before September 7, 1979
Official source · checked 2026-09-05
Annual General Adjustment set by the Rent Board
Covers: Units built before June 1980
Rent Control Board sets a maximum allowable increase each September
Covers: Units built before April 10, 1979
Annual general adjustment tied to CPI
Covers: Units built before July 1979
CSFRA annual general adjustment (CPI, 2%–5% band)
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1995
Rent Program annual general adjustment
Covers: Units built before Feb 1, 1995
Flat 5% annual cap
Covers: Units built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent Stabilization Board annual adjustment
Covers: Units built before 1988
Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance: CPI up to 5%
Covers: Multifamily built before July 1979
No local rent cap. San Diego's Tenant Protections Ordinance adds just-cause eviction rules and relocation assistance, but the only limit on the increase itself is the statewide AB 1482 cap (5% + CPI, max 10%)
Covers: Most San Diego rentals not exempt from AB 1482
Tenant Protection and Relief Act: CPI + 6%, capped at 10% in any 12 months
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Measure H: Rental Board sets a CPI-based annual general adjustment (75% of CPI)
Covers: Units built before Feb 1, 1995
Permanent rent control ordinance: CPI-based adjustment, 2%–5% band
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Chapter 6 rent stabilization: CPI-based adjustment (3%–8% band)
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent Program annual general adjustment (70% of CPI, max 5%)
Covers: Units built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent control ordinance with a Rent Review Commission adjustment
Covers: Multifamily built before 1979
Rental Dispute Resolution Ordinance: up to 5% per year, mediation above that
Covers: Multifamily built before 1979
Rent stabilization: CPI-based cap, 3% floor / 5% ceiling
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent stabilization ordinance: 60% of CPI, 3%–5% band
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent Review Ordinance: increases above the threshold trigger mandatory review
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent stabilization ordinance: CPI-based, capped at 4%
Covers: Units built before Feb 1, 1995
Rent stabilization ordinance: CPI-based, capped at 3%
Covers: Multifamily built before Feb 1, 1995
Common questions
How much can a landlord raise rent legally?
In most states there is no cap at all — a landlord can raise rent by any amount as long as they give the required written notice and the tenancy isn't under a fixed-term lease. Only California (5% + CPI, max 10%), Oregon (7% + CPI, max 10%) and Washington (7% + CPI, max 10%) have statewide caps, plus local rent control in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newark and St. Paul.
Can my landlord raise rent in the middle of my lease?
Generally no. A fixed-term lease locks the rent until it expires, unless the lease itself contains an escalation clause or a tax/utility pass-through you already agreed to. Increases on a month-to-month tenancy are allowed with proper notice.
What happens if the landlord didn't give enough notice?
A short notice usually doesn't cancel the increase outright — it pushes back the earliest date the new rent can start. You typically keep paying the old rent until the full statutory notice period has run from the date you actually received written notice.
Does a rent increase have to be in writing?
In nearly every state, yes. A verbal announcement generally doesn't start the notice clock. The notice also has to be delivered the way your lease specifies — hand delivery, mail, or in some states email if you agreed to electronic notice.
General information, not legal advice. Rent rules last reviewed September 5, 2026. Local ordinances change frequently — confirm with your city's housing department or a local tenant attorney before acting.
