California rent increase calculator
California’s statewide cap under AB 1482 limits annual rent increases on most housing older than 15 years to 5% plus the change in the regional Consumer Price Index for April, never more than 10%. The CPI figure depends on where the unit is: Los Angeles and Orange counties use one index, the Inland Empire another, San Diego a third, the five core Bay Area counties a fourth, and the rest of the state uses the California average. The caps reset on 1 August each year.
Published figures
| Period | Region | Allowable increase |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 – Jul 2027 | Los Angeles & Orange counties | 8.7% |
| Aug 2026 – Jul 2027 | Riverside & San Bernardino counties | 8.1% |
| Aug 2026 – Jul 2027 | San Diego County | 8.2% |
| Aug 2026 – Jul 2027 | SF, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo | 8.8% |
| Aug 2026 – Jul 2027 | All other California counties | 8.6% |
Source: California Department of Finance / BLS CPI (no single state table). April CPI published in May; new caps apply from 1 August.
Maximum new rent at common rents
Using the current 8.7% figure for Los Angeles & Orange counties.
| Current rent | Maximum increase | Maximum new rent |
|---|---|---|
| $1,200.00 | $104.40 | $1,304.40 |
| $1,800.00 | $156.60 | $1,956.60 |
| $2,500.00 | $217.50 | $2,717.50 |
| $3,500.00 | $304.50 | $3,804.50 |
How the California cap works
For 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027 the caps run from 8.1% in Riverside and San Bernardino to 8.8% in the San Francisco–Oakland area. A landlord may raise rent at most twice in 12 months and the total may not exceed the cap. Cities with their own rent stabilization, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, apply a lower local figure to covered buildings.
Exemptions
- Housing built within the last 15 years (rolling).
- Single-family homes and condos not owned by a corporation, REIT or LLC with a corporate member, if the tenant was given the required exemption notice.
- Owner-occupied duplexes.
- Units already under stricter local rent control (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and others), which follow the local cap instead.
- Deed-restricted affordable housing and dormitories.
30 days’ written notice for increases of 10% or less in a 12-month period; 90 days for more than 10% (Civ. Code § 827).
Related California rules
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy: Landlord: 30 days if the tenant has resided in the unit less than 1 year, 60 days if 1 year or more (30 days also allowed when selling to an owner-occupant under § 1946.1(d)). Tenant: 30 days (at least as long as the rental period). Where § 1946.2 just-cause applies, the landlord must also state a just cause.
- Late fees: No statutory dollar or percentage cap and no statutory grace period. A late-fee clause in a residential lease is a liquidated-damages provision that is void unless it would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix actual damages, so the fee must be a reasonable pre-estimate of the landlord's actual costs (Civ. Code § 1671(d); Orozco v. Casimiro (2004)).
- Security deposit: 1 month's rent (2 months if the landlord is a natural person or an LLC owned entirely by natural persons that owns no more than 2 residential properties totaling 4 or fewer units; service members may never be charged more than 1 month); returned 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates (itemized statement plus any refund).
Full page: California landlord and tenant rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum rent increase in California for 2026–2027?
Between 8.1% and 8.8% depending on the county’s CPI region, for the period 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027. The absolute ceiling is 10%.
Does AB 1482 apply to my apartment?
If the building is more than 15 years old and not a single-family home owned by an individual with the exemption notice in the lease, almost certainly yes. Units under local rent control follow the local cap instead.
How much notice must the landlord give?
30 days for an increase of 10% or less, 90 days for anything larger. Since the cap is at most 10%, AB 1482 increases need 30 days’ written notice.
Can the landlord raise rent twice in a year?
Yes, up to two increases in any 12-month period, but the combined increase may not exceed the cap.