Since 2020 the Tenant Protection Act caps annual rent increases on most California housing at 5% plus the regional change in CPI, and never more than 10%, measured over any 12-month period. It also requires "just cause" to end a tenancy after 12 months. Cities with their own rent ordinances (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley and others) apply a lower local cap to the buildings they cover.
CPI is the April-to-April change published by the California Department of Industrial Relations for the cap year starting August 1; figures shown are the ones in effect when this page was last reviewed. This is information, not legal advice.
Not when it is owned by an individual (not a corporation, REIT or corporate-member LLC) and the lease includes the required exemption language. Owned by an LLC whose member is a corporation, the cap applies.
Yes, within the cap, and at most twice in any 12-month period; the two increases together cannot exceed the cap for that year.
The percentage change in the regional Consumer Price Index from April of the prior year to April of the current year, published by the Department of Industrial Relations. If your area has no regional index, use the California CPI.
California landlord-tenant laws · All states · Rent increase notice & lease templates · Landlord calculators
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Last reviewed September 15, 2026 against California Civil Code § 1947.12 (AB 1482). Figures we re-check each year: CPI percentages for the Aug 2026 cap year. General information for landlords and renters, not legal advice; local rules can add requirements.