How much can you legally raise rent in California?
AB 1482 caps most rent increases at 5% + your region's CPI (never more than 10%). The CPI figure changes every August 1 and depends on your county. Enter your details below for your exact legal maximum — and the notice language the law requires.
AB 1482 Rent Increase Calculator
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Your maximum legal increase
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Maximum increase (per month)
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New maximum rent
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Your CPI region
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Regional CPI used
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Formula
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Required written notice
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Increases can't exceed the cap in any rolling 12-month period, and no more than two increases are allowed in that period (their total must stay under the cap). Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12.
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Your city's ordinance cap
The state cap above is not your legal maximum here. Premium calculates the local number for you.
Local ordinance cap
0.0% — $000.00 / month
Which cap controls
Local ordinance (stricter than state)
Banked / deferred increases
Allowed, subject to program limits
Registration required
Annual unit registration on file
Just-cause eviction rules
Local standard applies
Notice filed with city
Copy required within stated window
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Not built yet — it's what we're building. The local ordinance layer covers California's rent-controlled cities and overrides the state cap where stricter. Founding members get it first.
The cap doesn't apply to every rental. The most common exemptions:
Single-family home or condo — often exempt, but only if you did this
The owner must NOT be a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member.
You must have given the tenant written notice of the exemption — in the lease for tenancies starting after July 1, 2020, using the statutory language from Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(5). No notice = no exemption.
New construction — exempt for 15 years
Housing issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years is exempt. This is a rolling window: a 2012 building became covered in 2027... check your certificate date, not the marketing year.
Owner-occupied duplex
Exempt if you live in one of the two units as your principal residence for the whole tenancy.
Other exemptions
Deed-restricted affordable housing
Dorms, hotels, and certain care facilities
Units already under a stricter local rent control ordinance (the local law applies instead)
Exempt from AB 1482 ≠ exempt from everything. Notice requirements under Civ. Code § 827 still apply (30-day notice, or 90-day if the increase exceeds 10%), and local ordinances may still cover you.
Your rent increase notice, ready to send
California requires written notice for any rent increase: 30 days if the increase is 10% or less, 90 days if more (Civ. Code § 827(b)). If served by mail, add 5 days. Calculate your increase above, then fill in and copy:
The rent cap is the easy part.
The expensive part is the security deposit. Since AB 2801, California requires move-in and move-out photos delivered with your itemized statement — miss it and deductions are unenforceable, with penalties up to 2× the deposit. RentGuard is building guided photo documentation, the 21-day countdown, and court-ready statements for self-managing landlords. Early-bird members lock $3.99/mo for life.
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