How much your rent can rise in Los Angeles depends first on a question many renters cannot answer: is your unit covered by the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, by California’s statewide rent cap, or by neither? The answer can mean the difference between a 3 percent increase and a much larger one. With a median gross rent of $1,933 a month and roughly 31 percent of renter households paying half or more of their income in rent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (Homzora Los Angeles dataset, Table B25064; Table B25070), getting that question right matters.
Los Angeles also changed its rent stabilization formula in 2026. This guide explains the current rules for each type of unit and the notice your landlord must give.
Homzora is a housing research publisher, not a law firm. This article explains California and Los Angeles rules in plain English and is not legal advice for your situation.
Type 1: units under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance
The current allowable increase
According to the Los Angeles Housing Department, the allowable annual increase for units covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance is 3 percent for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. Increases are permitted once every 12 months (LAHD, Renter Protections).
The new formula
LAHD reports that, effective February 2, 2026, the City Council changed the formula to set the annual increase at 90 percent of the average Consumer Price Index rather than 100 percent, with a minimum of 1 percent and a maximum of 4 percent, replacing the previous range of 3 to 8 percent. LAHD also states that the annual increase may no longer include an additional percentage for utilities, and that an additional 10 percent increase for an added dependent is no longer permitted (LAHD).
Is my unit covered?
LAHD offers tools and information to check whether a property is subject to the RSO (LAHD). If you are not sure, check before you respond to an increase notice.
Type 2: units covered by California’s statewide cap
Many Los Angeles units are not covered by the RSO but are covered by the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, often called AB 1482. Under that law, codified in Civil Code Section 1947.12, a landlord may not increase rent over any 12 month period by more than 5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower. The cost of living figure is the change in the regional Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, measured from April to April, and no more than two increases are allowed in a 12 month period (City of Downey, AB 1482 summary; Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12).
LAHD notes that the maximum AB 1482 increase in the Los Angeles area for August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2025 was 8.9 percent (LAHD). The cap for later periods depends on each year’s April CPI figure.
Who is exempt from the statewide cap
- Housing that received a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years, on a rolling basis.
- Single family homes and condominiums not owned by a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member, but only if the tenant received the required written notice of the exemption.
- Units in a duplex where the owner occupied the other unit for the entire tenancy.
- Deed restricted affordable housing and certain dormitories.
- Units covered by a local rent control ordinance that limits increases more strictly, such as the RSO.
The list above follows the City of Downey’s summary of the law (City of Downey). If your landlord claims the single family home exemption but never gave you the required notice, the exemption does not apply.
How long the statewide cap lasts
Under current law, the Tenant Protection Act took effect January 1, 2020 and expires on January 1, 2030 (City of Downey).
Type 3: units with no cap
Newer buildings within the 15 year window, and properly noticed single family homes and condos owned by individuals, generally have no limit on increases. They are still subject to the notice rules and anti retaliation rules below. LAHD notes that the city’s Just Cause Ordinance protects most non RSO units from eviction without a legal reason but does not regulate rent increases (LAHD).
How much notice your landlord must give
For month to month tenancies, Civil Code Section 827 requires at least 30 days’ written notice for an increase of 10 percent or less over the preceding 12 months, and at least 90 days’ notice for an increase of more than 10 percent. Notice must be delivered personally or by mail (Cal. Civ. Code § 827). For a fixed term lease, the rent generally cannot change during the term unless the lease allows it.
Retaliation is prohibited
A landlord may not increase rent in retaliation within 180 days after a tenant, who is not in default on rent, gives a good faith repair notice, makes a complaint to a government agency, or takes certain other protected actions (Cal. Civ. Code § 1942.5).
Checking an increase notice: a five point test
- Coverage: Is the unit under the RSO, AB 1482, or neither?
- Amount: For RSO units, is the increase within 3 percent for July 2025 through June 2027? For AB 1482 units, is it within the year’s cap?
- Timing: Has at least 12 months passed since the last increase for an RSO unit?
- Notice: Did you receive 30 days’ notice, or 90 days if the increase exceeds 10 percent?
- Motive: Did the notice follow a repair request or complaint within 180 days?
Help in Los Angeles
LAHD explains the city’s renter protections and how to file complaints (LAHD). The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles provides free civil legal services to eligible residents (Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles).
Just cause protection after 12 months
Rent rules work alongside eviction rules. Under the statewide Tenant Protection Act, once a tenancy has lasted 12 months, or 24 months in some cases when a new tenant is added, a landlord generally needs a just cause to end it, and for no fault causes must provide relocation assistance equal to one month of rent (San Mateo County, Tenant Protections under California Law). That limits a landlord’s ability to end a covered tenancy simply to reset the rent. Some housing types are exempt from these protections, using exemptions similar to those for the rent cap (City of Downey).
A sample letter questioning an increase
Date: 2026. To: [landlord]. Re: Rent increase notice for [address, unit]. I received your notice dated 2026 increasing my rent from [amount] to [amount], effective 2026. I believe my unit is covered by [the statewide rent cap in Civil Code Section 1947.12, or local rent control], and the proposed increase of [percent] exceeds the allowed amount of [percent] for this period. [I also note that an increase above 10 percent requires 90 days’ notice under Civil Code Section 827.] Please confirm the correct amount in writing. Sincerely, [name].
Keep a copy and proof of delivery, and continue paying your current rent on time while the question is resolved.
A renewal timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 90 days before an expected increase | Confirm whether your unit is covered by local rent control, the statewide cap, or neither. |
| When the notice arrives | Check the amount, the timing since the last increase, and the notice period: 30 days, or 90 days above 10 percent (§ 827). |
| Within a week | Send any written question or counteroffer. |
| Before the effective date | Decide whether to stay, negotiate further, or give notice to move. |
If you cannot afford the increase
- Ask whether a longer lease would lower the increase.
- Ask about a smaller unit with the same landlord.
- Contact 211 for information on local rental assistance programs (211.org).
- If you decide to move, give the written notice your tenancy requires so you leave on your own schedule.
Frequently asked questions
My RSO landlord added a utility surcharge on top of 3 percent. Is that allowed?
LAHD states that, for increases effective on or after February 2, 2026, the annual increase may not include any additional percentage for utilities (LAHD). Contact LAHD to confirm how this applies to your notice.
My building was finished in 2015. Is my rent capped?
AB 1482 exempts housing issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years, on a rolling basis (City of Downey). A building finished in 2015 generally becomes subject to the cap once it passes that 15 year mark, unless another exemption applies.
Can my landlord raise rent twice in a year?
For RSO units, increases are allowed once every 12 months (LAHD). Under AB 1482, no more than two increases are allowed in 12 months, and their total must stay within the cap (City of Downey).
Sources
- Los Angeles Housing Department, Renter Protections
- California Civil Code § 1947.12
- City of Downey, AB 1482 summary
- California Civil Code § 827
- California Civil Code § 1942.5
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates, via Homzora
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
- 211.org
- San Mateo County, Tenant Protections under California Law