How much can a landlord raise rent in California?

For most California apartments more than 15 years old, the Tenant Protection Act (Civil Code section 1947.12) limits annual rent increases to 5% plus regional inflation, never more than 10%, with at most two increases in 12 months. Local rent control can be stricter, and increases require written notice under Civil Code section 827.

For most covered apartments: 5% plus local inflation, capped at 10% per year. The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (Civil Code section 1947.12) limits annual rent increases for residential property more than 15 years old to 5% plus the regional consumer price index, never exceeding 10%, with no more than two increases in any 12 months. Key exemptions: housing built within the last 15 years (a rolling window), single-family homes and condos owned by individuals — not corporations or REITs — when the tenant received the statutory exemption notice, and owner-occupied duplexes. The statewide cap is a floor for tenant protection, not a ceiling on local law: rent-controlled cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and Santa Monica impose stricter limits that govern where applicable. Increases also require proper written notice under Civil Code section 827 — 30 days for increases up to 10%, and 90 days above that. The companion just-cause statute (section 1946.2) restricts terminations used to dodge the cap.

Authority: Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12