Rent Increases and Rent Control

Rent Increase Notice Requirements

Covers all tenants in private residences. All rent increase notices must:

• Be served on paper and in WRITING for it to be valid
  • If not, fill out this Sample Letter of Improper Notice of Rent Increase and turn it in to your landlord.
• Be served in person by the landlord OR posted AND mailed to tenants
  • If not, fill out this Sample Letter of Improper Notice of Rent Increase and provide it directly to your landlord.
• Be served with the proper amount of time
  • 30-day notice for a rent increase of below 10% 
  • 90-day notice for a rent increase of above 10% 
  • If not, fill out this Sample Letter of Improper Notice of Rent Increase and provide it directly to your landlord.
• NOT be served during a fixed-term lease
  • For example, if you have a one-year lease ending 12/2021, your rent cannot be increased in 10/2021, because you are within the period of a “fixed-term lease” until 12/2021).
• NOTE: Government subsidized housing (Section 8, HUD, Low-Income Tax Credits), and other affordable housing have other special laws and protections that regulate the frequency and amount of rent increases. 

Statewide Rent Cap = 5% + CPI  

• Certain tenants have protections against rent increases that are above 5% + CPI (Consumer Price Index) depending on the type of unit, construction of building, and length of time lived in the home.
• To find out if you are protected, ask yourself these questions! 

• If you ARE covered by statewide rent cap, the amount that your rent can be increased is very LIMITED! Search using your zip code and find exactly how much your rent can be increased here.
• If you are NOT covered by the statewide rent cap, you may be covered by local rent control depending on where you live… read more below!

10% Rent Increase Limit During a State of Emergency

• California prohibits rent increases above 10% in any county with a state of emergency.
  • To find out whether your county is currently in a state of emergency, click here.
  • If your landlord has tried to raise your rent by over 10% and your county is currently in a state of emergency, inform your landlord that they are in violation of this protection with our sample letter here. 

Local Rent Control  

• In 39 cities in California, tenant organizers have fought to pass rent control, which establishes a reasonable maximum amount that a landlord can increase rent, with enforcement and consequences for landlords who don’t comply.
  • To find out if you are covered by these local protections, please search for your city here.

Fighting to Stay – We are Stronger Together! 

Throughout California, we’ve seen people band together with their neighbors to collectively fight their evictions. Time and time again, we see that this is the most effective way to build long-term stability and staying power. To learn more about how to talk to your neighbors, and organize to stay in your community, check out our page on forming a tenants union here!