California rent increase calculator AB 1482 cap is 8.8% statewide. Stricter local caps in LA, SF, Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.
Enter your unit. We'll pick the stricter of statewide AB 1482 vs. your city's local ordinance, check the <15-year exemption, and surface the right notice period (30 days under 10%, 90 days over) before you serve the increase.
Statute summary
What AB 1482 actually says.
In plain English:
- Annual cap = 5% + your regional CPI, never more than 10%. For 2026 that works out to 8.8% in most of the state.
- Exemptions: single-family homes (unless owned by a corporation, REIT, or LLC with any corporate member), buildings less than 15 years old (rolling), deed-restricted affordable units, college dorms, and short-stay (<30-day) hotel rentals.
- Notice period: 30 days for increases under 10% of current rent; 90 days for any increase of 10% or more.
- Just-cause linkage: AB 1482 also limits eviction grounds (Cal. Civ. Code §1946.2). Capping rent is one obligation; the statute requires just-cause for terminations after the first 12 months.
- No banking: Unused increase capacity does NOT roll forward at the statewide level. (Some local ordinances differ — check the overrides table below.)
Full statute: Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12.
Local overrides
Your city may cap stricter than the state.
Pick your city in the calculator above and we'll compute against the lower of statewide AB 1482 or the local ordinance. The data below is mirrored from each city's housing department.
| City | 2026 cap | Governing ordinance |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (RSO) | 6.0% | LAMC §151 |
| San Francisco | 2.3% | SF Admin Code §37 |
| Oakland | 3.0% | Oakland Mun. Code §8.22 |
| Berkeley | 2.9% | Berkeley Mun. Code §13.76 |
| Santa Monica | 3.4% | SM Charter Art. XVIII |
| West Hollywood | 3.0% | WH Mun. Code §17.36 |
Generate your AB 1482 notice.
$9 one-off. You get a statutorily-formatted PDF with the required AB 1482 boilerplate, an effective-date computed from the right notice window (30 days under 10%, 90 over), landlord and tenant signature lines, and a timestamped entry in your compliance log so you can prove which CPI/ordinance version was in effect when you served notice.
Frequently asked
California rent-cap FAQ
What is AB 1482?
California's statewide rent-cap law, in effect since 2020. It caps annual rent increases at 5% plus regional CPI, never more than 10%. For 2026 the cap works out to 8.8% in most regions.
Does AB 1482 apply to my single-family rental?
Single-family rentals are exempt only if the owner is a natural person (not a corporation, REIT, or LLC with any corporate member) AND the tenant has been served the required exemption notice. Without that notice, you're covered.
How is the CPI portion of the cap calculated?
The CPI portion uses the regional CPI-U (BLS series CUUR0000SA0L2) measured from April to April of the prior year. The 2026 figure of 3.8% applied to most California metros. Add the statutory 5% to reach the 8.8% cap.
What's banking and can I save unused increase capacity?
California explicitly disallows banking unused AB 1482 increases at the state level. If you increased rent only 4% in 2025, you cannot stack the unused 4.6% onto 2026's 8.8% — you start fresh. Some local ordinances do allow banking; check the overrides table.
Do I need to give 30 or 90 days notice?
30 days for any increase under 10% of the current rent. 90 days for any increase of 10% or more. Counted from the date the tenant receives the notice, not the date you mail it.
What happens if I overshoot the cap?
Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(h)(2) lets the tenant recover the overcharge — up to three times the actual damages — plus attorney fees. The unit may also lose its just-cause protection, complicating any later termination.