Checker · California landlords and tenants

California rent cap checker (AB 1482)

Find the most a California rent can go up in 12 months, and whether a proposed increase is over the cap. Checked 2026-10-22 against the official statute text on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (Civ. Code 1947.12, fetched that day; the text is the SB 567 version, operative April 1, 2024). The 2026-27 cap for each area (increases starting August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027) comes from the Cap Rate Studio rent cap table 2026-27, read from the California Attorney General on 2026-11-01; confirm it on oag.ca.gov/rentcaps before relying on it.

Information, not legal advice. Local rent control may be stricter; check your city.

Rent and timing

Lowest monthly rent charged in the last 12 monthsThe cap is measured from this figure, not necessarily today's rent. Use the gross rent before any discount, incentive, concession or credit the tenant accepted. For a new tenancy where no prior tenant remains, the owner may set the initial rent; the cap applies to increases after that (Civ. Code 1947.12(b)).

Proposed new monthly rent (optional)

Date the increase takes effectBefore August 1 the prior April's CPI change applies. On or after August 1, this year's April change applies.

Metro area of the property (CPI region)

CPI change, April to April (percent)

Exemptions (Civ. Code 1947.12(d))

Tick anything that is true. One exemption is enough.

A certificate of occupancy was issued within the last 15 years (rolling); not a mobilehome

Deed-restricted affordable housing, or housing under a subsidy agreement for affordable housing

A dormitory owned and operated by a college or school

Covered by a local rent or price control law that caps annual increases below the AB 1482 cap

Two units in one structure; the owner lived in one as their principal residence when the tenancy began and still does; neither unit is an ADU or JADU

Single-family home or condo: tick all three.

It can be sold separately from any other unit

The owner is not a REIT, a corporation, an LLC with a corporate member, or mobilehome park management

The tenants got the exact written exemption statement (in the rental agreement if the tenancy started or renewed on or after July 1, 2020)

Results

Updates as you type. Information, not legal advice. Local rent control may be stricter; check your city.

Verdict
Max increase
Max allowed rent
Proposed rent

How to use this checker

Enter the lowest rent charged in the last 12 months and, if you have one, the proposed new rent.
Pick the date the increase takes effect and the metro area. The CPI percent fills in for all five areas on the state list when the date falls from August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027. For any other date, type it from the source.
Tick any exemptions that apply.
Read the maximum rent, the maximum increase and the plain-English reason.

Worked example

Say the lowest rent in the past year was $2,000 in Los Angeles, and the increase takes effect on November 1, 2026. The 2026-27 state cap for the Los Angeles area is 8.7% (5% + 3.7% CPI), per the Cap Rate Studio rent cap table 2026-27 (oag.ca.gov/rentcaps, read 2026-11-01). Where BLS does not publish April for an area, the March change is used instead, Civ. Code 1947.12(g)(3)(B).

The cap is 5% + 3.7% = 8.7%, which is under 10%, so 8.7% applies.

The most the rent can be is $2,000 x 1.087 = $2,174.00. A proposed $2,300 is 15% higher and $126.00 over the cap.

How this is calculated

Cap % = lower of (5% + CPI change) or 10% Civ. Code 1947.12(a). Checked 2026-10-22 against leginfo.
Max rent = lowest rent in the last 12 months x (1 + cap %) Civ. Code 1947.12(a).
CPI change = April CPI-U vs the April a year earlier, rounded to 0.1% Civ. Code 1947.12(g)(3)(B); rounding at (g)(3)(B)(iii). For increases taking effect before August 1, the prior year's April is used. On or after August 1, the current year's April is used. Checked 2026-10-22 against leginfo.
Which CPI: the BLS CPI-U for the metro area, else the California CPI-U from the Department of Industrial Relations Civ. Code 1947.12(g)(1)(A) (BLS metro) and (g)(1)(B) (DIR fallback).
Exemptions: any one makes the result "Possibly exempt" Civ. Code 1947.12(d). Checked 2026-10-22 against leginfo.
New tenancy: the owner may set the initial rent Civ. Code 1947.12(b). When no tenant from the prior tenancy remains in lawful possession, the cap does not limit the starting rent; it applies to later increases. The base for an increase is "the lowest gross rental rate charged ... at any time during the 12 months prior to the effective date of the increase" (1947.12(a)(1)).
Not modeled: the limit of two increases in 12 months (Civ. Code 1947.12(a)(2)); the notice owners must give of an increase, under Civ. Code 827 (1947.12(e)); and just-cause eviction rules (Civ. Code 1946.2). The lease must also list the gross monthly rent and any owner-offered discounts, incentives, concessions or credits separately (1947.12(a)(1)).
Sunset: the current text is the SB 567 (2023) version of Civ. Code 1947.12. It became operative April 1, 2024 (subd. (n)) and is repealed as of January 1, 2030 (subd. (o)). Check the current text before relying on this page after changes by the Legislature.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-22 against the official statute text on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, fetched that day. These are plain addresses to copy into your browser.

Civ. Code 1947.12 (rent cap, CPI, exemptions): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1947.12
Civ. Code 1946.2 (just cause): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1946.2
2026-27 AB 1482 caps (Attorney General): oag.ca.gov/rentcaps, read 2026-11-01
San Francisco annual allowable increase: sf.gov, read 2026-11-01
Oakland allowable rent increases: oaklandca.gov, read 2026-11-01
LA County rent stabilization (RSTPO): dcba.lacounty.gov/rentstabilizationprogram, read 2026-11-01
California CPI-U (Department of Industrial Relations): dir.ca.gov, search "California Consumer Price Index"

Figures on this page: Cap Rate Studio rent cap table 2026-27, the one list every figure here comes from. Information only, not legal advice.

City and county caps

A stricter local cap governs covered units instead of the AB 1482 cap. Cap years differ: AB 1482 runs August 1 to July 31, San Francisco March to February, Los Angeles and LA County July to June, Oakland August to July.

City of San Francisco (SF Rent Board annual allowable increase): 1.6%, for 3/1/2026 to 2/28/2027.
City of Oakland (Oakland RAP CPI increase): 2.3%, for 8/1/2026 to 7/31/2027.
LA County, unincorporated areas (RSTPO): 1.919% general, 2.919% small property landlords, 3.919% luxury, for 7/1/2026 to 6/30/2027.
City of Los Angeles (RSO): confirm with the city rent office.
City of San Jose (Apartment Rent Ordinance): confirm with the city rent office.

Source: Cap Rate Studio rent cap table 2026-27. AB 1482 caps: oag.ca.gov/rentcaps, read 2026-11-01. San Francisco: sf.gov, read 2026-11-01. Oakland: oaklandca.gov, read 2026-11-01. LA County: dcba.lacounty.gov, read 2026-11-01. Information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How much can a California landlord raise rent under AB 1482?

Over any 12-month period, the lower of 5% plus the local cost-of-living change, or 10%. The base is the lowest rent charged in the 12 months before the increase takes effect (Civil Code 1947.12(a)).

Which CPI is used?

The CPI-U for the property's metro area as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If there is none for the area, the California CPI-U published by the Department of Industrial Relations. The change is measured April to April and rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. If no April figure is published for the area, the March figures are used instead, 1947.12(g)(3)(B).

Which homes are exempt?

Examples include buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued in the last 15 years, deed-restricted or subsidized affordable housing, dormitories owned and operated by a school, owner-occupied duplexes, and separately sellable homes or condos with an owner that is not a REIT, corporation, LLC with a corporate member, or mobilehome park management, and the required written notice (Civil Code 1947.12(d)).

Does this replace local rent control?

No. Local rent control can be stricter than the state cap. This page is information, not legal advice. Check your city.