Rent increaseCalifornia rent increase notice
You are raising the rent. Here are the general notice and cap rules, the statutes they come from, and the facts to gather first.
The general rule, and where to check- Notice before a rent increase. For a month-to-month tenancy, an increase of 10% or less needs at least 30 days' written notice; an increase of more than 10% needs at least 90 days. The 10% is measured against the rent charged at any time in the 12 months before the increase takes effect, counting all increases in that window together. Notice served by mail within California adds 5 calendar days (Code Civ. Proc. 1013(a)). Cal. Civ. Code 827(b) Summary checked 2026-10-17.
- Statewide rent cap (Tenant Protection Act). For units the act covers, rent can rise by at most 5% plus the local change in the cost of living (CPI), and never more than 10%, over any 12 months, in no more than two increases. The base is the lowest rent charged in the prior 12 months. The CPI used is the April-to-April change for the metro area (California CPI where no metro index exists); increases taking effect on or after August 1 use the current year's April. Many units are exempt, including housing first occupied within the last 15 years, and a single-family home or condo owned by a natural person when the lease carries the required exemption notice. A city rent control law can set a lower cap. Cal. Civ. Code 1947.12 Summary checked 2026-10-17.
General information, not legal advice. Check the source before you act. City ordinances can add rules. Check your city or county housing office.
Have these ready- Every rent amount charged in the last 12 months, with dates
- Whether the tenancy is month to month or a fixed term
- Whether the unit is exempt from the statewide cap, and the lease page with any exemption notice
- Your city's rules, if your city has rent control
- How you will serve the notice: in person or by mail