How many days' notice must a landlord give before raising rent in California?

30 days. The notice period depends on the size of the increase. An increase that, combined with all increases in the prior 12 months, totals 10% or less takes 30 days' written notice; a cumulative 12-month increase above 10% takes 90 days' written notice. An increase caused by a change in the tenant's income or family composition found in a recertification required by statute or regulation takes 30 days' notice whatever its size, and a longer notice period set by another statute, a regulation, a recorded regulatory agreement or a contract controls.

Does California preempt local rent control ordinances?

California cities and counties may adopt rent control, and many have, but state law limits how far local rules can reach — the Costa-Hawkins Act exempts newer buildings and single-family homes and lets landlords reset rent between tenancies, while a separate statewide cap of 5% plus inflation (max 10%) covers most other rentals through 2029 (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535, 1947.12).

Can a landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease in California?

Rent may not be increased during a fixed term unless the lease provides for it. The §827 notice mechanics govern month-to-month changes.

How often can a landlord raise the rent in California?

No more than two increases in any 12-month period on AB 1482-covered units.

How much notice is required to raise the rent in California?

Verified October 1, 2026 Updated October 8, 2026 All California topics →

Check your municipality. California does not preempt local rent regulation — city or county ordinances may impose rent caps, notice periods, and fee limits that are stricter than the state law on this page. Verify your municipality's ordinances before relying on any figure below. Verified local pages: Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Hayward, Inglewood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County (unincorporated), Mountain View, Oakland, Oxnard, Pasadena, Pomona, Richmond, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, West Hollywood.

What the state record says

California has a statewide rent cap. The Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) limits annual increases on covered units to the lesser of 5% plus regional CPI or 10%, with at most two increases per 12 months. Many units are exempt, and stricter local rent-control ordinances control where they exist. The cap is codified at Civ. Code § 1947.12. It is measured against the lowest gross rent charged in the prior 12 months, and rent discounts, incentives, concessions or credits the owner offered and the tenant accepted are left out of that figure, so the cap is worked out from the undiscounted rent. The gross monthly rate and any owner-offered discounts, incentives, concessions or credits must be listed and identified separately in the lease or rental agreement, or in any amendment to an existing one. The cap remains in effect until January 1, 2030, when the section is repealed. Exempt: housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years (a rolling window), unless it is a mobilehome; single-family homes, condos and other units that can be sold separately, where the owner is not a REIT, a corporation, an LLC with a corporate member or mobilehome park management, and the tenants have been given the statutory written exemption notice; a duplex where the owner lived in one unit at the start of the tenancy and still does, and neither unit is an accessory or junior accessory dwelling unit; deed-restricted or subsidized affordable housing; school and college dormitories; and housing under a local rent-control law that limits annual increases to less than the state cap.

California requires 30 days' written notice for a rent increase of 10% or less over any 12-month window, and 90 days' notice for anything larger — plus five extra days when the notice is mailed.

Cited to Cal. Civ. Code § 827 (b) and 1 more cited source · Verified October 1, 2026

Separately, the statewide Tenant Protection Act caps annual increases on covered units at 5% plus local CPI or 10%, whichever is lower, with at most two increases per year. Many single-family homes and newer buildings are exempt from the cap (but never from the notice rules), and cities with stricter local rent control keep their own limits.

California rent increase notice at a glance

Notice — month-to-month	30 days
Varies by increase size	The notice period depends on the size of the increase. An increase that, combined with all increases in the prior 12 months, totals 10% or less takes 30 days' written notice; a cumulative 12-month increase above 10% takes 90 days' written notice. An increase caused by a change in the tenant's income or family composition found in a recertification required by statute or regulation takes 30 days' notice whatever its size, and a longer notice period set by another statute, a regulation, a recorded regulatory agreement or a contract controls. Add 5 calendar days if the notice is mailed within California, or 10 if it is mailed from elsewhere in the United States (CCP § 1013(a)).
Fixed-term leases	Rent may not be increased during a fixed term unless the lease provides for it. The §827 notice mechanics govern month-to-month changes.
Statewide rent control / stabilization	Yes
Rent control details	California has a statewide rent cap. The Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) limits annual increases on covered units to the lesser of 5% plus regional CPI or 10%, with at most two increases per 12 months. Many units are exempt, and stricter local rent-control ordinances control where they exist. The cap is codified at Civ. Code § 1947.12. It is measured against the lowest gross rent charged in the prior 12 months, and rent discounts, incentives, concessions or credits the owner offered and the tenant accepted are left out of that figure, so the cap is worked out from the undiscounted rent. The gross monthly rate and any owner-offered discounts, incentives, concessions or credits must be listed and identified separately in the lease or rental agreement, or in any amendment to an existing one. The cap remains in effect until January 1, 2030, when the section is repealed. Exempt: housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years (a rolling window), unless it is a mobilehome; single-family homes, condos and other units that can be sold separately, where the owner is not a REIT, a corporation, an LLC with a corporate member or mobilehome park management, and the tenants have been given the statutory written exemption notice; a duplex where the owner lived in one unit at the start of the tenancy and still does, and neither unit is an accessory or junior accessory dwelling unit; deed-restricted or subsidized affordable housing; school and college dormitories; and housing under a local rent-control law that limits annual increases to less than the state cap.
Local rent regulation	California cities and counties may adopt rent control, and many have, but state law limits how far local rules can reach — the Costa-Hawkins Act exempts newer buildings and single-family homes and lets landlords reset rent between tenancies, while a separate statewide cap of 5% plus inflation (max 10%) covers most other rentals through 2029 (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535, 1947.12).
Frequency limits	No more than two increases in any 12-month period on AB 1482-covered units.

Cite this page: "Landlord Atlas, California Rent Increase Notice Laws (verified October 1, 2026), landlordatlas.com/laws/rent-increase-notice/california/" — free to cite and quote with a link (how these records are verified). Everything above is cited in the citations section below.

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Notes and caveats

Two independent legal layers — §827 notice rules apply to every rent increase in a week-to-week or month-to-month tenancy, whether or not the unit is covered by the AB 1482 cap; the AB 1482 caps apply only to covered units.
A missed disclosure forfeits the single-family exemption — The AB 1482 exemption for single-family homes, condos and other separately saleable units applies only if the tenants have been given the statutory written notice that the property is exempt; without the notice, that exemption is lost. The other exemptions need no notice (Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(5)(B)).

Common questions: California rent increase notice

Each answer is the verified value from the table above, restated as a direct answer. Free to quote with a link to this page.

How many days' notice must a landlord give before raising rent in California?: 30 days. The notice period depends on the size of the increase. An increase that, combined with all increases in the prior 12 months, totals 10% or less takes 30 days' written notice; a cumulative 12-month increase above 10% takes 90 days' written notice. An increase caused by a change in the tenant's income or family composition found in a recertification required by statute or regulation takes 30 days' notice whatever its size, and a longer notice period set by another statute, a regulation, a recorded regulatory agreement or a contract controls.
Does California have rent control?: Yes — California has statewide rent control or stabilization. California has a statewide rent cap. The Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) limits annual increases on covered units to the lesser of 5% plus regional CPI or 10%, with at most two increases per 12 months. Many units are exempt, and stricter local rent-control ordinances control where they exist.
Does California preempt local rent control ordinances?: California cities and counties may adopt rent control, and many have, but state law limits how far local rules can reach — the Costa-Hawkins Act exempts newer buildings and single-family homes and lets landlords reset rent between tenancies, while a separate statewide cap of 5% plus inflation (max 10%) covers most other rentals through 2029 (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1954.50–1954.535, 1947.12).
Can a landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease in California?: Rent may not be increased during a fixed term unless the lease provides for it. The §827 notice mechanics govern month-to-month changes.
How often can a landlord raise the rent in California?: No more than two increases in any 12-month period on AB 1482-covered units.

Changes since last full verification

The Verified date above (October 1, 2026) marks the last time every figure on this page was verified end-to-end against official sources. The changes below were published since then, each verified against the official source it names (what these dates mean).

Updated, October 8, 2026 — Santa Barbara adopted its Residential Rent Stabilization and Residential Rental Registry Programs ordinance on October 6, 2026 (Municipal Code chapters 26.90 and 26.100). Under the City Charter it takes effect November 5, 2026; from January 1, 2027 yearly increases on covered units are limited to 60% of the change in the Consumer Price Index or 3%, whichever is less; registration of covered units is due by the later of April 1, 2027 or 30 days after the form is available, and of all other rental units by the later of October 1, 2027 or 30 days after. The temporary freeze still expires December 31, 2026 or earlier if the permanent program begins to operate first; the City has not stated that operative date.

Citations

Cal. Civ. Code § 827 · (b) (verified 2026) Official source
Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12 (AB 1482) · (a)(1) (verified 2026) Official source

How this record was verified: Web verification against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (Civ. Code 1950.5, 827; AB 12 bill text) with corroborating county/city government sources (SF.gov, LA County DCBA, San Mateo County) for AB 1482 and Civ. Code 1954 operation. October 1, 2026: every section the security deposit, rent increase, late fee, entry and eviction answers rest on was read again on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, with its credit line: Civil Code sections 827, 1671, 1942.9, 1946.2, 1946.3, 1947.12, 1950.5, 1954 and 1954.50 to 1954.535 and Code of Civil Procedure sections 12, 12a, 715.010, 1013, 1161, 1162, 1167, 1169, 1170.5, 1174, 1176 and 1179, with rule 8.822 of the California Rules of Court on courts.ca.gov. The newest amendments to these sections are 2025 acts in force since January 1, 2026. All 1,040 chapters of the 2026 statutes were screened, and none amends, adds or repeals any of them.