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.

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 July 7, 2026 All California topics →

Check your municipality. California does not preempt local rent regulation — city or county ordinances may impose rent caps, notice rules, and fee limits that are stricter than the state-level rules on this page and are not covered here. 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 , Pasadena , Pomona , Richmond , Sacramento , San Francisco , San Jose , Santa Ana , 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 rent in the prior 12 months and is in effect through 2030. Exempt: housing with a certificate of occupancy within 15 years (a rolling window); most single-family homes and condos not owned by corporations or REITs, where the exemption requires the statutory written disclosure to the tenant; and owner-occupied duplexes.

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 California statute · Verified July 7, 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. Add 5 calendar days if the notice is served by mail (CCP § 1013).
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 rent in the prior 12 months and is in effect through 2030. Exempt: housing with a certificate of occupancy within 15 years (a rolling window); most single-family homes and condos not owned by corporations or REITs, where the exemption requires the statutory written disclosure to the tenant; and owner-occupied duplexes.
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 July 7, 2026), landlordatlas.com/laws/rent-increase-notice/california/" — free to cite and quote with a link (how these records are verified). Every figure above is cited to the California statute in the citations section below.

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Notes and caveats

Two independent legal layers — §827 notice mechanics apply to ALL increases; the AB 1482 caps apply only to covered units.
A missed disclosure forfeits the exemption — Exemption from the AB 1482 cap requires serving the statutory disclosure language on the tenant — skip the disclosure and the exemption is lost.

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.
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.

Statute citations

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