Rent control in California

One rule applies, with its citation below.

Research, not legal advice

These summaries are compiled from ordinance text and public sources and are dated at the point they were last checked. Rules change between checks — Newark replaced its whole registration regime in a single month — so confirm anything you are about to underwrite against the primary source or the municipal office named in the citation.

AB 1482 caps increases at 5% plus CPI, to a 10% ceiling

Californiamedium confidence

Verified on 2026-08-01 — 15 days ago.

The Tenant Protection Act caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI, with a hard ceiling of 10%, on housing built more than 15 years ago.

The 15-year window rolls forward, so a building drifts into coverage with age rather than being fixed by its construction date at purchase.

Annual cap: 10%
Construction: Built before 2011

In effect since 2020-01-01.

Sources

California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) — Cal. Civ. Code §1946.2, §1947.12

Every rule for California