California AB 1482 in 2026: The Small Landlord's Guide
AB 1482 caps how much you can raise rent in California — and the penalties for getting it wrong are brutal. Overcap by even $50/month and a tenant can sue for actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. In bad-faith cases, courts have awarded tenants a full year's rent. This guide covers everything you need to know to stay compliant in 2026, including the formula, exemptions, CPI rates, local overrides, and the seven most common mistakes landlords make.
What is AB 1482?
Assembly Bill 1482, officially the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, was signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 8, 2019 and took effect January 1, 2020. It is California's statewide rent cap and just-cause eviction law — the first of its kind in the state.
The law has two main parts. First, it limits annual rent increases to 5% plus the regional Consumer Price Index (CPI) change, or 10%, whichever is lower. Second, it requires landlords to have "just cause" to evict tenants who have occupied the unit for 12 months or more. Both protections apply to most residential rental housing in California.
AB 1482 is currently set to sunset on January 1, 2030. Multiple bills have been introduced to extend or make the protections permanent, but as of mid-2026 the expiration date remains unchanged. Regardless, landlords must comply with the law through the end of 2029.
Who is covered? Who is exempt?
AB 1482 applies to most residential rental properties in California, including apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes — but there are five important exemptions. If your property qualifies for any of these, the rent cap does not apply:
The most common mistake landlords make with exemptions is assuming their single-family home is automatically exempt. It is not — you must deliver the required written notice to your tenant. If you have not done so, your property is treated as covered under AB 1482 retroactively.
The maximum allowable increase
The formula is straightforward: 5% + regional CPI change = maximum increase, with an absolute ceiling of 10%. The CPI component is based on the April-to-April change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The applicable CPI rate depends on when the rent increase takes effect. For increases effective between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, you use the April 2024 to April 2025 CPI data. For increases effective August 1, 2026 and later, you use the April 2025 to April 2026 data (released in May 2026).
2026 CPI rates by region
| Region | CPI (pre-Aug 2026) | Max Increase | CPI (post-Aug 2026) | Max Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 3.0% | 8.0% | 3.7% | 8.7% |
| San Francisco | 2.5% | 7.5% | Pending | Pending |
| Riverside | 3.5% | 8.5% | Pending | Pending |
| San Diego | 4.0% | 9.0% | Pending | Pending |
| West Region (fallback) | 2.1% | 7.1% | 3.5% | 8.5% |
Worked example
Suppose you own a covered rental in Los Angeles and the current rent is $2,400/month. You want to raise rent effective September 1, 2026 (post-August, so you use the newer CPI rate of 3.7%).
If the CPI had been 6%, the formula would yield 11% — but the 10% hard cap kicks in, limiting your increase to $240 (10% of $2,400) for a maximum rent of $2,640.
Notice requirements
California Civil Code 827 requires landlords to give written notice before any rent increase takes effect. The amount of notice depends on the size of the increase:
A common trap: if you raise rent by 5% in January and another 6% in July, the combined increase is 11% within 12 months. Even though each individual increase was under 10%, the 90-day notice requirement applies to the second increase because the cumulative amount exceeds 10%. Many landlords miss this.
Notice must be served in writing — personal delivery, substituted service, or mail (add 5 days for mailing). A text message or email does not constitute valid notice under California law unless the tenant has explicitly agreed to electronic service in writing.
Local rent control ordinances
Several California cities have their own rent stabilization ordinances (RSOs) that are more restrictive than AB 1482. If your property is in one of these jurisdictions, the local cap applies instead of the state cap. Here are the current rates for the most common local ordinances:
| City | 2026 Max Increase | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (RSO) | 3.0% | Applies to buildings built before Oct 1, 1978 |
| San Francisco | 1.4% | Applies to buildings built before June 13, 1979 |
| Oakland | 0.8% | Applies to buildings built before Jan 1, 1983 |
| Berkeley | 1.0% | Applies to most multi-family pre-1980 |
| Santa Monica | 2.3% | Applies to buildings built before April 10, 1979 |
| West Hollywood | 2.25% | Applies to buildings built before July 1, 1979 |
| San Jose | 2.7% | Applies to buildings built before Sept 7, 1979 |
If your city is not on this list, AB 1482's statewide cap applies. Note that some cities (like Sacramento and Long Beach) have adopted rent control measures more recently — check your local jurisdiction for the most current rules.
7 most common AB 1482 mistakes
These are the errors we see landlords make most often. Each one can trigger tenant complaints, lawsuits, or regulatory penalties.
The SFH exemption requires the owner to be a natural person (not an LLC or corporation) and to deliver a specific written notice to the tenant. Without both conditions met, the property is covered. Many landlords discover this after a tenant files a complaint.
California has multiple BLS metropolitan statistical areas, each with a different CPI. Using the statewide average or the wrong metro area can result in overcharging. A property in Riverside uses the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CPI, not the Los Angeles CPI — even though they feel close geographically.
The formula is 5% + CPI, but if CPI is 6% or higher, the result exceeds 10%. The hard cap of 10% always applies. Some landlords calculate 5% + 6% = 11% and raise rent accordingly, which violates the law.
AB 1482 caps the cumulative increase over any 12-month period, not each individual increase. Two 5.5% increases six months apart equal an 11% cumulative increase, which violates the cap. The law allows a maximum of two increases per year, but their combined total cannot exceed the allowable percentage.
The 30-day and 90-day notice requirements are strict. If you mail the notice, you must add 5 calendar days for mailing time. Serving notice on the wrong date can invalidate the rent increase entirely, and the tenant can demand a refund of the overpayment.
A landlord in Los Angeles might calculate an 8.7% increase under AB 1482 and serve notice — but if the property is covered by the LA RSO (buildings pre-1978), the actual cap is 3%. The stricter local ordinance always controls. Our calculator detects this automatically.
AB 1482 does not override lease terms. If a tenant has a fixed-term lease with a specified rent amount, you cannot raise rent until the lease expires (or includes a rent increase provision). The cap only applies to permitted increases — it does not create a right to increase rent mid-lease.
What's next
AB 1482 is just one piece of California's landlord compliance puzzle. Here are related topics every California landlord should understand:
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