Rent increases in California
Rent control laws limit the amount a landlord can charge tenants and determines how often rent can be raised. If a property is not covered under rent control, a landlord can increase your rent by any amount.
Starting August 2024, the maximum rent increase for both L.A. and Orange counties is 8.9%, a slight increase from last year's 8.8%.
The cap will stay in place until August 2025.
California Tenant Protection Act
The California Tenant Protection Act - or Assembly Bill 1482 - went into effect in January 2020.
It essentially puts a cap on how much landlords can raise rent each year. It generally applies to older apartment buildings, but if you live in a newer building, your landlord may be allowed to raise your rent even higher.
Under the Tenant Protection Act, the total increase for the year cannot top 10%.
If your rent has increased significantly, your landlord might be violating this act.
Written notices
Landlords are required to provide a written notice prior to issuing a rent increase, regardless if the property is rent controlled, according to the L.A. County's website.
Before increasing rent, they first must give:
- 30-day written notice if the increase is 10% or less
- 90-day written notice if the increase is over 10%
What about unincorporated L.A. County?
In June, the Board of Supervisors extended a 4% cap on rent increases for rent-controlled apartments in unincorporated areas until the end of the year.
There's also the Mobilehome Rent Stabilization and Mobilehome Owners Protections Ordinance (MRSMOPO), which is a local law that limits annual rent increases for mobilehome spaces located in unincorporated areas of the county.