Can my landlord raise my rent more than 10 percent?

LA-area rent caps come from three different laws. Most tenants fall under one of them. A few fall under more than one. A few fall outside all three.

• 1. The Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO, also called the RSO). Applies inside the City of LA. Covers most multi-unit buildings built before October 1, 1978. As of February 2026, the annual rent increase cap is 3 percent. Annual increases above the cap require a specific legal reason, in writing, and most reasons that landlords cite don’t qualify.
• 2. The Los Angeles Just Cause Ordinance (JCO). Applies in the unincorporated parts of LA County (areas of the county outside any city). The rent-cap side follows state law (AB 1482, below) rather than a separate local cap.
• 3. The California Tenant Protection Act, or AB 1482. A statewide California law. Caps annual rent increases at 5 percent plus the local Consumer Price Index, with a 10 percent ceiling. In the LA area for 2026, that works out to about 8 percent.

If you live in a different LA-area city (Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach), your city likely has its own local rent ordinance with its own number. See our city-by-city rent control pages.

Quick self-check

To get a rough sense of which law applies to you, ask in order:

• Is your building inside the City of LA and built before October 1, 1978? Most likely the LA RSO applies. 2026 cap: 3 percent.
• Is your building in a different LA-area city with its own rent ordinance? Your city’s ordinance applies. See our city pages.
• Is your building in unincorporated LA County? The JCO applies on just-cause, and AB 1482 sets the rent cap. 2026 cap: about 8 percent.
• Is your building elsewhere in LA County and at least 15 years old? AB 1482 likely applies. 2026 cap: about 8 percent.
• Is your building a single-family home or condo owned by an individual with a written exemption notice in your lease? You may be exempt from AB 1482.

The LA RSO is the strongest rent-cap law that applies to most LA tenants. Here’s what it does:

• Annual cap. As of February 2026, your landlord can raise your rent by up to 3 percent in a 12-month period. The old 1 percent utility pass-through was removed in 2025.
• One increase per year. Even within the cap, your landlord can only raise your rent once in a 12-month window.
• Written notice required. The increase has to be served in writing, on a specific form, with a specific number of days’ notice.
• Just cause to evict. The RSO limits the reasons your landlord can ask you to leave. A no-cause termination isn’t allowed.
• Banked increases. The current rules tightly limit how much of a banked increase can be applied in any single year. If your landlord cites a banked-increase reason for a higher number, ask for the full math.

If your landlord raised your rent more than 3 percent in 2026 on an RSO unit, that increase is almost certainly invalid, and you may have a right to recover the overpayment.

AB 1482 is the California-wide rent cap. It applies to most rental units that aren’t already covered by a stricter local rent ordinance, and that aren’t exempt.

• Annual cap: 5 percent plus local CPI, with a 10 percent ceiling. LA area 2026: about 8 percent.
• One increase per 12 months.
• Just cause to evict after 12 months of tenancy.
• Standard California rent-increase notice rules apply.

Exemptions (the part landlords sometimes get wrong)

AB 1482 has specific exemptions. Common ones:

• Single-family homes or condos owned by individuals (not corporations). The owner has to give the tenant a written notice of exemption in the lease.
• New construction (under 15 years old). Counted from the certificate of occupancy, not from when the lease started.
• A handful of other situations (some ADUs, certain non-profit housing, certain government-subsidized units).

A landlord who claims an exemption but didn’t follow the notice rules usually isn’t actually exempt.

A truly exempt unit means there’s no cap on how much your landlord can raise the rent. But "no cap" doesn’t mean "no rules." You still have:

• Notice protection. Any increase over 10 percent requires 90 days’ written notice. Increases of 10 percent or less require 30 days’ notice.
• Anti-discrimination protection. A landlord can’t raise rent in a way that targets protected categories. This applies in every unit.
• Anti-retaliation protection. A landlord can’t raise rent because you complained, asserted rights, or contacted a lawyer. (California Civil Code 1942.5.)

You don’t need a lawyer to do most of these. Start with the smaller steps and work up.

1. Read the notice carefully. Confirm the date served, the new amount, the effective date, and whether it cites a specific legal basis. Save a copy.
2. Figure out which law applies to your unit. Use the quick self-check above.
3. Do the math. Calculate your current rent times the cap percentage. If the new rent exceeds the result, the increase is over the cap.
4. Put it in writing. Send a written response to your landlord citing the law you think applies. Keep a copy.
5. Don’t stop paying the old rent. Keep paying the rent you were paying before the increase, on time.
6. Don’t sign anything new. If your landlord asks you to sign a new lease or buyout offer, don’t sign until you’ve had it reviewed.
7. File a complaint with your housing department. For RSO units in the City of LA, file with LAHD.
8. Call a lawyer if you want help.