What Is AB 1482 and Why It Matters
California's Tenant Protection Act of 2019 — commonly called AB 1482 — is the state's primary rent control law. Enacted on January 1, 2020, and currently extended through at least January 1, 2030, it limits how much a landlord may increase rent on covered residential properties in any rolling 12-month period. Before AB 1482, California had no statewide rent cap. Landlords could raise rent to whatever the market would bear, as long as proper notice was provided. That era is over for millions of California rental units.
The law works in two major ways. First, it caps the dollar amount of rent increases. Second, it requires "just cause" for eviction for tenants who have lived in a covered unit for 12 months or more. This page covers the rent cap side of AB 1482 in full detail. For just-cause eviction requirements, see our Eviction Rules guide.
How to Calculate the Maximum Allowable Rent Increase
The AB 1482 cap formula sounds simple, but applying it correctly requires knowing which CPI figure to use, how the 12-month window is calculated, and what counts as a "raise" when combined with other charges.
The "local CPI" is the April-over-April Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the geographic area where the property is located, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. California uses the following regional indices:
- Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim: Covers all of Orange County and LA County
- Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario: Covers the Inland Empire
- San Diego–Carlsbad: Covers San Diego County
- San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward: Covers the Bay Area
Local CPI (LA–Long Beach–Anaheim, April 2024–April 2025) = 3.3%
Maximum allowed increase = 5% + 3.3% = 8.3%
Current rent: $2,400/month
Max new rent: $2,400 × 1.083 = $2,599.20/month
Hypothetical local CPI = 6.5%
Formula gives: 5% + 6.5% = 11.5% — but the cap is 10%
Maximum allowed increase = 10% (cap applies, not 11.5%)
The 12-Month Rolling Window
The limit applies to any 12-month rolling period, not a calendar year. This means if you raised rent by 5% in March and want to raise it again in November of the same year, you must add those two increases together. If the combined total exceeds the applicable cap for that rolling 12-month window, the second raise is illegal — even if each individual increase seemed small.
Where to Find the Official CPI Each Year
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) publishes an annual summary of the CPI percentages applicable under AB 1482, typically in the spring of each year. You can also look up your local index directly at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website (bls.gov) by searching for your metro area's CPI-U. Always use the April-over-April figure for the most recent completed 12-month period, as that is what the statute specifies.
Which Properties Are Covered vs. Exempt
Not all California rentals are subject to AB 1482. The law has a layered set of exemptions, and misidentifying your property's status can lead either to unlawful overcharges or to unnecessarily leaving rent money on the table. Work through this decision tree carefully before sending any rent increase notice.
AB 1482 Coverage Decision Tree
Covered Property Types in Detail
- Multi-unit apartment buildings where construction was completed 15 or more years ago
- Single-family homes or condos owned by a corporation, LLC, real estate investment trust (REIT), or corporate entity of any kind
- Single-family homes or condos owned by an individual who does not provide the required AB 1482 exemption notice
- Mobile homes or manufactured housing that is not owner-occupied in a park
- Subsidized housing units where the rent is already below 80% of market rate (just-cause protections apply, but rent cap may differ)
Exempt Property Types in Detail
- Single-family homes and condos owned by a natural person with a properly served AB 1482 exemption notice
- New construction completed within the last 15 years (measured on a rolling basis)
- Owner-occupied duplexes
- Properties already subject to a local rent control ordinance that was in effect before January 1, 2020
- Transient and tourist hotels
- Housing restricted by deed, regulatory agreement, or occupancy agreement to be affordable to income-qualifying tenants
- Dormitories owned and operated by post-secondary schools
- Single-family homes in a condominium project where the units are sold individually to individual buyers (not a corporate-owned block)
How to Properly Serve a Rent Increase Notice
Even a lawful rent increase can become unlawful if the notice is improperly served. California Civil Code §827 governs rent increase notices and is strictly enforced by courts. Here is the complete checklist for a valid rent increase notice.
30-Day vs. 90-Day Notice — Which Do You Need?
California law requires different notice periods depending on the size and cumulative total of the rent increase:
- 30 days' notice: Required when the cumulative rent increase over the preceding 12 months is 10% or less. This is the standard notice for increases within the AB 1482 cap in most years.
- 90 days' notice: Required when the cumulative increase over the preceding 12 months exceeds 10%. Under AB 1482, a lawful increase should never exceed 10%, so if you are in a situation requiring 90 days' notice, you may already be in violation unless the property is exempt.
What Must a Rent Increase Notice Include?
- The tenant's name and the address of the rental unit
- The current rent amount
- The new rent amount (not just the percentage — list the dollar figure)
- The effective date of the increase (must be at least 30 or 90 days after proper service)
- The date the notice was prepared and served
- If the property is exempt from AB 1482, include the specific exemption language required by Civil Code §1946.2(e)
- If the property is covered by AB 1482, you may optionally include a statement of the CPI percentage and how you calculated the increase — this is not legally required but protects you in a dispute
Valid Methods of Service
- Personal service: Hand delivery to the tenant or any adult household member at the premises — most reliable method and immediately starts the notice period
- Substituted service + mail: Leave with a responsible adult at the premises AND mail a copy to the address — adds 5 days to the notice period for the mailed copy
- Post and mail: Post on the front door AND mail — adds 5 days; use only if personal service is impossible after reasonable attempts
- Certified mail: Acceptable for rent increase notices; adds 5 calendar days to the running of the notice period
Local Rent Control Ordinances in California
AB 1482 is a statewide floor, not a ceiling. Cities and counties that had rent control ordinances in effect before January 1, 2020 may have stricter local rules that supersede AB 1482 for covered units within their jurisdiction. If you own property in any of these cities, you must know both the local ordinance and AB 1482, and apply whichever is more protective of the tenant.
Santa Ana Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO)
Santa Ana enacted its own rent stabilization ordinance in 2018, making it one of the few Orange County cities with local rent control. The Santa Ana RSO applies to residential rental units in multi-unit buildings of two or more units where the Certificate of Occupancy was issued on or before January 1, 1995. Key provisions:
- Annual cap: 3% per year (strictly lower than AB 1482's 5%+CPI formula in most years)
- Just-cause eviction: Required for all covered tenants regardless of tenancy length
- Relocation assistance: Mandatory for no-fault evictions; amount varies by tenure
- Rent Registry: Landlords of covered units must register with the city annually and pay a fee
- Tenant Protections: Anti-harassment provisions with civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation
Los Angeles City Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO)
The LA City RSO is one of the oldest and most comprehensive rent control systems in California. It applies to most rental units in the City of Los Angeles built before October 1, 1978. Key provisions:
- Annual cap: 4% (for units with landlord-paid gas and electricity); or 3% (tenant-paid utilities) — set annually by LAHD
- Exemptions within LA RSO: Units built after 1978, single-family homes, condos sold individually, new construction
- Mandatory just-cause: Applies from day one of tenancy for covered units
- Relocation fees: Substantial, tiered by tenure length and tenant vulnerability (senior, disabled, minor)
- Rent registry: Annual registration and fee required; LAHD enforces this actively
Other California Cities with Local Rent Control
- Unincorporated LA County: Enacted rent stabilization in 2020 applying to unincorporated areas not covered by city ordinances; cap at 3% or CPI (lower of the two)
- Inglewood: Rent Stabilization Ordinance, 5% annual cap for covered multi-units built before 1995
- Hawthorne: Local ordinance covering pre-1979 multi-units
- West Hollywood: Stringent rent stabilization system with annual increases tied to CPI, often 1–3%
- Beverly Hills: Rent stabilization for apartments; cap based on CPI with a maximum of approximately 8%
- Culver City: Rent Control Ordinance enacted 2020, covers pre-1995 multi-units
- San Jose: Apartment Rent Ordinance, 5% cap for covered units
- Oakland: Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance plus rent adjustment program
- Berkeley: Rent Stabilization Board; typically 2–3% annual increases allowed
- San Francisco: Strict rent stabilization for most pre-1979 units
Penalties for Violating AB 1482 Rent Caps
California does not have a fixed statutory fine for rent cap violations the way some states do. Instead, penalties arise through private civil litigation — meaning your tenant, or a tenant's attorney, sues you. The financial exposure can be substantial, and California courts are experienced in landlord-tenant disputes.
What Tenants Can Recover
- Rent reimbursement: All amounts paid above the lawful cap, from the date of the illegal increase forward
- Actual damages: Any out-of-pocket losses the tenant suffered as a result of the overcharge
- Punitive damages: Courts may award punitive damages where the landlord acted with fraud, malice, or oppression — this is most likely when an AB 1482 violation is accompanied by harassment or retaliation
- Attorney's fees: Under California Civil Code §1942.5, attorney's fees are recoverable in retaliatory eviction cases; some local ordinances (e.g., Santa Ana RSO) allow fee recovery in rent cap cases
- Injunctive relief: A court can order you to reduce rent to the lawful level and prohibit future violations
Local Ordinance Penalties
Cities with their own rent stabilization ordinances often have additional, more severe penalties:
- Santa Ana RSO: Fines up to $10,000 per violation for harassment; mandatory rent rollback to the last lawful rent plus interest
- LA City RSO: Administrative penalties; tenants may seek triple the amount of any illegal rent increase in some circumstances
- Oakland: Fines enforced by the Rent Adjustment Program; failure to register can result in penalties
How NextGen Coastal Handles Rent Increases for Clients
One of the most error-prone tasks in property management is calculating and serving rent increase notices. The AB 1482 formula requires knowing the current local CPI, applying it to the correct rolling 12-month window, checking for applicable local ordinances, and then serving properly formatted notices within legal timeframes. NGC's property management system automates this entire process for every unit under management.
NGC's Rent Increase Process
- Annual CPI pull: Each year when HCD releases updated CPI data, NGC automatically pulls the current figures for every applicable metro area in our portfolio
- Per-unit calculation: The system calculates the maximum allowable increase for each unit individually, accounting for the unit's location (local ordinance vs. AB 1482), the unit's construction date (15-year rule), and ownership structure
- Notice generation: Legally compliant notices are generated per unit, listing current rent, new rent, and effective date with the correct 30-day or 90-day notice period
- Service confirmation: NGC coordinates service via a method that creates a paper trail — typically certified mail plus personal delivery attempt — and documents the result in each tenant's file
- Ledger update: Once the notice period runs, the new rent is reflected in the accounting system automatically, with a notation linking the increase to the underlying legal authority
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Frequently Asked Questions — Rent Control & AB 1482
What is the maximum rent increase in California in 2025?
Under AB 1482, the maximum is 5% plus the local CPI percentage, capped at 10% in any 12-month period. For the Los Angeles–Orange County area in 2025, the applicable CPI is approximately 3.3%, making the effective cap around 8.3% for most OC and LA landlords. Always verify the current CPI from HCD or the Bureau of Labor Statistics before serving any notice.
Does AB 1482 apply to single-family homes?
It depends on who owns the home. Single-family homes owned by individual people (not corporations or LLCs) are exempt — but only if the landlord serves a specific written exemption notice as part of the lease and with each rent increase notice. Without that notice, AB 1482 applies by default. Homes owned by corporations, LLCs, or REITs are fully covered regardless of any notice.
How much notice must I give before raising rent?
At least 30 days for increases of 10% or less (cumulative over 12 months). At least 90 days if the cumulative increase over the preceding 12 months exceeds 10%. Notice must be served via personal delivery, substituted service plus mail, post-and-mail, or certified mail. Mailed notices add 5 days to the notice period.
Is my property covered by Santa Ana RSO or AB 1482?
Santa Ana's RSO applies to multi-unit buildings with Certificates of Occupancy issued on or before January 1, 1995, within city limits. If your property is covered by Santa Ana RSO, the local ordinance governs and the cap is 3% per year — stricter than AB 1482. Properties built after 1995 within Santa Ana, or properties in unincorporated OC, are subject to AB 1482 if they otherwise meet its criteria.
What happens if I raise rent above the AB 1482 cap?
Tenants can sue for reimbursement of all amounts paid above the lawful cap, actual damages, and potentially punitive damages if the overcharge was willful. They can also recover attorney's fees under some ordinances. There is no fixed statutory fine, but litigation exposure is real and often exceeds $10,000 when attorney's fees are included.
Can I raise rent twice in one year under AB 1482?
Yes, but the combined total of all increases in any 12-month rolling period cannot exceed 5% + local CPI (capped at 10%). Each separate increase must be preceded by its own valid notice. If the second increase would push the 12-month cumulative total above the cap, that portion of the second increase is illegal. Keep a rolling 12-month ledger for every unit.