On Thursday, some Los Angeles County tenants could receive a 30-day notice of a rent increase from their landlord. Other tenants may have known about the increase since July. The silver lining is that for many Californians, the amount of the increase is capped by law.
The statewide Tenant Protection Act, passed in 2019, sets a limit on how much landlords and property managers can raise rent annually.
Below, we'll take a closer look at how the law works and what you can expect.
How much can the rent be increased?
As of Aug. 1, the rent cap is 8.9 percent in Los Angeles County, according to the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs. That's a slight increase from last year's cap of 8.8 percent.
Each year, according to the law, a calculation is made that takes inflation into account. Rent can be increased by 5% plus the change in the local cost of living.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index for the Los Angeles area in April was 3.9 percent; add 5 percent to that and you get this year’s cap of 8.9 percent for Los Angeles County. It will remain in effect through Aug. 1, 2025.
Under the Tenant Protection Act, the total annual increase cannot exceed 10%. Inflation has moderated somewhat since 2022, when all regions of the state met the requirement that the limit be set at 10% or less.
Who is affected?
The law applies to most residential rentals in California, with the exception of homes built in the last 15 years. Tenants in newer buildings may be subject to higher rent increases from their landlords.
Some California cities, including Los Angeles, have their own local rent control laws that further limit annual rent increases. The county notes that those local regulations take precedence.
The City of Los Angeles' rent control restrictions, called the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, cover properties built on or before October 1, 1978; units built after July 15, 2007, that replaced demolished rental units built on or before October 1, 1978, may also be covered.
The rental can be an apartment, condo, townhome, duplex, ADU, or a single-family home if there are two or more on the same lot.
You can find out if your property is covered by the City of Los Angeles' Rent Stabilization Ordinance online by entering your address.
Other Los Angeles County residents can contact their local city hall to find out if there are rent control restrictions in effect in their city.
Stay Housed LA, a coalition of legal aid organizations, also has a short list of cities within Los Angeles County and their unique rent increase protections. The coalition can also offer guidance on how these rent increase rules apply to your rental.
