AB 1482 California Rent Cap Guide for Landlords (2026)

Q: When does AB 1482 expire?

AB 1482 was originally set to expire January 1, 2030, but AB 12 (2024) extended the Tenant Protection Act through January 1, 2035. California landlords should plan for AB 1482 compliance as a long-term reality.

Key Takeaways

AB 1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% + local CPI (max 10%) for most California rentals
New 2026-2027 CPI figures take effect August 1, 2026 — LA/OC: 8.7%, SD: 8.2%
Just cause eviction protections apply after 12 months of tenancy
Extended through January 1, 2035 by AB 12 — this is a long-term compliance requirement
Penalties include tenant recovery of excess rent, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees

What Is AB 1482? California’s Rent Control Law Explained

Assembly Bill 1482, officially the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019, is California’s statewide rent control and just cause eviction law. It went into effect on January 1, 2020, and applies to most residential rental properties across California.

AB 1482 does two things: it caps how much landlords can increase rent each year, and it requires specific legal reasons (“just cause”) to evict tenants who have lived in a unit for at least 12 months. Together, these provisions make AB 1482 the most significant tenant protection legislation in California since the Costa-Hawkins Act of 1995.

If you’re a landlord in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno, or anywhere else in California, AB 1482 almost certainly affects your properties. Understanding it isn’t optional — it’s a legal requirement that carries real penalties for non-compliance. If you’re self-managing your rental properties, staying on top of these rules is part of the job.

The Two Key Provisions

1. Rent Cap: How Much You Can Raise Rent

AB 1482 limits annual rent increases to the lesser of:

5% + local CPI (Consumer Price Index), or
10%

This means your maximum allowable rent increase depends on your local area’s inflation rate. The CPI figures change every year based on the April-to-April change published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Current AB 1482 Rent Caps: August 2025 – July 2026

Region / Counties	CPI	Max Rent Increase
Los Angeles, Orange County	3.0%	8.0%
San Diego	3.8%	8.8%
Riverside, San Bernardino	2.5%	7.5%
San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa	1.3%	6.3%
Alameda (Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont)	1.8%	6.8%
Sacramento, Fresno, and all other CA counties	2.7%	7.7%

Upcoming AB 1482 Rent Caps: August 2026 – July 2027

Region / Counties	CPI	Max Rent Increase	Change from Prior Year
Los Angeles, Orange County	3.7%	8.7%	+0.7%
San Diego	3.2%	8.2%	-0.6%
San Francisco, Bay Area, Riverside, Sacramento, all other counties	Pending BLS publication — check back or use our AB 1482 Calculator

Important: New CPI figures take effect on rent increases served on or after August 1 each year. California-specific CPI data is available on the BLS West Region page. Your local apartment association (CAA, SRHA) typically publishes the numbers prominently each May or June.

2. Just Cause Eviction

After a tenant has occupied a unit for 12 months (or 24 months from the start of the tenancy after April 1, 2024), you can only terminate their tenancy for specific reasons. These fall into two categories:

At-fault just cause (tenant did something wrong):

Nonpayment of rent
Breach of lease terms
Nuisance or criminal activity
Refusal to sign a comparable lease renewal
Refusal to allow the landlord legal access
Subletting in violation of the lease

No-fault just cause (not the tenant’s fault — requires relocation assistance):

Owner move-in (you or an immediate family member)
Withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act)
Substantial remodel requiring tenant to vacate
Compliance with a government order

Relocation assistance for no-fault evictions: You must provide one month’s rent in relocation assistance OR waive the final month’s rent.

What Properties Are Exempt?

AB 1482 does NOT apply to:

Single-family homes and condos — but ONLY if the owner is not a corporation, REIT, or LLC with a corporate member, AND you’ve provided the required exemption notice to the tenant
Properties built within the last 15 years (rolling window — so a property built in 2012 was exempt until 2027)
Duplexes where the owner lives in one unit (owner-occupied duplex exemption)
Affordable housing with deed restrictions
Properties already covered by stricter local rent control (e.g., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Oakland, West Hollywood)

Critical requirement for single-family home exemption: You must provide written notice to the tenant (as specified in Civil Code §1946.2(e)) stating that the property is exempt. If you don’t provide this notice, the exemption doesn’t apply — even if the property otherwise qualifies.

How to Calculate Your Maximum Rent Increase

Follow these steps:

Determine your CPI region — California uses regional CPI data. Sacramento, LA, SF, San Diego, and Riverside each have their own CPI.
Find the April-to-April CPI change — Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Your local apartment association (SRHA, CAA) usually publishes this prominently each year.
Calculate: 5% + CPI — If the result exceeds 10%, your cap is 10%.
Check for local rent control — If your city has its own rent control ordinance, you must follow whichever is stricter.
Verify the 12-month rule — You can only increase rent once per 12-month period.

Example Calculation (Sacramento, 2025–2026)

Current rent: $1,800/month
Sacramento CPI (April 2025): 2.7%
Maximum increase: 5% + 2.7% = 7.7%
Maximum new rent: $1,800 × 1.077 = $1,938.60
Maximum dollar increase: $138.60/month

Example Calculation (Los Angeles, 2026–2027)

Current rent: $2,200/month
LA CPI (April 2026): 3.7%
Maximum increase: 5% + 3.7% = 8.7%
Maximum new rent: $2,200 × 1.087 = $2,391.40
Maximum dollar increase: $191.40/month
Effective on rent increases served on or after August 1, 2026

Want to calculate your specific maximum allowable increase? Use the LeaseBase AB 1482 Rent Cap Calculator — it pulls the latest CPI data for your region automatically.

Notice Requirements

When raising rent, California law requires:

30 days’ written notice for increases of 10% or less
90 days’ written notice for increases greater than 10% (which would only apply if allowed by a local ordinance pre-dating AB 1482)

The notice must be served properly — personal delivery, substituted service, or first-class mail (which adds 5 days to the notice period).

Penalties for Non-Compliance

AB 1482 violations can be costly:

Rent overcharges — Tenants can recover excess rent paid, plus potential punitive damages
Wrongful eviction — Actual damages, plus potential punitive damages, plus attorney’s fees
Missing exemption notice — Losing your single-family home exemption, meaning AB 1482 applies retroactively

Local Rent Control: Know Your City

Several California cities have rent control ordinances that are stricter than AB 1482. If your property is in one of these cities, you must follow the local ordinance:

City	Allowable Increase (typical)	Key Difference from AB 1482
Sacramento	City follows AB 1482 (no separate ordinance as of 2026)	—
Los Angeles	3–8% (varies by year)	Stricter; covers more property types
San Francisco	~2.3% (based on CPI)	Much stricter; no 5% base
Oakland	CPI only (no base %)	Stricter; includes banking restrictions
San Jose	5% cap	Flat cap, not tied to CPI
Berkeley	~1–3%	Among the strictest in the state

“The biggest compliance risk isn’t the rent cap itself — it’s forgetting to track the annual CPI change. Every April the number shifts, and if you’re not watching it, you can accidentally exceed your maximum allowable increase. That’s an exposure most landlords don’t realize they have until a tenant disputes it.”

— Rachid Abadli, Founder & CEO at LeaseBase, Sacramento landlord managing under AB 1482

Best Practices for AB 1482 Compliance

Track your CPI annually — Set a calendar reminder for May (when April CPI data is published) to calculate your new maximum allowable increase.
Document everything — Keep copies of all rent increase notices, exemption notices, and delivery confirmations.
Use compliant notice templates — Don’t draft rent increase notices from scratch. Use templates from your apartment association or lease management software.
Track the 12-month rule — Note the date of each rent increase. You cannot increase rent again within 12 months.
Know your exemptions — If your property qualifies for an exemption, serve the required notice BEFORE any tenancy begins.
Monitor local ordinances — Cities can adopt or change their own rent control rules. Automated compliance monitoring tracks these changes for you.
Consult an attorney for evictions — Just cause eviction requirements are nuanced. An hour of legal consultation is worth it before serving any termination notice.

AB 1482 Sunset Date

AB 1482 was originally set to expire on January 1, 2030. However, AB 12 (2024) extended the Tenant Protection Act through January 1, 2035. Landlords should plan for AB 1482 compliance as a long-term reality, not a temporary measure.

AB 1482 and Fresno: What Landlords Need to Know

Fresno does not have its own local rent control ordinance, which means AB 1482 is the governing law for rent increases and evictions. Fresno landlords follow the “All Other Counties” CPI rate — currently 2.7% CPI for a maximum 7.7% increase (August 2025 – July 2026).

The same applies to landlords in Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, and most Central Valley cities. Without a stricter local ordinance, AB 1482 is your compliance baseline. Make sure you’re providing the required written rent increase notice and tracking the 12-month rule between increases.

Frequently Asked Questions About AB 1482

What is AB 1482 in simple terms?

AB 1482 is California’s statewide rent control law, officially called the Tenant Protection Act. It limits how much landlords can raise rent each year (5% plus local inflation, capped at 10%) and requires specific legal reasons to evict tenants who have lived in a unit for 12+ months. It applies to most residential rental properties in California.

What is the maximum rent increase allowed under AB 1482 in 2026?

The maximum depends on your region’s CPI. For August 2025 – July 2026: Los Angeles and Orange County cap at 8.0%, San Diego at 8.8%, Bay Area at 6.3%–6.8%, and Sacramento/Fresno/other counties at 7.7%. Starting August 1, 2026, new rates apply: LA/OC increases to 8.7% and San Diego decreases to 8.2%.

What properties are exempt from AB 1482?

Exempt properties include: single-family homes and condos (only if the owner is not a corporation/REIT/LLC with a corporate member AND the required exemption notice has been provided to tenants), properties built within the last 15 years (rolling window), owner-occupied duplexes, deed-restricted affordable housing, and properties already covered by stricter local rent control ordinances.

How do I calculate the AB 1482 rent increase for my property?

Find your region’s CPI (published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each spring), add 5%, and cap at 10%. For example, if your regional CPI is 3.7%, your maximum increase is 8.7% (5% + 3.7%). Multiply your current rent by that percentage to get the maximum dollar increase. Or use our free AB 1482 calculator.

When does AB 1482 expire?

AB 1482 was originally set to expire January 1, 2030. However, AB 12 (2024) extended the Tenant Protection Act through January 1, 2035. California landlords should plan for AB 1482 compliance as a long-term reality.

Does AB 1482 apply to single-family homes?

It depends. Single-family homes are exempt from AB 1482 only if the owner is not a corporation, REIT, or LLC with a corporate member. Additionally, the landlord must provide a specific written exemption notice to the tenant per Civil Code §1946.2(e). If you don’t provide this notice, AB 1482 applies to your property even if it otherwise qualifies for the exemption.

What happens if a landlord violates AB 1482?

Tenants can recover excess rent paid, plus potential punitive damages and attorney’s fees. For wrongful evictions without just cause, landlords face actual damages, punitive damages, and the tenant’s legal costs. Missing the exemption notice means losing your single-family home exemption retroactively.

Does AB 1482 apply in Sacramento?

Yes. Sacramento does not have its own local rent control ordinance, so AB 1482 is the governing law. Sacramento landlords follow the “All Other Counties” CPI rate. For August 2025 – July 2026, the maximum rent increase in Sacramento is 7.7%.

What is the difference between AB 1482 and local rent control?

AB 1482 is the statewide minimum standard. Cities like San Francisco (CPI-only, ~2.3%), Berkeley (~1–3%), Oakland (CPI-only), and Los Angeles (3–8%) have stricter local rent control ordinances. If your property is in a city with local rent control, you must follow whichever is stricter — usually the local ordinance. Cities without local rent control (Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego) default to AB 1482.

Stay Compliant Without the Stress

The biggest risk for California landlords isn’t the rent cap itself — it’s not knowing the rules have changed. This is one reason many owners weigh the cost of hiring a property manager against self-managing — but with the right tools, compliance doesn’t have to be the deciding factor. CPI numbers change annually. Cities can adopt new ordinances. Court decisions can reinterpret existing law.

LeaseBase tracks AB 1482 compliance automatically for each of your properties — including your local CPI, maximum allowable increase, notice deadlines, and any local ordinance changes. You see a clear dashboard instead of guessing whether you’re compliant.