California does not have one rent control law. It has two layers. A statewide cap under AB 1482 applies to most rentals in the state, and on top of that, more than two dozen California cities run their own, usually stricter, rent stabilization ordinance. If your rental sits inside one of those cities, the city’s rules generally govern instead of the state’s.
Getting this wrong is not a small mistake. Raise rent past a local cap and a tenant can challenge the increase, and in some cities you can owe back rent or penalties for it. Below is every city LeaseRooster tracks with its own local rent control ordinance: the ordinance name, the annual increase cap, whether it requires a just cause reason to end a tenancy, and a link to the full city guide where we have published one.
Which California cities have their own rent control ordinance
| City | Ordinance | Annual rent increase cap | Just cause required to evict | LeaseRooster guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) (LAMC Ch. XV, § 151.00 et seq.) | Set every year by the LA Housing Department (LAHD), tied to local CPI. Recent years have run 3% to 4%. | Yes. LAMC § 151.09. | Read the city guide |
| San Francisco | Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance (SF Admin. Code Ch. 37) | Set every year by the SF Rent Board at 60% of regional CPI. Recent years have run 1.6% to 3.6%. | Yes. SF Admin. Code § 37.9, 16 grounds. | Read the city guide |
| Oakland | Rent Adjustment Program (RAP) (Oakland Municipal Code Ch. 8.22, Art. I) | Annual CPI-based increase set by the Rent Adjustment Program. | Yes. Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance, Measure EE, OMC § 8.22.360. | Read the city guide |
| Berkeley | Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance (BMC Ch. 13.76) | Annual General Adjustment (AGA), CPI-based, set every year by the Rent Stabilization Board. | Yes. BMC § 13.76.130. | Not published yet |
| Santa Monica | Rent Control Law + Tenant Protection Ordinance (City Charter Art. XVIII) | Set every year by the Rent Control Board, CPI-based. | Yes. City Charter Art. XVIII; extended to non-controlled units after 12 months by the Tenant Protection Ordinance. | Not published yet |
| West Hollywood | Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) (WHMC Ch. 17.36) | Set every year by the Rent Stabilization Commission. | Yes. WHMC Ch. 17.36. | Not published yet |
| Los Angeles County (unincorporated areas) | Tenant Protections and Stabilization Ordinance (LA County Code Title 8, Ch. 8.52) | Set every year by the Board of Supervisors. Applies only outside incorporated cities; a property inside a city like LA, Santa Monica, or Long Beach follows that city’s own ordinance instead. | Yes. Just Cause for Termination of Tenancy Ordinance, LA County Code Ch. 8.57. | Not published yet |
| Alameda | Rent and Eviction Control Ordinance (Measure L1) (Alameda City Charter Art. XXVI; AMC Art. XV) | Set by the Alameda Rent Program. | Yes. AMC § 6-58.70, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Richmond | Fair Rent, Just Cause for Eviction, and Homeowner Protection Ordinance (Measure L) (RMC Ch. 11.100) | Set by the Richmond Rent Program. | Yes. RMC § 11.100.060, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Hayward | Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RRSO) (HMC Ch. 12, Art. 1) | Set by the Hayward Rent Review Board. | Yes. HMC Ch. 12, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Mountain View | Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA, Measure V) (City Charter Art. XVII) | Set every year by the Rental Housing Committee. | Yes. CSFRA § 1720, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| East Palo Alto | Rent Stabilization and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance (EPAMC Ch. 14.04) | Set by the City of East Palo Alto. | Yes. EPAMC § 14.04.060, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| San Jose | Apartment Rent Ordinance (ARO) + Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) (SJMC Ch. 17.23; SJMC Title 17) | Set every year by the City. | Yes. SJMC TPO, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Sacramento | Tenant Protection Ordinance (Sacramento City Code Ch. 5.156) | Set by the City, based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. | Yes. Sacramento City Code § 5.156.050, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Santa Ana | Rent Stabilization and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance (SAMC Ch. 8) | 3% or 80% of the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. | Yes. SAMC § 8-2. | Not published yet |
| Pasadena | Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Measure H) (City Charter Art. XVIII) | Set by the Rent Stabilization Program. | Yes. City Charter Art. XVIII § 3, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Culver City | Tenant Protections Ordinance (CCMC Title 15) | Set by the City. | Yes. CCMC § 15.09.200, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Inglewood | Residential Tenant Protection Ordinance (Inglewood Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Beverly Hills | Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) (BHMC Title 4, Ch. 5) | Set by the City. | Yes. BHMC § 4-5-601, after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Bell Gardens | Rent Stabilization Ordinance (2022) (Bell Gardens Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Baldwin Park | Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Baldwin Park Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Pomona | Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Ordinance (Pomona Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Antioch | Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Antioch Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Concord | Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Ordinance (Concord Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. after 12 months of tenancy. | Not published yet |
| Fairfax | Residential Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance (Fairfax Town Code Ch. 3.40) | Set by the Town. | Yes. Fairfax Town Code § 3.40.100. | Not published yet |
| Ojai | Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Ojai Municipal Code) | Set by the City. | Yes. included in the RSO. | Not published yet |
| Los Gatos | Residential Rent Control Ordinance (Town Code Ch. 14.80) | Set by the Town. Vacancy decontrol applies: rent can reset to market on a lawful vacancy. | No local just-cause ordinance beyond the statewide AB 1482 requirement is documented in our tracking. | Not published yet |
| Palm Springs | Rent Control Ordinance (with vacancy decontrol) (Palm Springs Municipal Code) | Set by the Palm Springs Rent Review Commission. | No separate local just-cause ordinance beyond the statewide AB 1482 baseline. | Not published yet |
This list covers the 28 California cities LeaseRooster currently tracks for a local rent stabilization ordinance. If your city is not listed, it most likely follows the statewide AB 1482 cap below, but a city missing from this list does not prove it has no ordinance. It means we have not documented one yet, so check with your city directly if you are unsure.
A rent cap and a just cause requirement are two separate protections, and most cities on this list have both. Los Gatos and Palm Springs cap rent but do not add a local just-cause rule beyond the statewide AB 1482 requirement described below.
The statewide floor: AB 1482
Civil Code § 1947.121Official source
5% plus local CPI, maximum 10%, plus a just cause requirement under Civil Code § 1946.22
Every California rental not covered by a stricter local ordinance falls under the state’s own cap, AB 1482. It limits annual increases to 5% plus local CPI, with a hard ceiling of 10% no matter what CPI does. AB 1482 also requires a just cause reason to end a covered tenancy after 12 months, independent of any local ordinance.
Single-family homes and condos can be exempt from AB 1482 with the right written notice, and new construction is exempt on a rolling 15-year basis. The maximum rent increase guide walks through the current year’s numbers and the exemption rules in full.
Where to go next
If your property is in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Oakland, start with the city-specific guide. Everywhere else in California, start with the AB 1482 guide.
- Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO)
- San Francisco Rent Control
- Oakland Just Cause Eviction Rules
- Maximum Rent Increase in California (AB 1482)
General information, not legal advice
City councils amend and adopt rent control ordinances more often than state law changes. This page reflects what LeaseRooster has documented as of its last review date above. If your city is not listed, or you are not sure your unit is covered, confirm directly with the city’s rent board or a California attorney before you rely on it.
- Civil Code § 1947.12 Statewide rent increase cap: 5% plus local CPI, maximum 10% View official source ↗
- Civil Code § 1946.2 Statewide just cause requirement after 12 months of tenancy View official source ↗