The California AB 1482 statewide rent cap for 2026 is 5% plus your region's Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase, capped at a maximum of 10% total. For most Los Angeles-area properties, that means the maximum permitted annual increase is approximately 8.9% in 2026. For San Francisco Bay Area properties, approximately 8.6%. These numbers change every year based on CPI, and the calculation is per-tenancy, not per-property.
How the calculation works
AB 1482 caps annual rent increases at:
5% + regional CPI, not to exceed 10%
The regional CPI comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — specifically, the CPI-U for the region containing your property, measured over the 12-month period ending the previous April.
For 2026 increases, you use the April 2025 CPI figures:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA: CPI increase of ~3.9%. Cap = 5% + 3.9% = 8.9%
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward MSA: CPI increase of ~3.6%. Cap = 5% + 3.6% = 8.6%
- Any region where 5% + CPI would exceed 10%: capped at 10% flat
What the cap actually limits
The cap limits the total percentage increase over a 12-month period. Two specific rules matter:
Only one increase per 12 months. You can't split a 9% increase into two 4.5% increases six months apart to stay under some perceived limit. The 12-month lookback is total.
The base is the lowest gross rent charged in the prior 12 months. If you gave a tenant a $200/month concession for 6 months of the year, your base is the concession-adjusted rent, not the "full" rent stated in the lease.
Common mistakes
Which properties AB 1482 covers
AB 1482 applies broadly, with limited exemptions:
Covered:
- Multifamily properties of any size
- Single-family homes owned by corporations, REITs, or LLCs with any corporate member
- Condos in most cases
- Duplexes not owner-occupied
Exempt (narrow — read carefully):
- Properties built within the last 15 years (rolling — recalculated each year)
- Single-family homes owned by individuals or family trusts, IF proper notice of exemption was given
- Owner-occupied duplexes where the owner has lived there since tenancy began
- Deed-restricted affordable housing
- Dorms, hotels, and certain other transient housing
What to do next
If your property is in Los Angeles and older than 15 years, you're almost certainly covered by AB 1482 — and likely by LA's RSO or JCO as well. The applicable cap is the most restrictive one.
The LandlordOS engine calculates which ordinances apply to your specific property and shows the maximum permitted increase under each. You can add your property in under a minute to see the calculation for your case.