Trying to figure out how much your landlord is legally allowed to increase your rent? For tenants in Southern California, it’s confusing.

For many apartments, state law in California allows annual rent hikes as large as 10% during periods of high inflation.

However, different parts of California have very different rules on rent increases. Some cities have local forms of rent control with much lower limits, while others have no local limits at all.

Generally, older buildings are more likely to be subject to caps on rent increases. In many newer buildings, the sky's the limit. Lawmakers say rent caps on newly built properties would remove the incentive for developers to build new housing.

The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits the kinds of rent control cities can impose on buildings constructed since 1995. On top of those restrictions, Sacramento lawmakers have agreed to exclude buildings constructed within the last 15 years from statewide rent caps.

We know that finding the answers for your living situation isn’t easy. To sort it all out, we’ve put together a short guide on rent control laws across Southern California. They’re presented below, alphabetically.

Of course, we’re not lawyers. We can’t tell you exactly what’s legal and what’s not in your specific living situation. L.A. tenants who need further help can reach out to Stay Housed L.A., a partnership between local governments and legal aid organizations.

Baldwin Park

Baldwin Park currently limits annual rent increases to 3.8%. That limit has been in effect since Aug. 1, 2023 and will remain in place until a new 3.9% limit takes effect on Aug. 1, 2024.

The city's rent control ordinance limits annual rent hikes to 5% or lower, if the local consumer price index reported in April of each year is below 5%. Landlords can always increase rents by at least 1% per year, even if the region's April consumer price index is below 1%.

The city’s rent increase limits generally apply to rental housing built before Jan. 1, 1995, with exceptions for single-family homes, condos and owner-occupied duplexes.

Bell Gardens

The city calculates allowable rent increases based on 50% of the local consumer price index, or 4%, whichever is lower. The current limit is 1.9%. That cap will remain in effect until a new limit is announced to take effect on Nov. 1, 2024.

Landlords who charge less than 80% of the area’s “fair market rent” can apply to the city for permission to raise rents by an additional 3% per year.

City council members in Bell Gardens voted to implement local rent control in August 2022. The city’s rent control law generally applies to apartments built before Feb. 1, 1995. Single-family homes, condos and townhomes are generally excluded.

Beverly Hills

The city of Beverly Hills is now allowing annual rent increases of up to 3.2% in most rent-controlled housing. The city is scheduled to update this limit in June 2024.

However, as of May 15, 2024 landlords are allowed to raise the rent 3.1% on tenants who originally moved into their housing units at rents of $600 or less, and who live in buildings constructed before Sept. 20, 1978.

Details on how these complex rent increase rules work can be found on the city’s website. Beverly Hills’ rent control law generally applies to rental housing constructed before Feb. 1, 1995.

Cudahy

Under Cudahy’s rent control law, landlords cannot raise rents by more than 3% per year. In years when the local consumer price index is running lower than 3%, landlords must base annual rent hikes on the lower inflation figure.

The city’s maximum allowable rent increase between Aug. 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024 is 3%. The city has not yet announced the new limit that will take effect on Aug. 1, 2024.

The Cudahy city council passed the local rent control ordinance in June 2023. The rules generally apply to rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995. The limits don’t apply to renters in single-family houses, condos or townhomes.

Culver City

Tenants covered by the city’s rent control rules can currently receive annual rent hikes of up to 3% between May 1, 2024 through July 31, 2024. The city frequently updates these limits, which can be found on this website.

Culver City’s rent control ordinance allows annual increases ranging from a minimum of 2% to a maximum of 5%, depending on recent consumer price index figures.

Culver City’s rent control law generally applies to rental housing units built before Feb. 1, 1995. The law generally exempts single-family homes, condos and townhomes.

Inglewood

Inglewood’s highly complicated housing protection ordinance, which originally took effect in 2019, currently allows annual rent hikes of up to 10%. But the city’s rent caps can be much lower, depending on the size of your apartment building and how cheap your current rent is.

If you live in a building with five or more apartments, your landlord can generally raise your rent by no more than 3.9% beginning on July 1, 2024. That limit is based on the local consumer price index from April 2024. The city updates its allowable rent increases every May based on those figures.

However, Inglewood allows landlords with smaller buildings to impose higher rent increases. If you live in a rent-controlled apartment building with four units or less, your landlord can raise your rent by 8.9% starting on July 1, 2024.

Additionally, Inglewood allows landlords to raise rents even more on tenants who pay 80% or less of the area’s “fair market rent.” Essentially, this means landlords can impose larger annual increases on those with cheaper rents.

Details on what qualifies as “below fair market rent” can be found on the city’s website. Tenants below those limits can receive recent hikes of up to 8.9% in buildings with five units or more — or up to 10% in buildings with four units or less.

The city’s limits on annual rent increases generally exempt single-family home and condo rentals (unless they’re owned by a corporate landlord) as well as any rental housing built within the last 15 years.

City of L.A.

Los Angeles landlords are currently allowed to raise rents by 4% on tenants covered by the city’s rent stabilization ordinance. The city allows landlords to increase rents by another 1% if they pay for the tenant's gas, plus another 1% if they pay for the tenant's electricity, for a total allowable increase of 6% if they cover both utilities.

This 4 to 6% allowable increase is set to continue through June 30, 2025 unless amended by the city council. It came into effect on Feb. 1, 2024 after a nearly four-year rent freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic. L.A. banned rent hikes during the pandemic far longer than other cities.

During the rent freeze, L.A. tenants filed a record number of complaints about illegal rent hikes. If you believe you received an unlawful rent hike in a city of L.A. rent-controlled apartment between April 1, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2024, you can file a complaint with the city’s housing department here.

The city’s limits generally apply to rental housing built before Oct. 1, 1978. Single-family home rentals are generally exempt. You can search for your address on the city’s ZIMAS website and click the “housing” tab on the left to find out if your home is subject to the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, or RSO.

Depending on recent consumer price index figures, allowable rent increases in the city of L.A. can range from a minimum of 3% to a maximum of 8% — or up to 10% in cases where landlords cover their tenants' utility costs. However, these rules are currently the subject of much debate, with some city council members pushing to bring the maximum limit down to 3%.

Maywood

The city’s current limit on annual rent increases is 3.8%. From the city’s website, it is unclear what period of time this covers and when a new limit is scheduled to take effect. We have reached out to city officials multiple times for clarity on these topics, and will update this story if we receive an answer.

Maywood’s city council voted in August 2023 to implement the new rent control policy.

The southeastern L.A. city’s rules limit annual increases to 4% or the local consumer price index, whichever is lower.

Maywood’s rent control limits generally apply to rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995. Single-family homes, condos and townhomes are generally not covered by the city’s rules.

Pasadena

The city’s current annual rent increase limit is 2.75%. This figure took effect on Oct. 1, 2023 and will remain in place through Sept. 30, 2024.

Allowable increases under the city’s rent stabilization rules are equal to 75% of the region’s most recent consumer price index figures. Landlords can raise rents once per year, only after giving tenants a 30-day notice.

Rent control took root in Pasadena after voters there passed Measure H in November 2022. The city’s rules generally apply to rental properties built before Feb. 1, 1995. Condos and single-family homes are generally exempt.

Pomona

The city’s current limit on annual rent hikes is 4%. That cap took effect on Aug. 1, 2023 and will remain in place through July 31, 2024. A new limit will take effect on Aug. 1, 2024 but that rate has yet to be announced.

In August 2022, Pomona City Council passed a rent control ordinance that limits annual rent hikes to no more than 4%, or the change in the local consumer price index, whichever is lower.

The city’s rent hike limits generally apply to rental housing built before Feb. 1, 1995. Single-family homes, condos and townhomes are generally exempt.

Santa Ana

The city currently caps annual rent increases in rent-controlled housing at 2.54%. That limit is set to remain in place through Aug. 31, 2024. The city plans to announce the new limit taking effect on Sept. 1, 2024 by July.

The city’s rules limit rent hikes to 80% of the local consumer price index or 3%, whichever is lower. The law, adopted in late 2021, generally applies to apartments built before Feb. 1, 1995.

Santa Monica

Currently, the city generally limits annual rent increases to 2.8% for covered units, with a maximum increase of $67 per month. That cap is set to continue until Sept. 1, 2024 when a new 3% limit is set to take effect.

Voters in Santa Monica approved a ballot measure in November 2022 lowering allowable annual rent hikes to 3%, or a maximum of $70 per month. Just before that vote, in September 2022, Santa Monica’s rent control board approved a 6% increase, with a cap of $140 per month. The ballot measure invalidated those higher increases.

Rent control in Santa Monica generally applies to apartments built before April 10, 1979.

West Hollywood

The city currently allows annual rent increases of up to 2.5% in rent-controlled housing. This limit is set to continue through Aug. 31, 2024. City officials say a new limit for Sept. 1, 2024 will be announced in late June.

The city’s rent control rules generally apply to rental properties with two or more units that were first occupied before July 1, 1979.

The city calculates allowable increases using a formula based on 75% of the local consumer price index.

Unincorporated L.A. County

Annual rent hikes of up to 4% are now allowed in rent-controlled housing in unincorporated areas of L.A. County. That limit took effect on Jan. 1, 2024 and is scheduled to last through Dec. 31, 2024.

What will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025 is currently the subject of consideration by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

In June 2024 the five-member board narrowly voted to lower allowable increases next year to no more than 3% — or even less based on a 60% of consumer price index formula. However, small landlords (those who own no more than 10 units) could add on another 1% increase. The 2025 limits are not yet final. The lower cap still has to come back to the board for a final vote.

Confused about what an “unincorporated area” is exactly? Let’s break it down.

There are 88 incorporated cities across L.A. County. But many areas are not incorporated and are instead subject to rules passed by the county’s elected leaders. One in 10 county residents lives in an unincorporated area, including places like East Los Angeles, Florence-Graham and Altadena.

Many renters in these areas live in properties subject to the county’s rent stabilization ordinance. Those rules generally apply to rental housing in unincorporated areas built before Feb. 1, 1995.

Other cities

Many incorporated cities in L.A. do not have local forms of rent control. For a 2022 story about inflation and rising rents, we interviewed tenants in Burbank facing rent hikes of 10%. Those tenants were receiving such large increases in part because they lived in a city that does not impose local limits on annual rent hikes.

Even if your city lacks rent control, you may still be covered by a 2019 state law called the California Tenant Protection Act (also known as AB 1482). That law is meant to stop landlords from passing on very large rent increases to tenants across the state who live in areas without local rent control.

There are some exceptions. Newly constructed housing is not covered by this law. That means if you live in an apartment built within the past 15 years, these limits do not apply to your situation. But if your building is older than that, your unit is likely subject to the Tenant Protection Act’s limits on annual rent hikes.

The state law's rent increase limit is currently 8.9% for L.A. and Orange counties, that went into effect Aug. 1, 2024 and is based on more recent consumer price index figures. It's up slightly from last year's 8.8% max.

The law establishes a new annual baseline in August of each year. The rate is determined by the local consumer price index from April. State law sets the maximum allowed rent increase at 5% plus the local consumer price index (which was 3.9% in L.A. and Orange counties in April 2024) — or 10%, whichever is lower.

Typically, local rules take precedence over the state law. So if you live somewhere with stricter rent control, your landlord will have to comply with the lower local caps on rent increases.